Countries with good education systems have good health and transportation systems and equitable access to health care and public services. One must look at education in terms of inputs, not production or outputs. When healthy, well-fed, well-housed children enter an education system that provides transportation and access to books, dictionaries,…

Examined relationship between Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES) with low socioeconomic status caregivers of preschool children (N=136). Correlations revealed that the PSI and F-COPES measured relatively independent constructs. Findings also suggest that passive appraisal is related…

Changes in homelessness since the 1950s and 1960s involve increasing numbers of homeless persons, striking differences in their composition, and marked deterioration in their condition. Beyond similarly high levels of mental illness and substance abuse, the new homeless are younger, poorer, often shelterless, and include more minorities, women,…

Urban women are better off in labor force participation and poverty than women in central city and rural areas. Differences in access to jobs and welfare benefits explain the urban-rural variation. Finds that the most important factor for not living in poverty is earning income. Recommends policies for reducing poverty among single, working…

The current prominence of the issue of access to medical care in the public policy arena is examined, and the use of this issue for studying the financing of uncompensated care for indigent patients is discussed. Different approaches based on this issue are outlined. (MSE)

A study of the dependency of persons on soup kitchens in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester County (New York) identified who uses these kitchens, the extent to which they are dependent on them, what other food programs they use, what their perceived need from other services is, and dependency differences of subgroups. (JS)

Uses an interurban analysis model to assess the position of lower income families. Identifies factors determining the relative incomes of the poor through use of a supply and demand model of aggregate income inequality. Found high school graduation a significant factor in income inequality. Implications for policy are discussed. (KO)

The complex set of economic problems facing Black families can best be understood from a communication perspective. Corporate America historically has taken advantage of its access to information and use of communication media to control the economic conditions of Black families. Through research and communication technology Black families can…

Scores on cognitive abilities tests administered to students (n=80; grades 4-8) being considered for gifted placement were analyzed for differences between low socioeconomic status (SES) students and average or above average SES students. Analysis indicated that the primary reason low SES students did not meet criteria for gifted placement was low…

Dynamic assessment is presented as a method of measuring intellectual ability which addresses criticisms of traditional intelligence tests. Dynamic assessment can be used to identify children's learning abilities, determine how and/or what to teach, assess giftedness in minority and poor children, control for individual differences, and explore…

Examines the debate over immigration in the United States and its influence on national racial and ethnic demographics as well as the economic and social impact. Questions of environmentalism and multiculturalism coupled with American racism and the need for immigration restriction are addressed. (GR)

Argues that to understand today's homeless crisis one must examine the policy decisions that brought it about. The paper explores that policy history, explains how it resulted in the series of dramatic demographic changes that have changed the nature of homelessness today, and suggests a comprehensive approach to lifting families out of…

Investigated the relationship between economic hardship, family relationships, and adolescent self-esteem in a sample of 387 Midwestern families. Results showed that economic hardship negatively affected adolescent self-esteem and that this effect was primarily mediated through the parent-adolescent relationship. Supports other findings that…

Explores the extent of language transition and the resilience of immigrant languages based on data from south Florida. Results from 2,843 children of immigrants show that interest in and preference for English is very high and that preservation of the parental language decays with length of U.S. residence. Relationships of bilingualism and…

Discusses the poorest of Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients--homeless families--and a New York City initiative to help these families gain employment. The paper examines TAG (Train and Gain), a job readiness, training, and placement program designed to prepare these families for the critical transition from welfare to work. (GR)