Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years and their families to ensure that all children enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. This study acquired a baseline measure of the quality of child care in the 12 pioneer Smart Start…

Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years and their families with the aim of ensuring that all children are healthy and prepared to succeed as they enter school. This study examined the baseline skills of a representative sample of…

Homeless families with children comprise the fastest growing segment of the United States homeless population. This study evaluated Year 1 of the Arizona Head Start for Homeless Children and Families Project, designed to meet educational and social needs of homeless children and families, and to assist Head Start agencies in developing effective…

Homeless families with children constitute the fastest growing segment of the United States homeless population. This study evaluated Year 2 of the Arizona Head Start for Homeless Children and Families Project, designed to meet educational and social needs of homeless children and families, and to assist Head Start agencies in developing effective…

This special report provides answers to six fundamental questions on prenatal cocaine exposure: (1) What problems do drug-exposed newborns have? (2) How many of these children are there? (3) How do we get pregnant women to avoid drugs and alcohol? (4) What should be done to help the families of substance abusers? (5) How do drug-exposed children…

A "grassroots" model for developing a parent-school partnership to help communities achieve the national Education 2000 goals is presented in this paper. The model is based on two assumptions about parenting: (1) parents are responsible for child-rearing; and (2) professionals are responsible for educating parents. Recommendations for a…

At the hearing reported in this document, 38 witnesses representing a diverse cross-section of the state testified on the condition of the California family, with some also proposing solutions. Witnesses included legislators from the federal, state, and local levels; administrative and other workers from social service agencies; representatives of…

The first of six national educational goals, proclaimed by President Bush, to be accomplished by the year 2000 is that all children will start school ready to learn. This booklet examines this goal in terms of what it will take to ensure that all children develop the capacities or readiness to be successful in school. In the introduction, it is…

This paper describes integration activity, or the linking of education with human services, in the northwestern United States as a basis for developing technical-assistance and policy-analysis capacity. Given the historical, social, and political contexts of integration, a developmental continuum for integration activity is presented. New roles…

This report examines state earned income tax credits (EICs) as a means to assist working poor families to escape poverty. Specifically, the report notes that six states have their own EICs, expressed as a percentage of the federal EIC, with the advantages being that the credit is a reward for work, is a pro-family policy, is efficiently targeted,…

This report provides background information and summarizes a 1991 seminar on the federal role in coordination, collaboration, and integration strategies for families. A preliminary section identifies highlights of the seminar focusing on: (1) the Project on Improving the Coordination of Federal Public Assistance Programs; (2) key findings and…

In 1989-90, Full Circle Program's Family Consulting Services (FCS) staff provided family reunification services to 50 children and their families in San Francisco and Marin counties. Staff members developed individualized treatment strategies for each family, acting as advocates for the needs of the child. These services included medical and…

This newsletter issue highlights a variety of successful youth, family, and community program models that have been developed to curb substance abuse, lessen risk factors, and strengthen protective and supportive resources for individuals and their communities. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "A Systems Approach to the…

This report is an evaluation of the Georgia Prekindergarten Program established during the 1992-93 school year. The program aimed to enhance community services, family well-being, and developmental and educational opportunities for 4-year-olds, targeting children who were eligible for public assistance or referred by a social service agency.…

Schools and business must unite to make all the changes needed to ensure the success of all children. Social change, particularly the increase in single-parent families, has resulted in more children being born at risk of school failure. Most early childhood education reform initiatives have been piecemeal and have lacked a true understanding of…