This study compares social relationships of 677 homeless mothers with 495 housed mothers on public assistance in New York (New York). Homeless women had more disruptive social experiences but were more likely to have had recent contact with relatives/friends. Over 75 percent had visited relatives/friends in the past year. (JB)

Roughly 600,000 families are homeless today in America, while over 2.7 million children are in foster care or out-of-home placements. Few policymakers have examined these issues together, or understood that they are interrelated and must be addressed jointly to break the cycle of family disintegration, violence, and poverty. A recent survey by the…

This descriptive study examines the operation of youth mentoring programs in New York City. In particular, the study maps the experiences of developing and operating youth mentoring programs as articulated by the organizers or directors of 21 such programs; reviews and analyzes the research and descriptions of mentoring programs nationally to…

This Program Focus discusses the strategies of the Beacon Community Center Program (the Beacons), the history of its crime prevention programs, and general operations. It focuses on the activities of one particular program, Red Hook in Brooklyn (New York City), before analyzing the Beacons' potential for preventing crime. A core concept of the…

This book reports on a study of the urban poor in New York City focusing on the effectiveness of a model of service for this population. The project studied 160 families who were clients of the Lower East Side Family Union, an agency that aims to prevent foster care placement and to help clients mobilize their own coping capacities and to make…

This report describes the development, introduction, and evaluation of the SuperStart comprehensive prekindergarten program adopted by the New York City Public Schools in 1990. By 1991, SuperStart offered 299 classes in 188 schools, providing a developmentally appropriate learning environment to foster cognitive, social, emotional, and physical…

Puerto Rican children and adolescents appear more at risk for below average school achievement and for mental health problems and service referrals than other Hispanic youngsters. This study examined the cognitive style and the emotional and behavioral patterns associated with the personal adjustment of 80 Puerto Rican adolescents from…

A clinical progress report is presented concerning how the infants and children of Harlem (New York City) have endured the past six years. Crack abuse, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, social disorganization, and violence have been added to the traditional concomitants of poverty. Proposals are made for improvement. (SLD)

This monograph used a qualitative orientation to examine the inadequacy of public assistance income in New York City as it affects material conditions among welfare families, their attempts to mitigate the negative consequences of income inadequacy through coping strategies, and the broader social environment within poor communities. The data…

Biological questions about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are minor compared with political and ethical problems related to the AIDS epidemic in the United States. Lack of public confidence in the work of public health officials and the controversy surrounding New York City's syringe exchange program are two examples. (SLD)

Studies the degree to which psychiatric and substance abuse problems and victimization place families at elevated risk of requiring emergency housing and prevalence of these problems among 677 mothers in families requesting shelter and 495 comparison-group housed mothers in New York City. Problems, reported infrequently, correlate with…

This report describes how the Parent Services Project (PSP) is being implemented in the communities of Bushwick and Washington Heights/Inwood in New York City, focusing on the progress made and the challenges encountered in the first 18 months of the program's implementation. Information for the report was obtained through on-site observations as…

The Center for Comprehensive Health Practice in the East Harlem area of New York City operates an early intervention program called the Infant School to promote the healthy development of high-risk children from birth to 2 years of age, including those of mothers who had been users of cocaine and/or crack. The Infant School curriculum is designed…

This report examines the availability of health care, child care, and youth programs for Asian Americans in New York City. The Asian American community currently makes up 10 percent of the city population. Asian New Yorkers represent diverse cultures and languages but share certain underlying values and challenges. One commonality is their…

This special theme issue of the journal "The Advocate," offers articles on early interventions for preschoolers with special needs, including three articles in Spanish. Contents include: "Providing An Orientation for Life" (Galen D. Kirkland); "AFC Fights Cuts in Education at 'Speak Out' Rally" (Nadine Renazile);…