Voices of Pioneers section features Margaret Harrison of United Kingdom who founded HOME-START movement in Leicester, England, in 1973. Notes that HOME-START now has 150 programs throughout United Kingdom and in other countries and that program trains volunteers to offer support, friendship, and practical help to young families under stress in…

Issues related to family assessment as part of early intervention programs with handicapped children are reviewed and the need for a family needs assessment as a first step in developing family focused interventions is stressed. Suggestions for the design, selection, and use of a needs assessment are made. (Author/DB)

This paper identifies themes of the Second African Conference on Child Abuse (1993), notes the importance of the breakdown of family structure, and stresses the importance of prevention. Prerequisites for prevention programs in developing countries are considered and development of a macro campaign and local micro efforts is urged. Examples of…

Home economics programs must be reexamined in light of the increasing number of dual-career families. New programs tailored to meet their needs help to keep home economics on the cutting edge. Home economists must be flexible, creative, and willing to meet the challenges. (JOW)

The Child and Family Justice Project, designed to help communities improve the quality of life for their children and families, is described in terms of its development, evaluation, and its long range effects. (Author/MP)

Considerations related to the design and development of a respite care service delivery network for families of developmentally disabled persons are addressed. A five-component model for developing a respite care service network is presented, focusing on the need for competency-based service-provider training and parent involvement. Lastly,…

The author states that home economists interested in the prevention of family problems can collaborate with practitioners who plan and implement marriage preparation programs. She says that home economists have the potential to assist marriage preparation practitioners in needs assessment, the setting of objectives for programs, and devising…

This paper looks at the often troubled development of the White House Conference on Families and at the views of its director, John Carr, on its appropriate topics and objectives. (SJL)

Interviewed 53 parents of center-city families in focus groups to obtain information about encouraging participation of difficult-to-reach families in intervention to prevent marital problems and alcohol and substance abuse in children. Mothers and fathers expressed widely different beliefs, indicating that interventions might target mothers and…

Fundamental changes in the family unit have led to ineffective and inadequate parenting, and to increasing isolation among families, placing family members at risk for such social problems as child abuse/neglect and school failure. To prevent and treat these problems, parents need knowledge of child development and tools for responding…

The effects of stress in families of very young handicapped or at-risk children are pervasive, multiple, and sometimes unsuspected. Stress reduction strategies include building on family strengths, empowering families and children, arranging for medical stabilization, providing social and economic stabilization, providing a functional curriculum,…

Reported that parental alcoholism is prognostic of childhood behavior problems, both directly, through genetic and modeling effects, and indirectly, through parental distress and physical problems. It was hypothesized that the heightened rate of behavior problems in children of alcoholics could be traced to the combination of negative interactions…

A half-time Student Assistance Program (SAP) was designed and implemented for two semesters in an urban high school in New Jersey. Findings indicated that proportion of students who used SAP increased with time, male participants outnumbered females, and alcohol and drug issues were most frequently cited as presenting problems for both males and…

Presents results of research to identify and examine community-based, family violence intervention programs in the United States which provide alternatives to incarceration of assaulters. Describes different approaches used by programs and aspects of program development such as staffing, funding, community support, and program evaluation. (MJL)

Describes the Decker Family Development Center (DFDC) in Barberton (Ohio), while relating the difference that the DFDC's services has made to one poor family. Recounts the DFDC's establishment, funding, and current services (adult education, counseling for parents and children, and several types of child care services). (JB)