Early childhood has long been known to be a formative time in a child's development-- a time when the brain produces more than 1 million neural connections every second during the first few years of a child's life. However, there are factors at the individual and community levels that impact the development process. In communities across America,…

Federal education funding has often been overlooked by districts in search of sources of support for prevention. This guide is intended to help school districts take advantage of those funds by identifying K-12 grant programs in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that could be used to implement prevention efforts in elementary and secondary…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

The goal for this project was to recognize the volunteers at the beginning of the project and to focus on a program to increase the utilization of volunteers in essential service delivery to at-risk persons in the Big Sandy region of eastern Kentucky. A diverse committee made up of business, education, civil leaders, service providers, and…

This 1992-1993 fiscal year performance report provides an overview of Kentucky's early intervention system of building comprehensive services for infants, toddlers, and families. This Part H program has served 1,054 young children who are developmentally delayed or who have an established risk. Highlights are presented of goals, services, and…

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…

This two-part report focuses on progress made by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) during the first year of a 5-year contract. AEL's mandate is to work with educators in ongoing research and development-based efforts to improve education and educational opportunities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Part I:…

Because increasing numbers of children come to school with problems caused by poverty, divorce, drug use, and teenage pregnancy, schools may no longer be able to limit themselves solely to academic roles. This brief argues that schools, families, and communities need to work together to help children overcome the challenges that they face. It also…