Four hundred twenty-four families who resided in inner-city neighborhoods and had a child entering 1st grade were randomly assigned to a control condition or to a family-focused preventive intervention combined with academic tutoring. SAFEChildren, which was developed from a developmental-ecological perspective, emphasizes developmental tasks and…

This qualitative study of 32 low-income families with infants or toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities (a) examines whether participation in one Early Head Start (EHS) program increased the likelihood that the families would pursue early intervention services, (b) identifies the phases through which the EHS families progressed in…

The daily educational experiences of a young child affect not only the child but also the family. The time and energy a family invests to achieve optimal educational experiences will likely impact the whole family system. As such, early education service providers are responsible for decreasing the challenges that parents experience so that…

The potential to foster successfully starts with developing and supporting competency in 12 domains: (1) providing a safe and secure environment; (2) providing a nurturing environment; (3) promoting educational attainment and success; (4) meeting physical and mental healthcare needs; (5) promoting social and emotional development; (6) supporting…

While family-based placement prevention services, family reunification programs, subsidized guardianship, and aggressive adoption programs are reducing the numbers of children spending long periods of time in substitute care, a significant number of America's children will come of age in foster care. Agencies and policymakers should use research…

The infant-toddler years are incredibly important in producing a nation of readers. Every family can, in culturally appropriate ways, help infants and toddlers learn to read the world. Every caregiver can, in culturally appropriate ways, help infants and toddlers grow in language and literacy. The authors argue that early childhood programs must…

This research review examines what is known about the effectiveness of parenting support, and assesses the international evaluation evidence focusing on primary and secondary prevention programmes. It outlines several factors affecting the success of parenting support interventions in terms of service implementation and delivery, as well as…

This article draws on data collected through two focus groups and eight telephone interviews undertaken as part of an evaluation of a local Sure Start programme. Located in the context of New Labour's valorisation of parenting, and specifically mothering, the article explores the impact of Sure Start policy on discourses of motherhood in this…

A randomized experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of Even Start, a federally supported family literacy program providing early childhood education, adult education, parenting education, and joint parent-child literacy activities to children and parents from low-literate families. The evaluation of 18 Even Start projects followed 463…

This article by the editors of this issue describes key elements of high-quality services for teen parents and their children. Programs for teen parents and their children can promote dual development by: a) acknowledging the role of multiple risk factors in the lives of the children of teen parents; b) integrating services from a variety of…

Creating reflective, relationship-based services and programs takes time, commitment, resources, and sustained effort. This article describes the experiences of two very different organizations: the Training and Staff Development Group for New York State's Healthy Families Program; and Southwest Human Development, a community-based agency serving…

Reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals into society is an experience that must be negotiated not only by the former prisoner, but also by many other actors. Research has examined the pre-prison experiences, the incarceration experiences, and the post-release behavior of former prisoners, focusing on how such experiences affect the…

This article describes The Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program, a public-private partnership between the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Head Start Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The purpose of the training program was to develop skills and strategies for including infants…

Leaders in the field of literacy regard family literacy projects that seek to involve both children and their parents or caregivers as vital. The importance of parents as a child's first teachers has long been acknowledged. Nevertheless, the topic of family literacy is not one of those receiving attention in the field. In an annual survey of…

This paper provides an account of the design, development and implementation of a postvention model of responding to the needs of families within a community following the aftermath of a tragic event, including suicide. This model was developed for a specific disadvantaged urban community. The paper includes the context of the need for such an…