Wisconsin's Early Childhood Excellence Initiative was a $15 million public policy effort designed in 2000 to increase child care quality for low-income children. An evaluation revealed significant improvement in classroom quality, the quality of caregiver interaction, and caregivers' beliefs about children following a complex multi-faceted…

Happiness is a critical indicator of quality of life in humans. A few studies have measured levels of happiness displayed under different conditions by individuals with profound multiple disabilities. We were interested in determining whether increasing the mindfulness of caregivers would result in increased levels of happiness in adults with…

This study examined caregiver strain (i.e., burden of care, caregiver burden) among families of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse disorders compared to youth with mental health problems. We used descriptive and regression analyses to compare groups and to examine the youth and family variables associated with caregiver strain across the…

A socialization model of coping with community violence was tested in 101 African American adolescents (55% male, ages 9-13) and their maternal caregivers living in high-violence areas of a mid-sized, southeastern city. Participants completed interviews assessing caregiver coping, family context, and child adjustment. Caregiver-child dyads also…

The authors describe an initiative to improve child care for the children of teen parents. Since 1999, the Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy has worked with seven childcare programs in four school districts to achieve this goal. The initiative included development of a quality improvement plan for each…

Background: There is scant research on the subject of dysphagia and people with intellectual disabilities. This study explores the barriers which caregivers believe make following Speech and Language Therapists' (SLTs) dysphagia management strategies more difficult. Method: Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with 46 caregivers…

Background: Very little is known about young people with intellectual disabilities who experience additional mental health problems. The perspective of service providers has been highlighted as one unresearched area. Method: Semi-structured interviews were completed with senior service providers. Aims: (1) to explore experiences of working with…

Our aim in this study was to validate a stress-process model for Hispanic caregivers of adults with mental retardation that incorporates family functioning. The model postulates that maladaptive adult behaviors are related to poorer family relationships and higher levels of family burden, which in turn is related to caregiver psychological…

Developed Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge test (ADK) to assess level of knowledge about Alzheimer's disease of caregivers, professionals, and others involved in caring for Alzheimer's patients. Describes test development and presents ADK test. Discusses preliminary results suggesting that lack of knowledge is more common than misconceptions.…

Reviews findings suggesting qualitative differences between men's and women's work in the household. Presents a gender stratification theoretical framework for examining household and child care division of labor. Discusses "net economic power," and considers the differential impacts of the husband/wife earnings ratio, stability of that…

Describes a unique education program that hires senior citizens to be grandparents'' for hospitalized children. (GB)

This study sought to develop an instrument for the assessment of grief in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. Study resulted in a 50-item scale containing three factors. Results suggest that caregiver grief is neither a unitary nor static construct and that a scale such as this may be appropriate for use in supportive, clinical, and…

Notes that in recent years, much has been written about old age dependency and need for greater emphasis on individual and familial responsibility for supporting elderly persons as opposed to state responsibility. Argues that old age dependency is not new problem and there was communal responsibility--as opposed to strictly privitized…

Develops theme of rethinking family as social form by positing overall approach that suggests development of various specific definitions of "family," each suitable for empirical or theoretical exploration of set of family issues. Development of one example, familial caretaking, definition of family for use in context of social policy, is provided…

The Child Development Associate formula for certifying entry-level care providers, a blend of the two competencies that dovetails with parental initiative, is a valuable legacy of Head Start. Based on a demonstrated proficiency at working with young children, the credential offers a comprehensive model for developing high quality caregivers.…