This report presents a picture of the welfare of children in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Developed by Project Respond, a group addressing the needs of at-risk children in the community, it is an attempt to measure the treatment of children by families, private institutions, government, and other facets of society. The introduction describes…

The monograph presents essential components of a decision making sequence used to incorporate formalized family assessment and service planning procedures into two existing early intervention programs in Massachusetts. The 1-year effort used a consultant to: (1) redefine screening and assessment processes to include both child and family centered…

A program designed to introduce residents and medical students to community resources for children and increase their knowledge of the factors affecting children's development is described. Trainees spend approximately one-third of their time in program activities that involve 25 community agencies. (Author/MLW)

Although having one or more working parents reduces the likelihood that children will live in poverty, it does not provide a guarantee of escaping poverty. This report summarizes results of a project to develop a definition of working poor families and to provide a baseline of descriptive information about them. The primary data sources for the…

Children's bodies are created by the surrounding culture and their bodies, in turn, reproduce the culture. From birth, children are separated from others in the name of scientific rigor, safety, and cultural assimilation. Children move from feeling (trusting their own touching, smelling, and tasting) to seeing, where they recognize that they…

Presents a model for studying and developing school nutrition education programs and better understanding potential influences on children's current nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Focuses on three environments (home and family, school, community) and the change process as influenced by nutrition education programs. (Author/DC)

Feeling a lack of parent involvement, a developmental kindergarten teacher designed a home visit program, going to each student's home twice. Through home visits, she gained a better understanding of her students' environments, observed student characteristics not always visible in school, and strengthened relationships and team spirit with…

A model of student progress and drop-out from postsecondary distance education courses includes components of background characteristics; motivation; academic environment; and the family, work, and social environment. The author recommends ways in which distance education courses might be formatted so as to reduce student drop-out. (Author/MLW)

Describes a school reintegration program aimed at overcoming the numerous psychological, physical, environmental, and family-based deterrents to school reentry for chronically ill children. The program uses a systems approach to children's mental health with an emphasis on multiple aspects of the child's environment (i.e., family, medical…

Describes a successful effort to develop services for ex-offenders and their children and families that enhance community integration, build social support networks, and assist community institutions in mobilizing services for this population. Considers program components, the development of the program through a school of social work, and…

Examines family life factors that contribute to, or inhibit, the development of a child's emotional health and social well-being. Special problems in the socialization of African Americans are discussed, and the goals and practices these families should strive for to help them survive are explored. (GR)

Examines reasons why some young people are more at risk than others for sexual health problems, highlighting structural and environmental factors that contribute to sexuality-related risks and vulnerabilities and proposing ways that policymakers might help reduce these risks by improving access to quality information and creating health-enabling…

Nationwide, there are some 1,055,000 young people under the age of 18 who have hearing loss according to statistics from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov). Reported rates of psychiatric disorders for children who have hearing loss range from 15.4% to 54% (Hindley, 1997). Selected…

When children are young, the activities and routines in which they participate are influenced by family decisions as well as by opportunities for participation. Families report that finding community opportunities for their young children with disabilities can be difficult. Furthermore, ensuring their children's success in these settings requires…

Using an ecological model, this study explored the effects of distal and proximal sources of influence on students' learning. We first examined three markers of teacher qualification--elementary education credential, years of education, and years of experience--on observed classroom practices across three dimensions--warmth/responsivity,…