Describes the accomplishments and distinguishing features of California's Healthy Start Program, a statewide, school-linked initiative to provide health and human services support to children and their families at the local level. (MDM)

Reports the prevalence of school-based after-school programs and discusses extracurricular activities, child care, extended-day programs, enrichment programs, and efforts to make the schools community hubs. Outlines implementation challenges to program expansion: governance, space, program quality, funding, and accountability. (SLD)

Identifies the following basic issues involved in planning and implementing school-linked services: (1) planning; (2) targeting; (3) governance; (4) information systems; and (5) staffing. Effective planning requires a policy-minded team of equals from various agencies. Strategies that community teams can use to address each issue are discussed.…

Examines a frequently discussed indicator of child well-being, the high school dropout rate. School-linked services will be successful only to the extent children are in school. First in a feature series ("Child Indicators") that analyzes implications and limitations of key statistical indicators of the well-being of children. (SLD)

Drawing from general experience and specific examples from the New Beginnings program in San Diego (California), outlines roles and responsibilities for school superintendents, board members, principals, and teachers involved in implementing school-linked services. Calls for increased accountability to measure progress toward defined goals. (SLD)

Key points in the articles of this issue are discussed and preliminary criteria for school-linked service efforts are reviewed. Six critical issues requiring additional attention in implementing school-linked services are the following: (1) systemic change; (2) targeting; (3) financing; (4) evaluation; (5) state and federal leadership; and (6)…

The current tripartite system of human services delivery (education, health, and social services) is unable to deal with children with multiple problems in an effective, coordinated way due to fragmentation, specialization, and complexity. Reorganizing the current system by linking or integrating services could provide many advantages, as…

Describes goals, beneficiaries, offerings, locations, and providers of six current school-linked service efforts. Identifies several integrating elements needed for systemic reforms to make school-linked services produce more successful outcomes for children and families. Programmatic initiatives must complement deep-reaching changes in ways…

Reviews types of evaluation that may be applied to school-linked services; and discusses the needs for a range of evaluative strategies for program providers, policymakers, and funders. For some programs evaluation will be primarily descriptive, whereas for others a carefully designed outcome evaluation will be possible. (SLD)

Examines the relationship between government programs and individuals within the family context, describing past and present efforts of the federal government toward integrated services. Emphasis is on initiatives of the Department of Health and Human Services. Current shifts in primary responsibility are translated into increasing state and local…

Reviews the history of providing noneducational services to children in a school setting from the perspective of past and present reform efforts. Argues that urban school reform should be based on a "children-at-risk" model rather than a "nation-at-risk" model and should incorporate lessons from the past. (SLD)

Argues against placing the school in a lead position for delivery of services; and supports a community-based model in which diverse service providers, administrators, and institutions work collaboratively in a system of linked services. A community-based system would involve a consortium of existing agencies or a newly created entity. (SLD)

Reviews common financing strategies for school-linked services, and suggests that the fiscal strategy for building integrated school-linked services involves supplementing new core program funding with redirected existing sources and increasing use of Medicaid funds. There is no single approach to financing these services. (SLD)