Addresses issues of early intervention with young children with disabilities in the context of poverty as a risk factor for disability and recent welfare-to-work legislation. Concepts developed by Uri Bronfenbrenner and Peter Neville are reviewed to show the need to integrate concepts of risk and ecological support into the contexts of caregiving…

Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) was created by Purdue University (Indiana) School of Electrical and Computer Engineering to broaden the education of engineering students by the use of an extended service-learning experience integrated into the engineering curriculum. EPICS provides local community service organizations with…

Reviews the effectiveness of prevention programs in reducing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Results reveal that prevention programs, to date, have been successful in raising awareness of FAS; however this awareness has not been translated into behavioral changes in high-risk drinkers as consumption levels in this group have increased. (Author/MKA)

Representatives from 34 local interagency coordinating councils were interviewed about interagency agreements for the legally required transition from the infant/toddler to preschool service delivery system at age 3. Results indicated that most communities included the majority of legal transition requirements in their agreements. Policy issues…

School-community partnership programs can help teachers reach children in the crucial years from birth to 4, thereby preventing reading difficulties and raising future test scores. Many organizations help families in starting their children on the road to lifetime reading by distributing free books and pamphlets on reading aloud to children. (SM)

A one-week inservice program on mental retardation was provided to 24 teachers of students with visual impairments in India. Emphasis was on community based rehabilitation and the teaching of children with mental retardation who also have visual impairment. Testing revealed participants had gained knowledge and their evaluations indicated they…

Profiles "Civil Law Mini-Trials," an instructional activity developed by P.A.T.C.H. (Participatory Awareness Through Community Help). The Mini-Trials allow students to participate in mock civil cases including preparation, presentation of arguments, debriefing afterwards, and a discussion of the real case verdict. Discusses other P.A.T.C.H.…

As part of an institutional closure program, 95 Australian individuals with mental retardation were relocated to community-based group homes. Assessments indicated improvements in adaptive functioning but not significant change in maladaptive behavior. There were also improvements in life circumstances and increased opportunities for choice-making…

This article examines the broad array of adult literacy program alternatives currently available. These include government-funded adult education programs, such as Adult Basic Education and Even Start, volunteer programs such as Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America, business and industry sponsored programs, community-based…

This paper reviews literature on the support needed by families of infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). A survey of 94 California NICUs indicated that they generally provide comprehensive services to families while infants are in the hospital, less service during the transition home, and very little support and follow-up after the…

A smoking prevention program for Hispanic immigrants in Canada was based on participatory community planning, cultural sensitivity, and a comprehensive health philosophy. After 12 educational sessions, participating children aged 8-14 engaged in more community activism and showed decreased intentions to smoke. Parents, children, and staff were…

The Marie-Victorin school board, in cooperation with 11 community organizations in Longueuil, Quebec, launched "De A a Z, On s'aide!," a project designed to encourage an interest in reading and writing in families with children 0-4 years old and break the recurrent cycle of illiteracy that plagues poor neighborhoods. (TD)

Discusses the biopsychosocial impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on children in Uganda and the efforts of the Eaglets Child Welfare Project to identify community-based problem-solving strategies to address their needs. Describes the project's methodology and lessons learned to facilitate outreach and intervention. (JPB)

Explores relationships between evaluators and those who participate in community-based programs, focusing on the Communities That Care (CTC) program in Britain. Discusses different community perspectives toward evaluation, highlighting challenges created for evaluators. Provides examples to identify CTC evaluation strategies, showing the…

A study investigated the circumstances and views of 16 individuals 8 years after participation in one agency's conversion from a sheltered workshop to an exclusively community employment service. Most participants associated the agency's changeover with long-term, personal benefits, including community employment opportunities, increased income,…