Head Start is a national program that provides comprehensive developmental services for preschool children (ages 3 to 5) from low-income families and social services for their families. Approximately 1,400 community-based nonprofit organizations and school systems develop programs to meet specific needs. Head Start began in 1965 in the Office of…

The concept and implementation of direction services, a one step center offering assistance to parents of handicapped children, are traced. Three basic functions of the federally funded direction service centers are noted: to help locate and provide access to the most appropriate resources for handicapped children and youth; to collect and…

The U.S. is one of the few economically developed nations without a national policy supporting children and their families. This paper suggests that the U.S. has a unique national ideology, based on the Calvinist ethic, that results in opposition to all government-supported welfare programs. (CB)

This monograph synthesizes information presented at a July 10, 1991, Congressional staff briefing on many dimensions of the child welfare service system and its reform. Summaries of the participants' statements at the briefing are presented and a reproduction of a background paper on child welfare: "Child Welfare: The Context for Reform"…

This report synthesizes some of the most significant research findings on job training programs. It relates them to the decisions faced by states as they implement the Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training Programs mandated by the Federal Family Support Act of 1988, which must be structured to meet the needs of recipients of Aid to…

This volume examines two-generation interventions as models that represent a new approach to assisting families in poverty. Five of the chapters examine current programs--their design, characteristics of participants, implementation issues, and in one case, evaluation outcomes. Other chapters offer a research and policy context for this…

This paper summarizes the research on the importance of teacher education and salary levels, provides a snapshot of Head Start and Early Head Start staff credentials and related issues, describes recent legislative history and changes on teacher qualifications, and assesses whether states and higher education systems are ready to address a major…

This compilation of extensive facts and figures on topics pertaining to America's children and families is a ready reference for journalists, advocates, and others who need easy access to data on conditions and trends. The book's first nine chapters are: (1) "The Changing American Family"; (2) "Children's Growth and…

This document provides an analysis of the federal government's funding of programs which aid children and families. The foreword begins by describing the crisis which children and families face in the U.S. and proceeds to outline a course of action to help correct the problems. Chapter 1 discusses the federal budget process and the changes in the…

The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has launched a five-year initiative that will support state efforts to build comprehensive early childhood service systems. This initiative--the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative--provides planning and implementation grants to the state and territory Maternal and…

This document is intended to provide business leaders, policymakers, and others with information about the operation and value of six work support programs designed to help low-income parents obtain the assistance needed to enter a job, retain employment, and better provide for their families' needs. The six programs profiled are as follows: the…

In 2003, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) released a "Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Health." In recognition of the critical role states play in the development of early childhood initiatives and of the unique contributions that state Title V programs can make to these initiatives, the Bureau operationalized their…