Informal carers of an adult with mental illness have asked that respite care be an integral component of mental health service provision. The present study involved a pilot investigation of the effectiveness of accessing respite care for carers of individuals with a mental illness. It was hypothesised that compared to carers who have not accessed…

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine 1) the prevalence of psychiatric and substance use disorders in perinatally HIV-infected (HIV+) adolescents and 2) the association between HIV infection and these mental health outcomes by comparing HIV+ youths to HIV exposed but uninfected youths (HIV-) from similar communities. Methods: Data…

Family day care is generally defined as the care of six or fewer unrelated children in a caregiver's home. However, there are no national standards or regulations for family or group child care homes, and the definitions of family child care vary from state to state. Regulated providers have been rated as more sensitive and observed to offer more…

This Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC) Information Guide focuses on questions for parents to ask when looking for the right childcare program. The guide provides a checklist for parents to use when evaluating potential or currently used childcare programs. By sharing and discussing the checklist with caregivers, parents and caregivers can work…

At some point in many children's lives, parents are faced with the difficult question, "What about child care?" Intended for both parents and providers, this guide is designed to help parents decide whether family child care is suited to their needs, guiding them through the process of choosing a provider and allowing them a look behind…

This study investigated associations between young children's behavior and the continuity of parent and provider behavior and attitudes. Subjects were 3- and 4-year-old children, their parents, and their family child care providers. A total of 29 children were observed in their homes with their parents and in the family child care homes with their…

With increasing numbers of infants in need of child care, the demand for infant care programs has grown. This handbook was designed to meet the need for technical assistance regarding program components and workable practices geared specifically to infant and toddler care. Part 1 of the handbook, "Considerations in Infant and Toddler…

This report describing family day care in Denmark is based on discussions with early childhood professionals in Denmark. Regulations for conducting family day care are set out in national guidelines which focus on: (1) supervision of children and providers by a trained child care professional who oversees not more than 50 children; (2) selection…

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) launched the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative to improve systems of care for young children. Early Care and Education (ECE) is one of five critical components in the initiative because early experiences set the foundation for future learning. ECE's importance continues to…

Serving as a vehicle for raising the profile of and thereby gaining recognition for the important research and development work being conducted in Canada in support of children and families, the "Research Connections Canada" series compiles research and/or development papers as well as background papers, analytical literature reviews,…

Loss is a common theme of family protection work and particularly of foster care. Ways in which foster families can deal with loss are explored. It is designed to accompany a one- or two-day training course and uses a strategy of collaborative learning for caseworkers and foster parents. The course explores loss and grief through role play, small…

This report of the Quality 2000 Initiative documents the quality crisis in early care and education in the United States, discussing the reasons for this crisis and suggesting a plan for improvement. Part 1 of the report: describes the mediocre quality of care cited in the Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study, the erosion of quality since 1980,…

This report is the first step in a multi-year effort to identify and demonstrate community-based strategies for helping family, friend, and neighbor caregivers meet the needs of working parents, their children, and employers. Information for the report was obtained through interviews with experts, employers, employees, and their caregivers. The…

This article addresses the health and safety risks associated with child care facilities, including injuries and infectious diseases. Related health education needs for child care providers, parents, and children are examined, and recommendations for health educators are provided. (SM)

This study observed the different ways in which 11 child care teachers constructed "teaching" in a high-quality program that included children with disabilities. Qualitative analysis revealed that teaching could be conceptualized as comprising four contexts consisting of a range of behaviors, practices, or beliefs about teaching: environmental,…