Child care problems associated with latchkey children, teenage mothers continuing their education, and homeless families are discussed, and possible solutions are considered. The public library has been identified by many parents as a safe place for children to go after school and at other times when childcare is needed, and this has created a new…

Funded by the Stewart B. McKinney Act, California's educational programs for homeless persons have the following key elements: a stable living environment, individual instruction, trained volunteers, instruction in practical tasks, materials targeted for adults, individual education plans, self-esteem building activities, and a network of local…

The goals of this study were to (a) assess the outcomes of former foster care youth using transitional living programs and (b) compare outcomes achieved by former foster care youth who participated in an employment training program with similar youth who did not. The study sampled 23 former foster care youth using transitional living services in…

On Wednesday, April 18, 1906, an earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale and lasting 48 seconds, erupted along the San Andreas fault with a flash point originating in the San Francisco Bay area. The force of the earthquake tore apart buildings and roads, causing water and gas mains to twist and break. The resulting effects of the…

In February 1991, policymakers and representatives of resource agencies and nonprofit organizations met to find solutions to a major regional crisis--the lack of housing for farmworkers and day laborers in San Diego County. The region contains about 200 worker camps, usually situated in undeveloped canyons and fields near suburban residential…

Concerned because California now annually administers an estimated $5.9 billion in funding for children's services programs, the Little Hoover Commission initiated a study on the state's provision for children's services. This report, on Phase I of the study, identifies the extent of the problem in 23 findings and provides a plan of action in 15…

Investigates the socioeconomic and gender equality aspects of the public's use of PEN (Public Electronic Network), a computer-based interactive communication system provided free to residents of Santa Monica (California). Topics discussed include public terminals; use by homeless people and by women; and participation in political communication…

Adolescence is a developmental period during which many youth experiment with risk practices. This paper examined the association of parental monitoring with a range of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use behaviors among high-risk youth, while controlling for other demographic and environmental variables previously found to be associated with AOD…

Testing of skills in reading, mathematics, and English as a second language (ESL) was conducted at 12 programs for homeless people in California in 1992; 2,111 homeless persons were evaluated. Analysis of the data revealed that approximately 63 percent of the participants were male and 37 percent were female; 35 percent were between 20-29, 39…

Research conducted by the Hunger Task Force in Contra Costa County (California) revealed a significant increase in the number of families, especially with young children, who live in poverty and who are going hungry. A food stamp outreach program, a countywide school breakfast program, and food distribution programs have been initiated. (LP)

This report provides objective information about the relationship of poverty, welfare, and homelessness to California's regional economy and about the design of programs that help people in poverty build working lives. California does not have enough jobs for its workforce, and welfare caseloads are consequently determined by the economy. The…

Homeless individuals are eligible for adult education services, such as literacy training and basic skills remediation, under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. In California, 7 agencies in 1989 and 13 in 1990 were selected as service providers to serve 100 homeless adults each per project year. Each funded agency assessed…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the extent to which homeless children in the United States receive the "free and appropriate education" to which they are entitled. Data were collected through several surveys conducted in two San Francisco Bay Area counties: (1) surveys of parents in homeless shelters with 313…

This report contains the California state plan for educating homeless children and youth required by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The plan is designed to raise the level of awareness of schools and school districts to the needs of homeless children and to provide ideas and suggestions for meeting those needs. It is…

This report informs the public about the welfare of California's children. Measuring the effectiveness of the efforts of all Californians, not just those of government agencies or other organizations responsible for children, the report measures California's performance on 27 benchmarks that, taken together, provide a statistical portrait of the…