This initial issue of "Early Edition" launches the first edition of Tennessee's newsletter dedicated to the implementation of programs and services for young children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The period of early childhood is the foundation for all future learning and achievement for…

The tribal Even Start program is one of the set-aside components of the U.S. Department of Education's Even Start Family Literacy Program. Even Start combines adult literacy, early childhood education, and parenting education services for parents eligible for adult education and their children from birth to age 7. In 1994-95, nine Indian tribes…

A survey of work and family policies in state-supported organizations in Texas was conducted for the Texas Workforce Commission's Work and Family Clearinghouse. Survey questions addressed the prevalence, perceived need, and future direction of dependent care programs and flexible work arrangements (FWA). Key findings in dependent care include: (1)…

This newsletter issue focuses on programming undertaken to address the health and educational needs of rural families in developing and developed nations. After examining the nature of rural families and rural poverty, the newsletter discusses: (1) the Mon Women's Organization in Thailand; (2) The "Contact With Kids" parent education…

A study investigated the meaning to participating mothers of their involvement in a family literacy program, the Family Reading Program, based in an elementary school in a low-income urban neighborhood. The Family Reading Program is a workshop series for adult family members. In the program, the adults read interesting children's books and learn…

This report discusses policies and practices for family-directed child evaluation and assessment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The scope of the report includes practices across the early childhood spectrum, from birth through 5 years. Commonly used terminology is defined. Issues discussed include: the primacy of…

While Latinos make up approximately 9 percent of the total population of the United States, they comprise over 25 percent of California's population. Although over half of Latino American women have entered the workforce, a severe family and child poverty rate persists. Since 1990, through a project called "El Comienzo" ("The…

Noting that the demands and expectations of parents worldwide have shifted tremendously over the last 20 years, and that parents' ability to fulfill their parental roles will affect their communities as well as their own children, this booklet examines programming for parents that is designed to support young children's development, and discusses…

Interviews with 107 rural divorced, single mothers in 6 Pennsylvania counties examined their use of and attitudes toward community assistance programs, workfare, and educational programs. Many respondents had used welfare and nutrition programs and felt the programs were needed. However, they felt that child feeding programs were more accessible…

Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) provides an integrated system of child-centered, family-focused, and community-based services targeted to at-risk children from birth to age seven at twelve sites across the country. To access families that are often not in the mainstream of service access and use, SESS programs partner with primary care…

Shared leadership is a process empowering parents to exercise their civil rights, build leadership skills, and guide the design of policy positions and programs meant to improve their lives and the well-being of their children. Based on principles of family support practice, this book describes how to plan and host a 1- to 3-day shared leadership…

Twenty-eight preschoolers with behavioral difficulties (aggression, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) in a North Carolina Head Start program received an individualized intervention based on the family-centered system of care approach. Interventions included: (1) individual and classroom-based behavior management; (2) on site…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a federally funded program that was developed to increase the supply of early childhood special educators in Utah and surrounding regions and to enhance the quality of their preparation. The project prepared 67 students for preschool special education certification and 40 related service…