The federally funded, locally administered Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program sponsors family support programs that are often called "home visiting" because they take place in the homes of at-risk families. These families often lack support, experience, and knowledge of basic parenting skills. Because children…

Against the background of a European-wide strategy of governance aimed at improving support for parents and families, the following report details the conceptualization and evaluation of a federal state program in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) which was launched in 2008 to encourage family and parent education. Two program components, a voucher…

A strong early childhood system that is well funded, fully coordinated, and highly accountable is essential to a state's long-term economic health. Significant research during the past decade has identified short- and long-term benefits to children, families, and communities when young children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn.…

The nation's child protection system (CPS) has historically focused on preventing maltreatment in high-risk families, whose children have already been maltreated. But, as Jane Waldfogel explains, it has also begun developing prevention procedures for children at lower risk--those who are referred to CPS but whose cases do not meet the criteria for…

Even Start Family Literacy Program is a three-part program serving thousands of children from birth to age seven. The federal program supplies parents with the training to be their child's first teacher; allows them to gain needed literacy skills and complete their own formal education; and provides a preschool for young children. Children gain at…

This report outlines the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 40-member Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers in regard to the Early Head Start Program. This program, introduced in 1995, is designed to provide services to children from birth to age 3 (and their families) who were not previously…

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded preventive health and nutrition program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through state and local agencies and provides services to nutritionally at risk low-income pregnant women, postpartum women, infants, and children up to…

Parents of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students often face linguistic and cultural challenges while trying to support their children's education. Parents depend on educators to help them strengthen their abilities in these areas. Language, literacy, and cultural needs may vary widely, and parent education programs should be adapted to this…

Notes the accomplishments and deficiencies of Head Start programs as society, and the landscape of social services, have changed since the program's inception. Presents recommendations for programs in the future, including that Head Start expands the number of children served and the scope of services provided and that it forges partnerships with…

This evaluation report is the third in a series of reports that are part of a 4-year national effort designed to describe the types of Even Start projects that have been funded, the services provided, the collaboration efforts undertaken, and the obstacles to program implementation that have been encountered. The current report provides…

This study analyzes major federal programs designed to provide services to children, from birth through age 2, who have developmental delays or a high probability of developmental delays, and their families. Programs were selected based on their provision of education or health-related services to infants and toddlers with handicaps and their…

The Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion was created by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in June 1993 to review the Head Start program and make recommendations for improvement and expansion. The report recommends that HHS: (1) develop new initiatives to utilize qualified "mentor teachers" to provide…

This paper examines the status of social welfare programs in the United States and recent efforts to reform such programs. It proposes key issues that need to be addressed in any attempt to overhaul the federal welfare system. Welfare reform should ensure that: (1) those families on public assistance are able to meet their basic needs in order to…

This overview describes the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP), a child-centered Head Start demonstration program which is designed to provide family support services for healthy family growth and development. Part I reviews the program's background objectives and key elements (required minimum services, additional services, assessment, use…

This booklet discusses the origins and components of Head Start, a federal project launched in 1965 to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs. The description of the program notes that in fiscal…