In his testimony, Jon Baron, president of Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, recommends reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) Program. He outlines three reasons that support his recommendation: (1) MIECHV represents an important, bipartisan departure from the usual approach to social…

The authors argue for closer collaboration between public schools and the public child welfare system, on behalf of children placed at risk, with respect to whether they will do as well in school as their abilities suggest they might, all else being equal. The need for closer collaboration is tied to two developments affecting schools and the…

The author considers the relationship between uncontrollable infant crying and child abuse. An integrative scheme is offered from evidence of child abuse literature, experimentally induced infant crying effects, attribution theory, and learned helplessness. It is suggested that infant crying often has causes beyond caregiver control, such as birth…

The need for direct services to infants at risk for abuse or neglect is addressed, with an emphasis on the value of the integration of various treatment modalities. The expertise of professionals in therapeutic and stimulation programs is required for direct intervention of the parent-child interaction process. (Author/DB)

Research findings concerning early parent/infant interaction are presented to counter prevalent myths concerning the nature of babies. The myth of the passive infant is counterposed to research findings on the attempts of the infant to evoke from caretakers the attention it needs for its development. Special attention is given to the topics of…

Comparison of the histories of 59 mothers of children (mean age 13 months) referred for nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) and 131 mothers of children with normal growth found a surprising 80% of NOFTT mothers reported they were victims of abuse as children. The need for treatment of the mother-child dyad is stressed. (Author/DB)

This editorial comments on a study that found that parents of infants prenatally exposed to illegal drugs did not subsequently have more child abuse allegations than a comparison sample. The need for adult and child welfare professionals to work together in serving infants and their parents is stressed. (Contains 1 reference.) (CR)

Issues raised by the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (which provide for legal intervention when disabled newborns are denied medical treatment) are discussed and include: parents' right to make the final decision, omission of "quality of life" factors from the law, and excessive financial burdens imposed by the law. (Author/DB)

Synopsizes a case that tested the role of the state in decisions to withhold surgery from handicapped newborns. Suggests that parents should retain primary decision making authority--until legislation is worded clearly enough for effectual court interpretation, and government is willing to provide more funding and support services for the…

This lecture, originally given in 1990, begins by recalling the violence committed by the Nazi state and then examines current psychological attitudes which accept and even approve of violence against children in institutions, especially delinquents, severely handicapped children, and infants; and violence within the family. (DB)

This paper focuses on infants within a family system as specific sources of stress that may lead to child abuse. Current prevention efforts are assessed and potential prevention efforts are discussed. (Author/EB)

The article reviews state child care licensing legislation in light of reported child abuse and neglect in some such facilities. Recommended are licensing of all facilities of any size or religious affiliation, criminal record screening, at least annual inspections, unannounced inspections, and required notice to parents when abuse has been…

In 1991, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect recommended the federal government begin phasing in a national, universal home visiting program for children during the neonatal period to help prevent child abuse and neglect. This article discusses the political and social factors affecting this recommendation, as well as the response…

Discusses the problem of drug-exposed infants from the perspective of a county attorney's office, focusing on a new Minnesota law that responds to the problem through early identification and provision of services. The approach calls for mandated reporting by medical providers and includes the possibility of civil commitment. (SLD)

The use of crisis nursery care as a viable alternative for the consumer experiencing chronic and ongoing family crises calls for consideration of various programmatic and staffing issues. Combinations of family problems, including homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, family violence, and chronic illness of a family member, may precipitate…