In this article, Anthony Feiler, senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol, and Elaine Logan, lecturer in early years education at the City of Bristol College, present a case study of a child who made strong progress with literacy during his first year at school. The child and his family participated in the…

This study evaluated effects of the "Iowa Strengthening Families Program," a family-focused universal preventive intervention, on growth patterns of adolescent internalizing (anxiety and depressive symptoms) and monthly polysubstance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, and other illicit drugs), as well as the association between…

Research in the neurobiological, behavioral, and social sciences has dramatically increased our capacity to provide effective intervention for economically disadvantaged children. According to Neuman, however, U.S. policymakers have made little use of this body of research to improve the prospects of children at risk. This article discusses seven…

Tribal Child Care and Development Fund administrators work each day to ensure that the children and families in tribal communities have the child care services that best meet their needs. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), a federal block grant for States, Tribes, and Territories, is a key resource to help increase the availability,…

Homeless children tend to experience a variety of academic problems, and little is currently known about this growing segment of the American population. This study was undertaken using administrative data from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and a program that serves many of Chicago's most vulnerable homeless families to examine children's…

Babies need good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences to promote their healthy intellectual, social, and emotional development. However, as the poverty rate for children under age 3 continues to increase, a rising number of young children are going without these supports. The federal Early Head Start program (EHS) was…

There is currently movement internationally towards the integration of services for young children and their families, incorporating childcare, education, health and family support. Shifting service provision towards partnership between services, and between these services and families, has been the subject of policy formation at various levels.…

In this article, the authors aim to develop a better understanding among practitioners of the issues faced by fathers of children with a learning disability, and suggest how schools can involve the parents who are regarded by many as "hard to reach". They recontextualize the roles and perceptions of fathers in the light of outcomes from the recent…

In this article, the author discusses how the JUCONI Foundation in Puebla, Mexico is helping children. (JUCONI is an acronym for "Junto con los Ninos", or "Together with the Children)." This Mexican nongovernmental organization (NGO) has been successfully working with distressed families and children in Puebla since 1989. For…

The "Colorado Children's Budget" presents and analyzes investments and spending trends during the past five state fiscal years on services that benefit children. The "Children's Budget" focuses mainly on state investment and spending, with some analysis of federal investments and spending to provide broader context of state…

Published annually since 1997, Newark Kids Count tracks key trends in child health and well-being in New Jersey's largest city with the latest statistics available. Newark Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: population and demographics, family economic security, affordable housing,…

This report discusses child-care needs and consumer education for low-income families, the types and value of information they receive when participating in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program, the different approaches to child-care consumer education, case studies on the child-care practices that are detrimental as well as those…

This hearing, chaired by Representative Patricia Schroeder, was held to examine historical trends in family structure and family values in light of the recent political debate over family values and their effect on poverty. Testimony and prepared statements were given by Representative Schroeder; Representative Gerry Sikorski; Senator Daniel…

Even the most well developed and well executed school-based parent interventions frequently have low rates of participation and high rates of dropout. A three-stage study employed focus groups and interviews to examine why parents did or did not participate in school-based programs designed to involve them, and why they either continued to…

This volume describes the experiences of each of the 15 rural and urban Healthy Start initiatives. These projects were set up in areas that had infant mortality rates that were 1.5 to 2.5 times the national average. Project locations include major cities such as Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Oakland, California, and rural areas in…