This study examined the extent to which staff from 40 Early Head Start programs in six Midwestern states believed in and were able to implement six aspects of family-centered practice. Results indicated staff experienced difficulty in implementing family-centered practice and that the extent of staff beliefs and implementation were affected by…

Examines U. S. research on child-welfare outcomes, focusing on family preservation, out-of-home care, and family reunification services. Highlights the range of mixed findings and discusses methodological issues and constraints. Maintains that future outcomes research should complement the use of rigorous quantitative methods with careful…

Considers the requirements of the Children Act (1989) in Great Britain and the use of "Looking After Children" materials in assessing the progress of children in out-of-home care. Demonstrates how simple indicators in the key areas of needs, objectives, services, and outcomes can be used to develop answers to complex questions regarding…

Problems experienced by youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) exact enormous toll on themselves, families and communities. Authors discuss three mental health initiatives for EBD youth, consisting of school-based practices, individualized care, stakeholder collaboration, intensive service coordination, and family-centered services.…

Discusses strategies for promoting emotional health in young children and in their parents. Offers suggestions for building care environments that enhance emotional health, strategies to support parents prior to and during the preschool years, and suggestions for addressing barriers to implementing the strategies in the early childhood setting and…

Participants of family preservation and family support programs (n=1601) were followed over time for future child maltreatment events. A total of 198 had at least one defined failure event over 1.6 years. Program designed to help families meet basic needs and programs using mentoring approaches were more effective. (Contains references.)…

The purpose of this study was to examine the involvement of young fathers with their children at entry to a fatherhood program and at subsequent follow-up. Thirty-eight young fathers participated in this analysis. Using open-ended questions at intake and subsequent follow-up, they were asked to describe in their own words their relationships with…

The Family-Centered Preschool Model is a family support model for center-based preschool programs. The model utilizes family consultants-parents of children with disabilities-to augment the support provided by classroom professionals. Family consultants coordinate and facilitate formal and informal family supports, maintain a close liaison with…

This study tests the efficacy of Structural Ecosystems Therapy (SET), a family-ecological intervention, in improving psychosocial functioning when compared with an attention-comparison person-centered condition and a community control condition. A sample of 209 HIV-seropositive, urban, low-income, African American women was randomized into 1 of…

This paper presents the processes and findings of a three-year action research project implemented in a small number of urban slums in the city of Kolkata (previously known as Calcutta), the capital of the state of West Bengal in Eastern India. The project involved partnership between an established institute for cerebral palsy in Kolkata, two…

A conceptual model for evaluating community-based program sustainability is presented, along with a 53-item Program Sustainability Index (PSI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) and principal axis factor analysis indicate strong support for each of the seven elements of the PSI. When considered as an overall model, six of the seven framework…

The focus of this pilot study was to explore possible patterns of formative experiences, cognitive abilities, and personality characteristics that could be labeled as "computer technology talent." Nine members of a high school computer programming club participated in a technology-based project with the researchers. As part of the project…

Video Activated Communication (VAC) is a powerful family intervention model that builds on family strengths. On the basis of video recordings of parents and children at home, the VAC practitioner (VACP) shows parents which communication skills they have been using to achieve successful interaction with their children. The successful outcomes,…

This paper describes the findings from a two-year research project which investigated ways to support culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families with very young children accessing child care services. The families resided in low income areas and were deemed to be at risk of social isolation and related problems. The research findings…

We describe a democratic citizen model of community organizing for mobilizing and partnering with families, using the overscheduling of children as a case example. We provide an overview of the growing body of research on this aspect of family time, describe the difference between a citizen model and program models for working with families, give…