A framework is presented for evaluating family centers in the context of the community environment. The family centers will be created in a variety of communities and under varying auspices. Several will be selected as prototype centers and, as such, will need more elaborate evaluation plans than the others. Prototype centers will need to evaluate…

This document provides an overview of a family literacy demonstration project conducted to offer family literacy classes in three public schools in Philadelphia. The project was designed to help adults meet their own needs and to enable them to support their children's learning. The whole-language, learner-centered approach was used. Background…

This paper, a session proposal for a rural and small schools conference, reports on a project undertaken by 166 parents and staff of South Carolina's Target 2000 Parent Education Program to assess the effectiveness of the program's design and implementation process. The main research question studied concerned what were found to be the most…

This paper proposes and describes use of a Transition Liaison individual, together with a discharge plan, to facilitate the successful discharge and transition of hospitalized children to the family and community-based services. Increased and more accurate communication between the family and professionals is seen as one of the primary benefits of…

Early childhood education and care (educare) combined with community development presents a unique opportunity to stimulate the disadvantaged and oppressed sectors of the population towards improved economic status, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, and human development. The three main elements of this approach are the community,…

This publication is a comprehensive listing of 1992-93 funded bilingual education projects by district, number of pupils in the program, grade level, language or type of program, grant amount awarded, and project director or contact person. The following programs are included: (1) transitional bilingual education programs, (2) special alternative…

This newsletter issue focuses on the twin themes that, together, represent the ways that programs to strengthen families also contribute to a better society. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Family Center Planning Project: Family Support, Public Policy, and Community Development"; (2) "Pulling It All Together for…

This report focuses on the formulation and implementation of family support and education policies in four states, all of which have established programs that provide the core services of parenting education, early childhood development activities, parent support groups, and information about other community agencies. The initiatives are…

This paper draws on the experience of various states in its discussion of questions, issues, and decisions that policymakers face as they plan their states' family support initiatives. The discussion is organized into three parts that correspond roughly with the stages of policy formation, program development, and program implementation and…

This report was written in an effort to establish a new strategy for reducing the odds of failure for thousands of Arizona's vulnerable children and their families. It echoes the sentiments of a growing number of policymakers, concerned citizens, and parents who hold that the cost of child and family problems is so dramatic, and the amount of…

Fundamental changes in the family unit have led to ineffective and inadequate parenting, and to increasing isolation among families, placing family members at risk for such social problems as child abuse/neglect and school failure. To prevent and treat these problems, parents need knowledge of child development and tools for responding…

This bibliography is intended to be a survey of interagency collaborative literature, with a focus on programs for children (especially children with emotional disabilities) and their families. The bibliography is divided into chapters covering the following areas: (1) writings describing actual collaborative efforts by agencies, on both the local…

This booklet is designed to help individuals address the needs of children and families in their communities. A step-by-step plan of action concerns the processes of getting started, planning for action, raising funds, developing public awareness, and evaluating the program. Discussion is supplemented with general and specific hints. Several model…

This guide for school district administrators answers question about Even Start, a new, special family-centered compensatory education program funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 that combines adult literacy, parent education, and early childhood education. The following issues about program design are…

After the announcement of Head Start Innovative Projects in 1985, local Head Start programs were able to expand their services. A total of 32 projects were funded in 22 states and the District of Columbia, the majority for a 2-year period. This document reviews the accomplishments of five groups of Head Start Innovative Projects and calls on Head…