Since the early 1990s, the Open Society Foundations have supported early childhood development, recognizing it as a prerequisite for sustainable political and social change--with a focus not only on young children, but on parents, caregivers, and the wider community. This report commemorates the Open Society Early Childhood Program, which, from…

All Indigenous communities have a time-tested child-rearing knowledge base that reflects and honors their cultural beliefs and historical experiences. Many of these communities emphasize group harmony and collaboration and respect for the natural environment--competencies that are increasingly important on our crowded and depleted planet.…

The birth of a child can be a simultaneously joyous and challenging time for families. Virtually all parents will struggle with the enormous physical and emotional demands of parenting a very young child, but for too many California families those challenges are additionally compounded by poverty, housing instability, lack of social support, or…

Nearly half of the nation's families with young children struggle to make ends meet. A new KIDS COUNT policy report makes the case for creating opportunity for families by addressing the needs of parents and their children simultaneously. "Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach" describes a new approach to reducing…

Community-based parenting education programs have a unique role to play in the promotion of infant mental health. In contrast to classes that seek to accelerate child development, the author describes enrichment programs that promote parent-child bonding and healthy social and emotional development. The ParentSource program was developed on the…

Due to the destructive impact of child maltreatment and limited available funding to address its consequences, the value of preventive measures is evident. Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIPs) provide excellent opportunities to prevent and identify cases of child maltreatment, among other varied objectives. These programs are typically…

In Denmark a large and complex group of social, legal, educational, health, and financial services are available to all women who are pregnant and/or have children under 2 years of age. These services are the subject of two joint reports. The first report describes the history, organization, and administration of the program and the services for…

The Carterville and Calhoun centers are representative of the 6 local child development programs in rural northwest Georgia. The day care centers are for the children of working mothers. The outreach program provides workers who go into the homes to help nonworking mothers improve their child-rearing skills. (FF)

This paper presents the theoretical base and operational design of a neighborhood-based primary prevention program that seeks to enhance the development of very young children by focusing on the role of parents' social networks in supporting early child-rearing. Efforts to strengthen parents' involvement in and utilization of an informal network…

Describes positive response to a parent support and assistance program in a private pediatric office. Discusses other positive offshoots of the program, including identification of underlying marital and/or family problems of parents seeking advice about their children's behaviors. (Author)

This parent education curriculum manual, developed by the Parent Education program at North Seattle Community College, defines and describes the parent education program and presents program materials for use as a curriculum guide for instructors and for program participants. First, the parent education program is described and the educational…

Parenting education programs have traditionally consisted of teaching skills and providing information about child development, but have not focused on parents' own development as individuals and as parents. The Reflective Dialogue Parent Education Design (RDPED) described in this article helps parents increase their self-awareness and their…

Sources of major breakdowns among parents with severe psycho-social problems are presented in terms of isolation from family and community support networks, as well as ways in which their preschool children are subject to developmental delays and are "at risk" for child abuse and neglect. PACE is described as a treatment and education program for…

Several studies have suggested the importance of parent education in the prevention of incompetence. The child development and day care movements offer programs that show promise for preventing the incompetence associated with culturally deprived children. But many of these programs lack the elements necessary to break the cycle of poverty: (1)…

Described is a six week discussion group for parents of children in special and regular elementary school classes. It is explained that the program goals include stimulating parent involvement with the school and providing alternative methods of dealing with children's behavior. Outlined are group activities for the six meetings, program overview,…