Discusses appropriate care for children affected prenatally or after birth by parental chemical dependence. There is increasing evidence that environmental intervention by professionals and other caring adults can alleviate these children's distress. Maximizing their development also depends on implementation of child welfare protections and the…

Identifies and discusses sections of the U.S. Constitution that support the provision of legal aid to poor people. Reviews Supreme Court cases that deal with this topic. Includes five suggested learning activities and a vocabulary list. (CFR)

Describes Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy, a middle school for poor youth from multicultural backgrounds in Baltimore. Relates how the mission and program of the academy were shaped and how students are selected. Describes the academy's academic, religious, and community service programs; the school's administration; and the Jesuit tradition. (MAB)

The Ventures in Education program, begun 10 years ago, includes honors-level curriculum, advanced placement courses, summer workshops, enrichment, a longer school day, and continued counseling and guidance. It has demonstrated that poor, disadvantaged high school students can learn to excel in demanding courses of study. (MSE)

The welfare system was designed with good intentions but has been manipulated to the detriment of those who were intended to benefit. The many drawbacks of the welfare system and some suggested reforms are described. One definite starting point is education. (SLD)

Discusses economic imperatives for change in U.S. education; roots of educational underachievement; and conditions faced by U.S. children. Offers recommendations for changing the education of poor and minority students and calls for change in the way society treats poor children. (BB)

This paper discusses how the health care needs of underserved children, particularly urban children, can be met through an ecological model of health care. Ecoprimary care, infant mortality, and the experiences of King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles (California), an example of maximization of resources, are described. (SLD)

An excerpt from the book "Savage Inequalities" describes the situation in Camden, New Jersey, where children attend some of the nation's poorest schools; desegregation is unlikely, and those unable to leave face bleak futures. Discusses findings of a 1980s class action lawsuit that detail New Jersey's unequal public education systems.…

The cost effectiveness of an attempt to identify new clients eligible for Medicaid was evaluated. Most poor clients served by the health department were ineligible, and most potentially eligible clients did not complete the application process. The exercise cost twice as much staff time as the department could have recouped. (SLD)

Case studies describe the changes occurring in a large urban school system following passage of the Hawkins Stafford Amendments allowing the use of Chapter 1 funding in schoolwide projects (SWPs) in schools where 75 percent or more of students are economically disadvantaged. The potential of SWPs is discussed. (SLD)

SMART (Science, Math, and Relevant Technology) Connections, an afterschool offshoot of a program addressing the scarcity of women in science, provides low-income children and children of color, both boys and girls, with hands-on science experience. Efforts continue to be made to ensure that the program works equally for boys as for girls. (CJS)

Proposes a policy where money currently being spent on subsidies for poor families and on the effects of illnesses resulting from poverty and crime would be spent instead on preventive health care, day care, education, and job training programs. Advocates helping people become self-sufficient as society's most cost-effective option. (CJS)

Discusses the Christian "option for the poor," which challenges individuals to offer both direct service to those suffering from economic poverty and indirect service aimed at the transformation of attitudes and structures that perpetuate poverty. Emphasizes Catholic education's role in realizing these goals. (YKH)

A study compared efforts by two rural schools and two urban schools to implement state instructional reforms in South Carolina. Obstacles to rural schools' reform efforts included insufficient human resources to undertake comprehensive reforms and too much familiarity between school and community members, possibly resulting in limited involvement…

Assesses effectiveness of three preschool curriculum models by examining the lives of 68 23-year-olds randomly assigned to one such group as economically disadvantaged preschoolers. Young people experienced fewer emotional problems and felony arrests if they had attended a preschool program based on child-initiated learning activities geared to…