Reports on the pioneering Hammersmith Teenage Project, which attempts to offer delinquents a real alternative to residential care. (Editor)

Argues that small-group mutual aid organizations are successful voluntary associations that attract members even in our individualistic and commodity-driven culture because they provide valuable collective benefits that can only be enjoyed in common. Small groups as a source of social capital have implications for the study of helping…

Parents from families referred by a social service department completed a questionnaire measuring ego differentiation among family members and provided information from which a genogram of families' multigenerational relationship systems was constructed. Results indicated that families had lower levels of differentiation than a nonclinical norm…

This paper presents the prevalence and incidence of children in need of social services due to child maltreatment, child poverty, parental incarceration, parental substance abuse problems, and homelessness. Examines early childhood family education and family support approaches in primary prevention designed to meet the needs of these children.…

Examined school-age children after leaving child welfare foster or group care. Instability in placements significantly increased risk of transition to probation foster care. Among children exiting placements, those who first entered care at ages 12-14 or were first removed because of sexual abuse or neglect were at greater risk of probation…

A study of 293 child abuse reports was conducted to determine if the age of the abused child affected caseworker attention. It was found that younger children received more overall services and caseworker activity and that the substantiated cases of younger children were more likely to be kept open for continuing caseworker involvement. (CR)

Wenger's "learning architecture" concept, a support structure for learning communities, was applied to a web-based course for health and social services professionals. Data show the course offered an environment in which a learning community flourished. Course design was fundamental in providing opportunities for engagement, use of…

California funds 160 programs for children and administers them through 45 different agencies. Such piecemeal service delivery leads to duplication and fails to deal effectively with the multiple, interrelated nature of children's problems. Senator Pete Wilson, Republican gubernatorial candidate, has proposed that social services be unified and…

Describes the Hunter Caravan Project of Australia, which was designed to improve direct services for children and address the needs of parents and families living in caravan parks. (RJC)

A random sample of 642 older adults in British Columbia was interviewed to identify problems with transportation, health, and finances and their awareness and use of community services. The elderly were very aware of most services, but use was related to health status, age, gender, marital status, and income. (SK)

Describes Prince George's County Department of Social Services foster home recruitment and retention program. Identifies elements necessary for the success of the program. (RJC)

Uses library research and international fieldwork to describe local social services for elderly in Hungary stating that supplemental local services are needed to compensate for inadequate universal entitlements. Concludes that current economic and political situation is unfavorable to improving benefit system. (Author/CM)

Describes the organization and efforts of the Young Parent Program. This program, coordinated by a network of representatives of parent support agencies, was designed to enhance services to teenagers who are pregnant. (RJC)

Argues for finding a common ground for the aged and disabled by focusing on cross-cutting phenomena: their prevalence, the ever-changing nature of their conditions, their reactions to both the technicalization and medicalization of their care, and the full implications of the home care revolution. (Author/ABL)

Discusses two of the most formidable bioethical challenges over the next decades which relate to disabilities and aging: elders' exercise of autonomy and the just allocation of resources to older patients. Offers suggestions for developing principles for the treatment of elders. (Author/ABL)