Five-year-old Michael lived on a small island in Micronesia. He was wonderfully creative in laying out a house on the sand with the sticks he gathered from a mangrove swamp. Akanina, a mother in the village, lost both her infant son and her own mother within a short time due to a lack of available health care and affordable medication. In Rino's…

In Paraguay conditions for rural children living in poverty are often difficult. At least 14% of children age 5 years and younger show moderate to severe physical stunting (UNICEF 2009). More than half of the children in primary school have repeated at least one grade by the time they complete the sixth grade. Rural families living in poverty, who…

One of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh has faced many challenges during its almost 40-year history as an independent nation. Yet the country has recently made substantial progress in improving young children's survival and protection. It now provides health care, nutrition, immunization, and education…

Analyzes contemporary myths that impede the construction of a compassionate social policy toward the poor, challenges these assumptions, and outlines elements of a political agenda responsive to the needs of impoverished families. (PCB)

Reviews the book, "Within Our Reach: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage," which takes a new look at research about and programs for disadvantaged young children and their parents. (BB)

Provides important information to better prepare advocates participating in the welfare reform debate. Presents excerpts from reports by the General Accounting Office and the Advisory Committee of the Department of Health and Human Services. Suggests that virtually all of the reform proposals require much more stringent work participation by…

Demonstrates typical concerns and problems associated with administering and maintaining a rural community Head Start center as exemplified by the Carbon County Child Development Program in Rawlins, Wyoming. Emphasizes the poverty of families served, lack of federal financial support, enrollment trends, and educational benefits of the Head Start…