This book addresses issues of secrecy and disclosure when a child or other family member has AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), and offers examples of how some families have resolved these issues. After an introduction which notes the involvement of many families with an AIDS-infected member, the first chapter addresses the common first…

This study tracked parental stress among 115 mothers of infants and toddlers with disabilities to evaluate patterns of stability and change in parental adaptation during the early childhood period. Parents were given the Parenting Stress Index three times: upon entry into an early intervention program, 1 year later, and when the child reached age…

This guideline summarizes state-of-the-art approaches and interventions designed to strengthen the role of families in substance abuse prevention. Topics discussed are: (1) "Why Use Family-Centered Approaches? Aren't Our School and Community Efforts Sufficient?"; (2) "How Big a Problem Is Substance Abuse Among Youth?"; (3)…

In recent years, demand has increased for the development and implementation of a better overall human service delivery system for the United State's at-risk children and their families. Critics condemn the current system as being fragmented, too narrowly focused, beset with bureaucratic red tape and harmful restrictive regulations, difficult to…

This presentation describes research on families with mentally retarded children, focusing on trends since 1983, the year that family research issues were reconceptualized in a paper titled "A Model of Stress, Coping, and Family Ecology" by Keith Crnic and others. The trend analysis concentrates on four issues: (1) the magnitude of the impact of…

Substitute care for a child at risk has been been associated with psychological distress in the child and his family and a drain on public finances. To investigate the cost effectiveness and ultimate influence on family intactness of home-based family crisis intervention, 77 low income, inner city families with an adolescent child at risk of…

An often overlooked problem in corrections is the way children are influenced by their parents' incarceration. Although in the past prisons were more tolerant of parent-child relationships, since the 1970's until recently, the prevailing philosophy has been to keep children separated from their incarcerated parents. Because of the shift from…

The racial composition of participants in a Florida crisis intervention agency's programs indicated that, among the population at risk, black youth were overrepresented in State delinquency and child welfare programs and underrepresented in the agency's intervention services. This practicum was designed to enhance the agency's ability to reach…

The report provides a comprehensive review of child abuse and neglect concerns in Texas and offers a variety of recommendations. Data on the extent of the problem indicate that the need for treatment services has outstripped available resources. The direct and indirect costs of untreated child abuse are estimated. The joint study committee…

A study was conducted of the effectiveness of marriage counseling with respect to marital status and the long-term stability of relationships. Data were gathered from clients of approved Australian marriage counseling agencies (n=540) who took a pre-counseling survey during a 4-week period in October-November 1987 and a post-counseling survey 8…

This document contains a leader's guide for a program for children of divorce between the ages of 11 and 18, and a manual written for the children and adolescents participating in the program. The leader's guide contains an index to all 12 sessions and the activities for each session. Five units are included: (1) a summary of the state of the art…

This bibliography was developed as a resource for those seeking information about the dilemma of balancing obligations to work and family and alternative approaches that provide support to parents in the workplace. It contains references to recent Canadian and American publications, including books, journal articles, and periodicals, and also to…

Nationally, interest in family life and parenting programs has grown amidst concern for "basic education." Parenting education in today's schools may be justified because of increased family stress and deteriorating family support systems. Most parenting and family life courses are offered within home economics departments, have a narrow…

This hearing examined the history, current status and trends, and strengths of American families. Testimony (1) described the complex and intense daily life of members of blended families and pointed out that social, financial, and other supports needed by stepfamilies are often not available; (2) provided accounts of personal experiences with…

Discussed are family and child characteristics related to mild adjustment problems following separation and divorce. Data were obtained in a longitudinal study of 120 families with children 6 through 12 years of age. While children in the sample were not very disturbed, data indicate that the "well-being" of children and mothers was better after…