Despite an emphasis on family-centered practices in early intervention, the translation of this philosophy into practice is unclear. We, therefore, measured practices of 250 early intervention service providers in Spain, with the Families in Natural Environments Scale of Service Evaluation. We analyzed the "difficulty" of practices,…

Recent studies show that texting-based interventions can produce educational benefits in children across a range of ages. We study the effects of a text-based program for kindergarten parents, distinguishing a general program from one that adds differentiation and personalization based on the child's developmental level. Children in the…

In Fiscal Year 2015-16, the California Children and Families Act has appropriated an average of $440 per child from the state tobacco tax revenue to support early development of children ages 0-5. Based on the proportion of live births in each county, First 5 Kern administered over $10 million of the state funding to support 41 programs in Child…

The California Children and Families Act of 1998 led to creation of the Kern County Children and Families Commission (First 5 Kern) to support early childhood service programs in Kern County, the third largest county in California that spread a land area as large as the state of New Jersey. In Fiscal Year 2014-15, First 5 Kern administered more…

Schools are recognized as ideal environments to promote and enhance the health of children. Previous research has shown a positive association exists between increased prevalence of family-style meals and children's health. Use of family-style service provides opportunities to improve children's overall health and well-being through increased…

This paper describes an exploratory evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership "Room to Play", an innovative and experimental "drop-in" service seeking to attract and engage "hard-to-reach" families in one of the most deprived areas of a Midlands city. Located in a shop unit of a busy community shopping…

Children living in poverty face considerable developmental risks. This report presents interim results from an evaluation of parental employment and educational services delivered within a two-generational, early childhood program targeting low-income families who are expecting a child or who have a child under age 3. This study is part of the…

This Special Report is a summary of the following publications: (1) "The Role of Home-Visiting Programs in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect." "The Future of Children," 19(2), 119-146 (Howard and Brooks-Gun 2009); and (2) "Home Visitation and Young Children: An Approach Worth Investing In?" "Social Policy…

Early interventionists struggle with supporting parents to prepare their children to be socially successful. Systems of support in which parents matriculate through a series of progressively intensive interventions depending on their need have been identified as a potentially promising framework for delivering family support services (McIntyre &…

This is the fifth and final report of a longitudinal study examining the use of a comprehensive system of prevention and early intervention services in Palm Beach County, and how its use relates to the outcomes of children and families living in four targeted geographic areas (TGAs) with high rates of poverty, teen pregnancy, crime, and child…

There is a growing recognition that a healthy transition to adulthood is a result of a complex process that starts as children move into their teen years. This has resulted in a call for funders, policymakers, and youth program operators to adopt a youth development approach by providing the developmental opportunities and experiences that all…

For more than a decade, Florida's Palm Beach County has been building an infrastructure of prevention and early intervention services to promote and support the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age 8. The county began this effort with a set of programs focused on serving families in four targeted geographic areas…

This paper presents information to assist in the planning and development of policy related to the education of very young children with disabilities. The paper first considers research-supported reasons for providing early childhood intervention services based on effectiveness data from many sources. Subsequent sections examine: (1)…

Although most American infants and young children receive adequate well-child care, they may not receive needed help if developmental problems arise. This report examines primary health care services that promote infant/child development and suggests ways to improve those services as part of routine primary child health care. The report details…

Children's developmental progress was studied to determine if location and types of services for handicapped preschoolers (classroom or home and classroom combined) were significantly related to child progress. Data indicated an overall trend for progress for all participating children, but neither service delivery model emerged as the superior…