Training is widely believed to be an important element in promoting good child welfare practice. Scholarly attention to training, however, has been limited. To facilitate further development of child welfare training, in this article, we discuss the importance of conceptualization in the design and evaluation of training projects, offer a…

Articulates how the family support movement emerged in the last 20 years, and describes the philosophical premises, principles, and practices that currently guide it. Considers the inability of current family support program typologies to guide outcome evaluations, and introduces a typology that deconstructs family support programs into their…

A model for group training of foster parents focuses on self-directed learning and mutual support to overcome feelings of powerlessness and isolation. (Author/RH)

Examines the concept and application of prevention programs in the child welfare services, and provides a framework for child welfare services based on the public health model of prevention, which focuses on helping program administrators identify and plan services and programs for target populations at different stages in their development. (CM)

This article may be useful to workers who need to help young children to accept dental care. (Editor)

Suggests a framework for a family-centered residential group care model for children in acute crisis. The model aims at achieving a permanent discharge for the children as soon as possible. (CM)

Describes a needs assessment model which can be used by grass-roots organizations to collect socioeconomic and demographic data in Hispanic and other ethnic-minority communities. (CM)

Drawing largely on the literature from adult learning and development, this article presents parents as continuous learners whose critical reflections on their experiences with parenting can be rich fodder for their growth and development. Theories and models are highlighted that may suggest a wider repertoire of approaches for helping…

Suggests a decision-making model based on case-management procedures for permanency planning in foster care. Permanency planning is offered as an alternative to counter the drift of children in foster care. (CM)

The "Bringing It All Back Home" project at a North Carolina center provides an example of the teacher-based Model for troubled adolescents in group homes. (MS)

Several policy and practice issues impede successful implementation of the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Montgomery County, Maryland devised a blended model of intervention to achieve the dual mandates of county Child Welfare Services and alcohol and drug services. The approach made use of graduated levels of intensity in…

This article details a consensus-building initiative to develop a statewide research agenda responding to needs of Illinois's child welfare community. Researchers conducted this process through a university-community partnership to engage those interested in child welfare services, and produced a document to guide child welfare research throughout…

Compares rationales and outcome research for five areas of programming for maltreated and other at-risk adolescents: adolescent competence and skills development programs, family- and parent-focused programs, social integration programs, multiple component programs, and neighborhood transformation programs. Finds that several program models have…