The low priority according to children and families in our way of life is reflected in policies and actions at national, state, and local levels. We like to think of America as a child-oriented society but, in fact, our priorities lie more in the pursuit of affluence, and the worship of material things and technology. A broken television set or a…

This paper focuses its attention on the evolving communes in many North American cities and their members. The purpose was to learn as much as possible about how people live under this one particular set of conditions, the criteria for success or failure of this life style, and the implications for society and the future. This is an…

This accessible text provides guidance on the inclusion of young children with special educational needs or disabilities in a variety of early education settings. The author highlights the complexity of early identification and assessment of children described as having special educational needs. Practitioners are encouraged to consider make…

As Congress prepares to make important decisions about the future of Head Start, Program Information Report (PIR) data provide important contextual information about Early Head Start programs and the children and families they serve. In 2004, Early Head Start served a diverse group of infants, toddlers, and pregnant women, most of whom were from…

This theme issue of Coordinators' Notebook focuses on how early childhood care and development (ECCD) programs world-wide can work with parents and caregivers to support children from birth to 3 years of age. Section 1 of the journal describes the needs of parents and families and the development of parent programs around the world. Section 2…

This directory aims to provide useful information for American Indian tribes and Native American communities about programs funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that benefit tribal and other Native American service populations. Included are profiles of ACF programs that tribes and eligible Native American organizations may…

A meta-analysis of home visiting programs (K = 12, N = 2869) examined differences in the effects of home visitor programs for at-risk families on maternal behavior. Studies selected included only peer-reviewed publications and evaluations with a control group design. Although effect sizes varied, programs with more frequent visitation had higher…

This paper examines the emergence of a corporate work-family agenda into historical and organizational context. The paper discusses the forces that have influenced both the prevalence and nature of a corporate response to family concerns over time, and trends noticeable in the efforts of some companies to create family-friendly policies and…

A commission of business leaders appointed by the governor of Colorado studied adult basic education (ABE) in the state in order to determine its value to the citizens of the state and to the state's future. Throughout a 6-month period, the commission discussed issues pertaining to the field with private providers, adult learners, and government…

Family support and parenting programs exist for parents who need help in acquiring the support, resources, and skills that encourage positive child development. Noting increasing demands for program accountability, this paper identifies 12 recommendations for the future of family support and parenting programs, based on the field's history of…

This comprehensive resource guide describes programs and services for young children (prenatal to age 8) and their families in Alaska. Information for the resource guide was collected from state departmental budget documents, program guides, annual reports, and program personnel. In compiling this information, certain trends concerning children's…

The Monongalia County (West Virgina) Even Start Program begun in 1993 to address family literacy and to prepare children for entrance into school, consists of three interrelated approaches: adult education, parenting education, and early childhood education. In June 1996, the program was serving 62 families (mostly low-income) with an average of…

A panel of state staff, Professional Development Center directors, and other experts reviewed current or previous exemplary projects in Pennsylvania and in the U.S. and published project descriptions in a newsletter ("FOCUS" bulletin). Twenty-two special projects were selected as exemplary based on a five-point scale for innovation,…

The 1996-97 school year marked the third year of a 4-year grant from the Texas Education Agency's Division of Adult and Community Education for funding the ASPIRE/Even Start program operated by Communities In Schools-Central Texas Inc. (CIS). The broad purpose of Even Start is to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy in families by…

A case study approach was used to examine how six service providers constructed the meaning of family-centered services in programs providing early intervention services to the families of young children with disabilities. Six professionals from a pool of over 40 service providers were identified as providing highly family-centered services.…