The Air Force outdoor recreation program evolved from the Army "rest and recreation" areas set up during World War II. During the last decade, financial pressures and eroding support for recreation programs forced a reexamination of the objectives of such programs. Starting with the premise that the Air Force was the main customer and…

This paper briefly defines parent involvement in education, outlines several factors that are fueling new state interest in programs to strengthen families, describes programmatic initiatives in several states, and examines some of the issues states have faced in their efforts to craft effective community-based programs that are responsive to…

In December, 1991, a representative from the New York State Technical Assistance Resource Network (STARN) presented information about collaboration in early intervention services to a training session for parents and professionals sponsored by the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs. The presentation was based on STARN's work in serving…

An educational program was developed to assist family groups with adolescent diabetics to improve their problem-solving skills. The program is based on theoretical assumptions and research findings from a study of family problem-solving, which involved nine intact, well-functioning families (five families with a diabetic adolescent and four…

This paper describes the development of a consumer-based program in rural Essex County (New York) for families with children with emotional disorders. Initially, in-depth, in-home interviews were held with 24 families who had children with serious emotional disturbances concerning their service needs and desires. The following needs were expressed…

This paper draws on the experience of various states in its discussion of questions, issues, and decisions that policymakers face as they plan their states' family support initiatives. The discussion is organized into three parts that correspond roughly with the stages of policy formation, program development, and program implementation and…

This paper describes experiences with in-house evaluation, using four case examples from Child and Family Services (a social service, child welfare, and mental health agency) in a meta-evaluation model to illustrate benefits and sensitivities of the internal evaluator's role. Projects reviewed were: (1) a child sexual abuse treatment team; (2) a…

Family support services are systematic efforts to support natural, adoptive, or foster families who have a family member with a disability. Programs vary in the types of services offered, goals, and number of families served. The most promising approaches to family support provide services that are flexible and individualized, build on informal…

This essay discusses methodological and ethical problems in the implementation and evaluation of home-based intervention programs for young children and their families. Part I notes the difficulties in (1) selecting an appropriate research design to evaluate a program (e.g., preventing sample bias), (2) specifying precisely the intervention method…

The Bryan Independent School District's (Texas) Parent Education Partnership Program (PEPP) is designed to "empower all families through information, training, and support to enhance the parent-child relationship within the context of the home, school, and community to assure healthy, productive members of society." The 1994-1995 program…

Over a decade ago, the Minnesota state legislature funded the Council on Quality Education to create nine exemplary and experimental pilot programs to support young children and their families. One of the early models was a family-oriented, structured preschool activity that featured weekly 2-hour sessions during which parents of 4-year-olds…

This paper describes the assessment procedures used by the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP) to identify and address the needs of families and of individual family members. CFRP was developed as part of the Head Start Improvement and Innovation effort to provide individualized comprehensive developmental services to families with children…

This pilot study used a multidisciplinary, ethnographic approach to evaluate effects of prenatal drug exposure on four cocaine/polydrug-exposed infants and their rural mothers/caregivers and to begin development of a model training program. The study involved document review of hospital and social services records, participant observation,…

The Guilford Initiative for Training and Treatment Services (GIFTTS) Project is a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Guilford County Schools, the Department of Social Services, Juvenile Courts, the Health Department, and the Mental Health division of the local Mental Health/Development…

The Decker Family Development Center in Barberton (Ohio) is a holistic "one-stop shop" that provides services to families who are at multiple risk. During its 5 years of operation, this center has developed a model that goes beyond cooperation into co-construction to empower stakeholders. This paper describes the center and its successes…