Describes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and reviews and assesses research on its impact. Recommends policy reforms and randomized experiments to evaluate the program and any changes made to it. Weaknesses in research to date make the real impacts of WIC unclear. (Contains 79 references.) (SLD)

The Parent and Youth Vanderbilt Functioning Indexes are functioning problem indexes for children and adolescents that require neither clinicians nor trained raters. Their low cost of administration permits adequate sample sizes in outcome evaluations of large numbers of students. The development of these instruments is described. (SLD)

Presents the major components of three models of linked psycho-social care for HIV-positive youths and youths at high risk for HIV infection: YouthCare (Seattle, Washington), TOPS Program (Bridgeport, Connecticut), and Boston HAPPENS. Models were developed to connect hard-to-reach and otherwise marginalized youths to needed services. Offers…

Used interviews to examine mothers' satisfaction with London play services provided specifically for disabled school children and those provided for children in general. Found a high level of satisfaction, with play services seen as providing respite and benefits such as play, companionship, and varied experiences for children. Problems included…

This paper considers the nature of effective partnerships both between clients and child protection agencies in the United Kingdom, and among agencies in the child protection field. The need for clear definitions of "partnership" is emphasized. A framework for interagency collaboration is offered. (Author/DB)

Describes the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program for child welfare proceedings. Examines the current literature regarding the impact of CASA across the nation and discusses the findings and implications of an empirical study that evaluated a CASA program in terms of placement outcomes in a major U.S. city. (MOK)

Rural elderly in Australia lack access to health and welfare services, compounded by an increasingly aging population and downsizing of services. Successful strategies can be found in U.S. retirement communities and the Australian Community Aged Care Package program. However, these strategies often compete with a drive toward cost-effectiveness.…

Describes recent developments in United Kingdom politics that have affected development of evidence-based policy for children. Examines the notion of "what works," leading to a suggestion that evaluators be concerned with "what is worth doing" for children. Considers robustness as a guiding principle for evaluation design and…

An exploratory study examined whether child welfare system responses and recurrent reports varied as a function of age among older children. Models of the decision to provide services and the likelihood of report recurrence indicated that trends in report characteristics and service provision for early adolescents differ from other age groups.…

Examines definitions related to prevention and intervention for children to inform development of ideas in health, education, and social services contexts. Summarizes principles of effective prevention/early intervention. Presents examples of good practice, focusing on the High Scope model and a contemporary program in England that allows health,…

Demonstrated through telephone interviews of 507 adults that estimates of agency services awareness in typical needs-assessment studies are probably inflated by a response bias labeled "agency awareness overclaiming," a respondent reporting an awareness of service agencies that do not exist or with which the respondent is not really familiar. (SLD)

Examines patterns of use and predictors of unmet needs among a sample of 74 Latino grandparent caregivers. Lack of knowledge was the major barrier to service use, and predictors of unmet needs included low education, poor health, high levels of life stress, and lack of reliable help with child rearing. (Author/GCP)

Although empirical research has accumulated over the past 20 years regarding African Americans and domestic violence, many questions remain about African American perceptions of domestic violence. This article explores African American women's perceptions about domestic violence through three focus groups held at a New York social services agency.…

Interagency coordination on behalf of eligible infants and toddlers and their families is a defining feature of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In the present study, enrollment data for child welfare services and Part C services were examined to assess the degree of overlap between the two service systems. Results…

Proposes a conceptual framework based on an ecological model for helping teenagers once they become parents. Discusses three social service programs for pregnant teens, including prevention and intervention programs and shelters, and proposes an alternative program that provides a home environment in cases in which parents no longer support…