Used data from national survey of public and private adoption service providers in Canada to examine similarities and differences with respect to clients served, issues associated with adoption accessibility, and nature of postadoption services. Found high degree of homogeneity that cut across public and private division, with typical adoptive…

Presents a rationale for family service professionals to communicate through the mass media to improve the functioning of agencies and contribute to the welfare of the community. Offers detailed suggestions for working with the media, i.e., improving relations, acting as a news source, and participating in broadcast interviews. (Author/WAS)

Reviews facts about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and its epidemiology. Discusses implications for families (social stigma and isolation, fears of contagion, infection and abandonment, guilt, anger, grief, and economic hardship) and for human service professionals (public education, voluntary, anonymous testing with counseling, and…

Examined the conditions under which managers in public long-term care programs believe that family and friends can assume responsibility for the long-term care of the elderly (N=127). Revealed five broad dimensions of importance in care plan development: size of responsibility, caregivers' capacity, long-range welfare, caregivers' age, and…

Studied preferences for family versus nonfamily sources of care for the elderly. Preference for family as the primary source of care was found to be independent of age, cohort, gender, education, and marital status, but significantly associated with race. Implications for age stratification theory and family functioning are discussed. (Author)

Investigated perceived sources of emotional and instrumental support for recently relocated families (N=298) in hypothetical crisis situations. Very few individuals reported having no social supports. The extended family was viewed as the most important source, despite geographical separation, followed by friends and formal support systems.…

Identifies and elaborates several programs in British Columbia which have been designed to strengthen the family. The programs are evaluated to assess their impact on family health. Some forces in education which have affected the family-school partnership are also analyzed. (JAC)

Examines factors affecting parental stress and caregiving demands and the use of support services. Data obtained from parents of children (N=231) with mental retardation or chronic illness indicate that coping with significant behavior problems was more important than disability type in determining most forms of parental stress and mental health…

Examines the mechanisms through which children with externalizing behaviors impact parents' feelings of stress and perceptions of parenting. Results, based on parent and teacher reports of 75 first-grade children, indicate that spousal support was the most important resource variable. Parents highly agreed on perceived support in childbearing.…

Presents an ecological systems model and a family perspective framework to explain policies that guide the development of integrated services for persons experiencing multiple interrelated problems. Reviews the history and purposes of integrated services and suggests a role for family professionals in policy development, program implementation,…