Longevity of 12,543 Down's syndrome clients of the California Department of Developmental Services was examined. Findings indicated that predictors of survival were not different from mortality-related variables in the general population. Lack of mobility or poor feeding skills were better predictors of early death than variables associated with…

This report documents the develoment of a two-pronged, model approach to early intervention with families in low-income communities. Since 1988, the Far West Laboratory's Center for Child and Family Studies and agencies in two low-income communities have been collaborating members of the Bay Area Early Intervention Program (BAEIP). BAEIP organizes…

In an effort to provide uninsured children with health care, California and states across the nation have focused on locating uninsured children and enrolling them in Medicaid and their state children's health insurance program. This report provides a comprehensive examination of California's efforts and offers strategies for keeping children…

The comparability of risk factors, clinical outcomes, and services were examined for Hispanic and non-Hispanic white youths participating in a managed system of care for youths experiencing emotional or behavioral disturbances for at least 6 months. Intra- and inter-group differences were documented for two outcome groups: 34 improvers, whose…

This study investigated the role of three groups of risk and protective factors (e.g., individual, family, and extrafamilial) that are associated with teen pregnancy. Two groups of Latina adolescents (aged 15 to 19), nonpregnant/ nonparenting (NP; N = 48) and pregnant/parenting (P; N = 46), completed a demographic survey, an adolescent profile…

The current study analyzed a subset of the experimental data collected by Berk, Ladd, Graziano, and Baek (2003) to test whether different intensities of incarceration make inmates more criminal while incarcerated. There were 561 male inmates whose equivalent classification scores indicated they had the same level of risk to commit institutional…

One hundred twenty-eight Latina and African American girls from high-risk environments (e.g., poverty, family history of teen parenting, etc.) were studied from age 13 through age 19 to prospectively identify the protective factors that might guard against teenage pregnancy. Results indicated that involved and strict parenting during early…

The comprehensive study of California's child care delivery system reported in this document was designed to: (1) identify the unmet child care needs of California families; (2) develop a comprehensive vision of quality child care services; (3) examine the inefficiencies in the current system; (4) and draft specific recommendations for federal,…

This report discusses changes in markers of the well-being of children in California, focusing on at-risk children in lower income groups. The report considers earnings growth and decline for California's families, public and private resources available, family economics, health, education, and safety. Specific problems are discussed such as a…

This document provides guidelines for gang awareness and prevention in the California school system. It is based on the belief that inservice training programs help school staff recognize early signs of gang activity, a necessary step to intervention. Following the introduction, chapter 1 offers descriptive information on gangs and their members,…

Over the past ten years, probation departments across the state of California have seen a number of important changes in the way they do business. Beginning with Title IV-A-EA in 1993, departments began a system-wide "sea change," from a focus on suppression, enforcement, and monitoring of youthful offenders to a focus on families and on…

Describes a special Head Start initiative called Free to Grow: Head Start Partnerships to Promote Substance-Free Communities. Notes five such Head Start programs in Puerto Rico, Kentucky, California, Colorado, and New York that have designed substance abuse prevention models to strengthen families and neighborhoods by providing a healthy…

Another Road to Safety (ARS) is a prevention and early intervention program of family support services for children who are at high risk for abuse and neglect in Alameda County, California, funded by Proposition 10 of the Children and Families Act of 1998. ARS is a collaboration between First 5 Alameda County's program Every Child Counts, the…

Until recently, teen pregnancy and birth rates had declined steadily in the United States in recent years. Despite these declines, the United States has the highest teen birth rate and one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among all industrialized nations. To help young people reduce their risk for pregnancy and STIs,…

Until recently, teen pregnancy and birth rates had declined in the United States. Despite these declines, U.S. teen birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates remain among the highest in the industrialized world. Given the need to focus limited prevention resources on effective programs, Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews…