In 1974 American institutions of social service--i.e. nonprofit agencies whose purposes are to assist groups and individuals to maintain or advance themselves in the social order--are in the midst of a crisis of confidence. As a social order, Americans are least effective in delivering social service to those who are impoverished, of color,…

Under contract with the United States Agency for International Development and Michigan State University, a study was made comparing diffusion of innovations in Brazil, Nigeria, and India. In India, the study was in two phases: a survey of 108 villages in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal; and a study of adoption behavior among 680…

Just as programs and organizations have too frequently been established for the presumed benefit of mankind but do not work out as expected because the social methods available are not good enough, so the author proposes that the existence of social problems in general bespeak the need for new social inventions. Social inventions provide laws,…

Describes the Community Service Internship program at East Lyme (Connecticut) High School. The program is designed to help students understand the needs of various segments of the local population while allowing them to engage in community service for a substantial period. (IW)

This booklet discusses the collective power of collaboration among the three agencies that compose the Corporation for National Service (AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps) and introduces the reader to a process of collaboration intended to strengthen existing services and to create new and higher-quality…

The Neighborhood Jobs Initiative (NJI) began in 1998 in five cities (Chicago, Fort Worth, Hartford, New York, and Washington, D.C.) in 1998. The NJI targets high-poverty urban neighborhoods, attempting to connect residents to employment opportunities nearby and in the urban periphery by providing training, supporting interpersonal networks, and…

Society should be particularly concerned about the long-term consequences of excluding (suspending or expelling) primary age children from school for behavior problems. Competition between schools has left behind less-marketable children who can contribute little to a school's performance indicators. Concomitant cutbacks in school and social…

Presents instructional materials for a unit of study reexamining the effects of the Vietnam War on the Vietnamese migration to the United States. These materials discuss the historical background of this migration as well as the development of Vietnamese American communities and their relationship to other Asian American communities. (MJP)

Asserts that increasing inter-agency conflict is detrimental to needs of children and families. Presents example of one agency (Educational Psychology Service), suggesting that its pressures are common to all agencies and that recent policies conspire to enhance the power of systems rather than of children and families. Discusses effective…

Explores the deep-rooted perception that mothers are most responsible for child neglect and the evolution of this attitude in 19th-century Canada. Suggests that this focus on mothers has been at the expense of understanding and trying to change the social and economic context in which neglect occurs. (TM)

Presents the historical background, contemporary factors, issues, and activities that led to the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Discusses actions of the Devils Lake Sioux of North Dakota in 1968 and involvement of the Association on American Indian Affairs, which led to Senate hearings in 1974 and passage of the act in 1978. (TM)

Provides an overview of the programs and activities of Parent Child Incorporated (PCI), a human services agency in San Antonio, Texas. PCI oversees or administers various Head Start, nutrition, family day-care, child-care, health, parenting, and adult education programs. (MDM)

Maintains that the education of children who are cared for by public agencies is now a national issue. Describes the work of the Manchester Teaching Service (England), which has been at the forefront of national development and change. Concludes with a case study that illustrates the philosophy and purpose of the agency. (CFR)

This practicum study assessed the formation of The Western Pennsylvania Fetal Alcohol Support and Information Network, established to provide assistance to foster and adoptive families of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAS/E). Priorities for the network were: (1) increasing awareness and knowledge of FAS/E issues…

Home visits are becoming an important part of family education and support programs such as Even Start. Over time, the objectives of home visits have shifted from a deficit model, which was aimed solely at solving problems, to an empowerment model, which focuses on ameliorating conditions which lead to familial problems. The empowerment model…