The majority of children from lower income families enter elementary school well behind their peers in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor academic achievement in the early grades is associated with a range of social problems such as failure to complete high school, increased risk of unintended pregnancy, increased criminal activity, and…

There is a growing practice of adoption services on the Internet with varying degrees of regulation, depending on whether it is domestic infant adoption, public foster care adoption, or international adoption. Regulation is particularly lacking in domestic infant adoptions, with Web sites connecting prospective birth and adoptive parents,…

An estimated one in four women experiences a pregnancy loss during her lifetime. Despite the pervasiveness of fetal mortality reflected by these numbers, social workers rarely initiate dialogues regarding reproductive loss history. Reproductive loss experiences are interwoven with typical themes emerging in everyday social work practice, including…

The well-being of a community is only as good as the well-being of the individuals who reside in the community. A group of citizens, concerned about the welfare of their community, recognized the high rates of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy in their south Florida county and decided to take action. Supported by community leaders and using available…

The growing concern in recent years about apparent increases in adolescent pregnancies has given rise to a proliferate but fragmented literature. Reviewing this literature from several disciplinary perspectives, the author concludes that it is unable to support diagnosis or intervention because it lacks an adequate theoretical and empirical base.…

Compared records of 32 couples who achieved pregnancy during the adoption process with records of couples who did not. Findings suggested that medical diagnosis, age, and emotional components of the adoption study process were intertwined determining factors in couples' achieving pregnancy. (NRB)

Based on clinical interviews with 20 women, describes the experience of giving birth to and mourning a stillborn baby. Issues include pregnancy, delivery, seeing and touching the baby, autopsy, burial, "making memories," and mourning. Discusses the social worker's role in clinical practice and in influencing hospital procedures. (Author)

When New York State's abortion laws were liberalized in 1970, there was a sharp rise in the number of clinic patients who requested abortions. Because social workers at Mount Sinai Medical Center believed that abortion still is an emotional risk for many women, a study was conducted to determine which patients needed intensive counseling. (Author)

Concerned professionals in various parts of the country have formed crisis-oriented counseling services to meet the needs of women who request abortions. This article presents information obtained from a sample of women seeking abortions and discusses the counselor's role in the decision making process. (Author)

Although teenage pregnancy is at the center of much current social concern and political debate, the focus tends to be on the young mothers and their children. The lives and parenting experiences of young fathers typically receive less attention from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. This article presents findings from a qualitative…

This article investigates the reasons why young single girls are keeping their babies far more often than they did a few years ago, and the role of the helping professions in dealing with these young mothers. (BW)

The author discusses components essential to pregnancy-specific substance abuse treatment, based on a review of the literature. Elements and issues related to substance abuse during pregnancy are identified under the five social work intervention roles: teacher, broker, clinician, mediator, and advocate. The concepts and approaches presented in…

In group discussions involving several families, the therapists attempt to clarify defective communication patterns that exist in these families and to help them develop more effective communication as a means of restoring family equilibrium. (Author)

Therapist's pregnancy creates new problems and opportunities for therapeutic relationships. Patient reactions relate to impending separation and psychological and physical events of pregnancy. Pregnant therapists also have new reactions to patients and must consider potential benefits of communicating something personal about themselves. (NRB)

Social work clinicians who continue to practice during pregnancy should be aware that their condition will affect their clients' responses as well as their own, and that the pregnancy may even present unique treatment opportunities. (Author)