This report documents the develoment of a two-pronged, model approach to early intervention with families in low-income communities. Since 1988, the Far West Laboratory's Center for Child and Family Studies and agencies in two low-income communities have been collaborating members of the Bay Area Early Intervention Program (BAEIP). BAEIP organizes…

This report focuses on positive practices in providing support services to families of children with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses, based on visits to three sites in Maryland: the Family Support Program at the Kennedy Institute in Baltimore, the Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, and Sick Kids Need Involved People (SKIP).…

The Oakland Crack Task Force (OCTF) was created by concerned citizens to combat the problems caused by crack cocaine and ensure the future existence of the family, especially the black family, using community resources and no outside funding. Goals are to educate the community about crack; identify and access prevention, intervention, treatment,…

Home based family centered (HBFC) service programs have been developed as alternatives to out-of-home placement. These programs have reported relatively high service success rates at costs signficantly lower than foster home and institutional care while, at the same time, avoiding the social and psychological risks of out-of-home placement.…

The manual is based on experience with a program developed by the Volunteers in Partnership with Parents Project (VIPP), in which volunteers were used as partners to families with young handicapped children. Preparation factors are considered, including planning for specific tasks of volunteers and providing adequate training to the staff. The…

The project staff for "Teaching Parents to Be Primary Sexuality Educators of Their Children" designed a curriculum for multisession courses, implemented the curriculum with diverse parent groups around the country, and evaluated the impact of the course. Other programs nationwide were also reviewed and guidelines were developed for designing,…

These 11 papers begin by discussing the delivery of mental health services to non-urban black consumers, focusing on traditional education for practice, ethnocultural sensitivity, and geography and victimization. The expanding clinical social work roles in nontraditional approaches to rural aging are discussed also, and mental health, social work…

The report presents findings from a survey of 243 caregiving families in Massachusetts which explored family needs and characteristics, as well as those of their developmentally disabled family members. Survey questions focused on family information, characteristics of the disabled family member, information on family needs, care-related costs…

On June 9, 1987, a hearing was held for the purpose of receiving testimony about family preservation programs that aim to keep children out of foster care by strengthening troubled families. Testifying were program providers, a juvenile court judge, and families who have benefited from family preservation services. Testimony focused on the…

An analysis of fiscal year 1988 funding levels shows that there will be many cuts in programs for the poor. The programs which will be affected the most are those which pay heating bills for poor households, those which provide emergency food and shelter for the homeless, and those which provide housing assistance for low income elderly and…

A model program to provide family services, the Family Center is a facility of a public school system in Clayton, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Components of the program include parent classes based on the age and developmental level of the child; workshops; informal support groups; individual counseling; activity workshops; for parents and…

In light of research confirming the important effects of parents' literacy skills on their children's eventual acquisition of literacy skills, a project was undertaken in the Altoona Area School District in Blair County, Pennsylvania, to provide basic literacy training to a group of Head Start parents who were unable to read and who were not…

The Subcommittee on Human Resources was convened February 23, 1982 to review and discuss the Reagan administration's plans for Project Head Start, as presented in the controversial and widely disseminated policy paper entitled "Head Start: Directions for the Next Three Years." Informally known as the "Head Start Strategy…

The Family Support Project in Lansing, Michigan, provides a variety of family support services to help maintain severely mentally and severely multiply impaired children in their own communities, and whenever possible, in their own homes. Services offered include case management, family therapy, respite services, special needs purchases,…

The manual is intended to provide persons working with the families of young handicapped children a basic structure to 1) guide an intake interview, 2) assess the extent to which community support services are being used, 3) formulate action plans, and 4) monitor the accomplishment of treatment objectives. Introductory information includes self…