More than 10 million children from birth through age six in the US live in low-income families. Although large investments in early childhood intervention programs are evident, is the field fully exploiting its potential to address the diverse needs of children and families? One means of addressing this question is to focus on the efficacy of…

This new Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2008: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," is the latest annually produced book containing data on 18 different indicators of child and family well-being for the United States, Iowa and its 99 counties. The 18 indicators provide a wealth of health, education, welfare and…

The School-Based Mental Health Program's goals are to identify at-risk children, reduce ineffective functioning of at-risk children, provide social service interventions, increase effective parenting skills, help families access community resources, and support mental health education. The program was designed to develop a comprehensive,…

The two parts of this document summarize (1) legislation affecting children, youth, and families that was enacted into law during the 102nd Congress, and (2) legislation concerning the same issues that was passed by the House and/or Senate during the same period. The legislation covers: (1) early intervention; (2) children, youth, and families in…

Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) have been established in most states to coordinate services to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. This descriptive study examined the 40 Kansas LICCs, in order to understand the councils' developmental progress and current needs and to gain insight into broader issues of…

This literature review is intended for use by organizations and agencies who are working to develop coordinated and integrated services for children and families in their communities. The information is organized in a framework that reflects primary areas of importance in evaluating implementation and effects of collaboration. The reviewed…

The articles in this journal, which is dedicated to the family support field, include such topics as: (1) creating links between family support and early childhood education programs; (2) the challenges facing grandparent caregivers; (3) the problems endemic in social services for infants, toddlers, and their families; (4) the use of the internet…

This guide is the second monograph in the "Guidelines for Effective Practice" series commissioned by the Best Practices Project of the Family Resource which meets the need for better definition and articulation of what constitutes best practice in family support programs. This guide describes the definition, key characteristics, and…

The family-based practicum experience of the University Affiliated Program of Vermont provides early intervention interns with an in-depth experience with the family of a child with special health care and/or education needs. Through this experience, interns acquire an understanding of the elements of a family-centered approach, incorporate the…

A project was undertaken to identify the training and resources family support workers need to strengthen the programs they provide for young adolescents and their families. Results were designed to help shape the development of training and resource materials for family support workers nationwide. Potential survey respondents were on the Family…

A rationale is presented for the use of many cases in policy analysis. Case study families were selected from nomination by early intervention professionals in three states with differing early intervention policies and procedures. Using rating scales, demographic data, and interview transcripts with 72 families of children receiving services, 7…

For more than a decade there has been great interest in educational circles about school-linked services ways by which children can receive the full range of social services they need to enter their classrooms ready to learn and parents can get the help they need to support their children's development. This publication presents summaries of the…

Based on the belief that critical thinking patterns, language abilities, and social skills that develop from birth to age 6 are foundational to children's sociomoral development, the Phoenix Project was developed to explore the factors contributing to and affecting children's sociomoral development. This pilot project was carried out by the…

The sad reality of children killed, tortured, imprisoned, and orphaned by war substantiates the need for renewed local, national, and international commitment to these children. This guide examines: (1) the impacts present-day armed conflicts have on children and their families; (2) what special needs of children should be anticipated and…

Despite U.S. world leadership in research in child healthcare and development, in all the statistical indicators of children's well-being the United States lags well behind most advanced industrialized societies. This book discusses U.S. public policy issues concerning the healthcare and development of children under age three. Studies are cited…