Four adult education programs serving homeless persons in Wisconsin were evaluated. Data were gathered through site visits, a review of program documents, and a survey of 43 homeless individuals served by the programs (7 percent of the total population served). Participants expressed very positive feelings about the programs. Many reported that…

This monograph provides a framework for programs, states, and organizations to think about the issues in developing culturally competent programs for families of children with special needs, and offers a variety of examples from programs across the country that are providing exemplary services. The monograph is designed to help program makers…

A series of self-study questions is presented to examine policy and practice issues important in developing culturally competent programs for children with special needs and their families. Cultural competence refers to a program's ability to honor and respect the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and behaviors both of families who are…

This report describes a service model developed for the Division of Children and Family Services in Wenatchee, Washington that attempts to address the needs of families impacted by substance abuse. The service area is rural and has an overwhelming drug problem. Caseload trends provide evidence for a large number of drug-related referrals and an…

This report, designed for program initiators such as policymakers and advisory committees, is the second of two publications on school-age child care. This document specifically addresses school-age child care policy and focuses attention on various programs offering children a predictable and safe environment of care and informal learning.…

The study described in this summary explores school and community factors that encourage parent participation in decisions that affect the quality of children's schooling. Its primary objective was to identify and compare factors that foster parent networks around school issues in suburban and urban areas. Five groups mobilized by middle class…

The study addressed the effect of Colorado's 4-day school week on utilization of school facilities and the educational philosophy of superintendents of these schools. Data were obtained by sending a survey instrument to superintendents of 15 randomly selected Colorado school districts that had converted to a 4-day school week schedule. A portion…

The Penn State Mini Medical School is a high-impact community engagement program created and led by the Office of Continuing Education at the Penn State College of Medicine. The broad goals of the program are to respond to the general public's intense desire for health and medical information, to educate the community about biomedical science and…

Exposure to lead can be devastating for children, and federal regulations established in 2001 are forcing local governments to mitigate this risk. This essay discusses the creation of the Lead Alliance, a university-community coalition created to address lead hazards facing children from low-income households in South Bend, Indiana. Among the…

This article will discuss the establishment of a "partnership" of two State of Wisconsin regions (northern and western); thirty-four county human service agencies; the University of Wisconsin Department of Social Work; and the Continuing Education unit on the same campus: the Community-Based Services Training Partnership for Adults…

At Michigan State University (MSU) we have developed and are testing a faculty survey instrument to gather institution-wide information on outreach activity. We have sought to define consistent quantitative measures that can be used both to describe the whole institution's investment of resources in engagement activities and to establish…

This report provides policymakers and advocates with information about the problems homeless families face and outlines short- and long-term solutions. Initial sections provide facts on homelessness in Virginia, an introduction, and an overview. Subsequent sections explore: (1) identification of the homeless and their characteristics; (2) causes…

This document comprises the second volume of a two-volume resource guide to help states and localities take advantage of new Federal initiatives to increase services to youth under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). This volume comprises the discussion papers that formed the basis for the options summarized in the first volume. The papers…

A study examined six cases where job training and economic development had been successfully linked through an interorganizational arrangement. Cases were nominated by U.S. Employment and Training Administration officials, job training and economic development experts, and published reports. The six organizations of primary focus were Pima County…

In October 1983 Pathfinder, an organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was awarded a federal grant to develop a community network model serving children with chronic health conditions and their families. This document describes the model, demonstrated at four sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The model is based on four key assumptions: (1)…