Realist evaluation (RE) is increasingly adopted to assess the effectiveness of social programs. RE goes beyond measurement of outcomes, providing insight into how and why programs work by focusing on how participants experience and respond to programs within certain contexts. A RE was conducted on Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS), an early…

Background: Youth programs often rely on self-reported data without clear evidence as to the accuracy of these reports. Although the validity of self-reporting has been confirmed among some high school and college age students, one area that is absent from extant literature is a serious investigation among younger children. Moreover, there is…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently conducting research and analyses to guide practitioners in making evidence-based program decisions. A meta-analysis of the current research literature on training programs for parents with children ages 0 to 7 years old was recently conducted by CDC behavioral scientists. This…

Discusses four approaches to assessing the quality of early childhood program: top-down, which focuses on the adult's view of setting, equipment, and the program; bottom-up, focusing on children's experience; outside-inside, emphasizing the family's view; and societal, in which agencies and communities assess programs. (LB)

Suggests eight questions that can serve as a framework for determining the extent to which early intervention has accomplished the goals inherent in a family-centered approach. Conceptual issues and methodological considerations associated with documenting these outcomes are presented and recommendations regarding implementation and future…

This pamphlet from the Colorado State Board of Education lists activities that parents and caregivers should see in schools that are providing high-quality care and education for young children. The quality indicators are listed by age group (infant/toddler, 3- to 5-year-olds, 6- to 8-year-olds) and are presented as responses to the question,…

This report is the second of a series exploring implementation of best practices in programs serving young children and families, and focuses on the uses and benefits of developing and using a logic model in programs serving young children and families. A logic model is described as providing a way to clearly articulate the program's theory of…

This manual describes the procedures for planning and implementing a co-located or shared-site intergenerational day care program, based on the experiences of the Generations program in Columbus, Ohio. Part 1 of the manual defines co-located or shared site programs, provides a rationale for providing co-located child day care and adult day…

This article offers guidelines for designing inservice education for personnel working with young children with disabilities and their families. Discussion covers definitions, assumptions, support and start up, initial planning, program design, evaluation, implementation, and follow-up. It identifies special considerations and circumstances…

This program evaluation report presents information on Project SKI*HI, a home-based program for infants and young children with hearing impairments and their families. The program's major goals are early identification of hearing-impaired infants and a home program to facilitate child development. A parent advisor makes weekly home visits to each…

The Beginning with Books project distributed 1,000 free packets of children's books to disadvantaged families, and questionnaires showed favorable effects on literacy activities and family reading patterns. The program is now affiliated with the Pittsburgh public library, and a new literacy program is aimed at children in families of adults who…

In April 2000, the World Bank hosted a global conference that addressed the benefits and challenges of investing in early child development (ECD). The landmark conference brought together the world's leading experts, academicians, practitioners, and policymakers to focus on various aspects of ECD. This volume contains the proceedings of the…

Progress toward effective service delivery to young children with handicaps and their families is impeded by lack of coordination at local levels and variations in eligibility requirements and population definitions. A centralized interagency identification/referral program was found to facilitate data utilization for decision-making, interagency…

The 1978 evaluation of the Early Childhood Services program found that the coordination of services needed to be strengthened at all levels but particularly at the regional level. Alberta Education launched a pilot study in 1980 into the means of increasing coordination of services for young children and families in the province, by granting…

This workbook is a companion to an 18-minute instructional video on nutrition services in early intervention programs. Both the workbook and the video are designed to assist early intervention professionals concerning nutrition and feeding concerns of children with special health care needs. The following issues are addressed: importance of…