Federal policy changes for Head Start (HS) elevate the importance of measured academic performance over other traditional program aims, particularly those associated with the social-emotional development of children. Concerned about the possible effects of these changes on children, based on observations and interviews, detailed portraits of…

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…

These "Stories From the Field" describe five Wallace-funded programs working to expand learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children, so they can benefit from the types of opportunities their wealthier counterparts have access to, from homework help to swimming classes. The report details each program's approach, successes and…

Poverty-related factors place children at higher risk for disabilities and also serve as barriers to families accessing services for their children and themselves. Early childhood practitioners can play a critical role in supporting families by providing services to overcome these obstacles and by working in partnership with specialized early…

"Udbhas," which means "expression," is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to spread literacy and promote post-literacy education among the underprivileged children in the slums of Calcutta, India. This paper describes the creation, work, and benefits to children of Udbhas. The paper notes that most of the organization's…

Describes the progress of the Day Care Center program in Talladega County, Alabama, started in 1970 by a small Office of Economic Opportunities grant to the Talladega-Clay-Randolph Community Action Committee. (Author/JM)

The paper describes the identification, curriculum, and evaluation components of the Secondary School Experiential Learning Community, a program which currently serves 83 gifted but economically disadvantaged students at the Richmond (Virginia) Community High School. Personal, social, and academic program components are noted. The identification…

Forty-two teachers and supervisors, selected by the Texas Education Agency, participated in a 2-week workshop designed to provide an intensive study of the disadvantaged and to increase the effectiveness of teachers of culturally disadvantaged youth, primarily in the area of occupational training. Scholars in the fields of sociology and psychology…

This paper discusses the characteristics of three community-based early childhood care and development support programs: the Community Mothers Program of Dublin, Ireland; the Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Workers Program of Tennessee; and the Mothers Inform Mothers Program of the Netherlands. The paper considers the general characteristics…

This annotated bibliography, the fourth of a series of five reports of selected literature included in the ERIC system, carries a short review on the history and operation of the Neighborhood Youth Corps. The 21 items in the list have the following breakdown: (1) program descriptions; (2) characteristics of participants; (3) evaluation reports;…

This booklet briefly describes the activities of the Demonstration and Research Center for Early Education (DARCEE), including the basic philosophy of the DARCEE approach, the application of that philosophy in the classroom, the three different classroom training centers, the intervention program, and research and training programs. The purpose of…

To help future teachers understand how problems of poverty, abuse, and indifferent medical care affect children's learning, the elementary education faculty at SUNY-College at Oneonta (New York) instituted a new graduation requirement called "Early Field Experiences." Elementary education majors must complete 40 hours of field…

The project was designed to provide counseling services for children in poverty areas by preparing community educators to function as counselors. Participants were counselors, teachers, administrators, and employees of helping agencies (Boy Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, etc.) from two school administrative districts evidencing poverty-related problems. The…

As part of a commitment to eliminate child poverty, the British government has established Sure Start programs across the country. Sure Start programs are very similar to U.S. Early Head Start initiatives; their stated aim is to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged families and children before and from birth. The article describes…