This paper reviews selected literature on otitis media (OM) and its learning consequences in Aboriginal children in rural Australia and reports on a project to develop a community approach to the problem. Aboriginal people are the most disadvantaged group in Australia; have much poorer health and lower life expectancy than other Australians; and…

This study investigated the findings of a previous study on the effectiveness of the Fort Bragg Child and Adolescent Mental Health Demonstration Project, a program that provided a comprehensive approach to the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services to a population of military-related children residing within the Fort Bragg…

This paper discusses the characteristics of three community-based early childhood care and development support programs: the Community Mothers Program of Dublin, Ireland; the Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Workers Program of Tennessee; and the Mothers Inform Mothers Program of the Netherlands. The paper considers the general characteristics…

The evolution of the family concerns health educators because family environment has been consistently linked to development of various addictions and negative behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, workaholism, excessive exercise, sexual promiscuity, vandalism, youth crime, and violence and abuse. It is recognized that a…

Statistics show that the improvement in the U.S. infant mortality rate began slowing down in 1981 and completely ended in 1985; this has been reflected in a significant increase in the percentage of infants born prematurely and with low birth weight. Increased attention is being given to the effects of maternal behavior during pregnancy, and…

In 1969, the Joint Commission on the Mental Health of Children made several recommendations based on the conclusions in their report entitled "Crisis in Child Mental Health: Challenge for the 1970's." These recommendations included formation of a child advocacy system at every level of society; the development of supportive, preventive,…

This document comprises three papers related to the implementation of early childhood education, health care, and support programs. The first paper is a brief reflection on the nature of implementation, based on the contributions of Boudewijn Bekkers. The second is a proceedings chapter by Marian Hanrahan titled "Community Based Innovative…

This paper discusses how the health care needs of underserved children, particularly urban children, can be met through an ecological model of health care. Ecoprimary care, infant mortality, and the experiences of King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles (California), an example of maximization of resources, are described. (SLD)

Researchers investigated the causal attributions for health and illness among 96 Brazilian elementary school students. Subjects were interviewed individually and their causal attributions were assessed through 14 true-false items (e.g. people stay well because they are lucky). The findings suggest that there may be more cross-cultural similarities…

Due to the efforts of mental health consumer and advocacy organizations, there now exists a legislated community-based mental health policy for the treatment of children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders and their families. But the implementation of this policy has not met the intended legislative standards. Accordingly, this…

Most discussions of welfare reform ignore two factors: its effect on children; and the fact that a welfare reform law, the Family Support Act of 1988 (FSA), already exists. FSA created state Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) welfare-to-work programs, and if the JOBS program is adequately funded, it can improve the lives of welfare…

This document provides guidelines and procedures, in Spanish and English, for Head Start teachers in taking care of children with AIDS, or children who are HIV positive, and their families. The goal of the guide is to maximize participation of infected children in the Head Start program. The guide presents activities in three main stages:…

This paper presents findings of a case study that examined the role of the principal in generating community services to address students' health and social needs. The school under study was an urban elementary school in Austin, Texas, which had implemented an innovative program to address student health problems. Data were derived through…

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Obesity Education Initiative (OEI) convened a two-day meeting to help develop a national public education outreach initiative to help reduce and prevent overweight and obesity in the United States. This Strategy Development Workshop, held on February 17-18, 2004, convened more that 70 public…

Disability research and program evaluation have generally been viewed with suspicion in Indian country because research designs, procedures, instruments, and interpretation and dissemination of outcomes have often ignored potential cultural conflicts. This paper explores a national evaluation in eight tribal communities that established systems of…