The 2016-17 school year marked the third full school year of operation of the Parent Leadership Institute (PLI) of Children's Aid (CA). The PLI is funded via a 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant. Key goals of the PLI include: (1) improving the capacity of parents to effectively engage in the school community in support of their…

This article summarizes an evaluation of the Safe Babies Court Teams Project. The study compared children in the Court Teams Project at the four initial sites (n = 298) with a nationally representative sample of young child welfare participants (n = 511) from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). The Court Teams Project…

As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher income and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. These widening gaps in fathers' involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents' relationships may reinforce disparities…

Adopting healthy and positive behaviors and avoiding risky ones are key developmental tasks of adolescence. Parents can play an important role in helping their adolescent children acquire or strengthen the behaviors, skills, attitudes, and motivation that promote physical and mental health and overall well-being. Recognizing this, a variety of…

The B.R.A.D. Birthday Card initiative was started on the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) in April 1999. MSU administrators send the safe-drinking 21st birthday card (B.R.A.D.) and laminated wallet card to students shortly before their 21st birthday. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the 21st birthday card, MSU and B.R.A.D.,…

This study is the second in a series evaluating the effectiveness of Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) to address unique deficits inherent in autism spectrum disorders. RDI is a parent-based, cognitive-developmental approach, in which primary caregivers are trained to provide daily opportunities for successful functioning in increasingly…

Noncustodial fathers have an essential role to play--both financially and emotionally--in the lives of their children. However, of the 11 million noncustodial fathers in the US, two thirds do not pay any formal child support. Many of these fathers are poor themselves and face multiple barriers, including low education levels, limited work…

The report presents findings of a parent-organized and parent-conducted evaluation of special education services in Montclair, New Jersey. Parents visited classrooms (resource rooms and self-contained classes) and interviewed staff. Findings and recommendations address the following topics: identification of children (classification by school and…

A preschool program for 14 handicapped children in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, is described and evaluation findings reported. Program objectives are listed for instructional, parent-family, staff development, and demonstration and dissemination components. Among findings were that mentally retarded children showed greater than anticipated…

The document presents the final report of a national study to evaluate the process by which handicapped children were mainstreamed in Head Start programs. Findings related to the following areas of investigation are presented: placement of handicapped children after leaving Head Start, Head Start's role in establishing the new placement, Head…

Reviews the Portage Guide to Early Intervention, a program in which teachers instruct mothers in their homes in an effort to help promote the development of young children with developmental delays. Since multiple factors precluded an appropriate evaluation of the guide's effects, professionals are encouraged to be conservative when discussing the…

This report presents an evaluation of the Prichard Committee for Excellence's Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, which trains Kentucky parents as informed advocates for educational excellence. The evaluation examined whether Institute training would increase parents' understanding of education reform and willingness to work for…

The report describes the model and evaluation results of a project serving birth to 3-year-old developmentally delayed/handicapped children through a parent training approach. The transdisciplinary program featured center and home visits to train parents in all activities of assessment, planning, and intervention activities. Parents were to become…

This report evaluates the implementation of a demonstration model of a father-involvement component of Head Start programs in Washington (District of Columbia). Since well over 90 percent of the children in area Head Start programs are Black, the target group for this project was Black fathers. The following recommendations for program improvement…

Focus: HOPE provides valuable, practical occupational training in machinist or information technology (IT) occupations to young people who face barriers to the development of viable careers through postsecondary education and training because of low-income, basic skills deficiencies, incarceration, or parenting responsibilities. This report…