This paper describes the development of a consumer-based program in rural Essex County (New York) for families with children with emotional disorders. Initially, in-depth, in-home interviews were held with 24 families who had children with serious emotional disturbances concerning their service needs and desires. The following needs were expressed…

Researchers have found that family involvement in a child's education increases academic success. This study investigated the role of parents in children's education programs. Also examined were how these families perceived their own level of involvement in their child's education. Focus groups composed of African-American family members with…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health research focuses on studies of family participation. Individual papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Measuring Satisfaction with Community-Based Services for Children with Severe Emotional Disturbances: A Comparison of Questionnaires for Children and…

A study explored the interaction of television families with attention to how parents behave in families and how children interact both with and without their parents and their siblings. Programs selected for the study were nine episodes of "The Cosby Show" and "Growing Pains"; both of these programs feature two-parent families with dependent…

Although the effectiveness of home-based, behaviorally-oriented treatment programs with the elderly and their families has been well documented, assessment of caregivers' attitudes toward those programs remains rare. To assess the relationship between outcome measures and client and principal caregiver characteristics, 21 client-caregiver dyads,…

The diverse forms and changing nature of the American family have important implications for early childhood educators concerned with a multicultural group. In the wake of economic, technological, and energy changes, a single ideal American family no longer exists against which to measure all other family forms. Although the form of the nuclear…

Today's educational reform proposals are undermined by four dilemmas. First, the public may demand visible results before it will provide the funding needed to achieve them. Second, higher academic standards will increase failure rates, while more attainable standards will inadequately educate students. Third, the current focus on high schools may…

This paper provides a checklist of 10 potential ethical problems associated with intervention in families through home-based programs. Problems which directly involve program participants are (1) pressure on parents to join the program, (2) violation of confidentiality, (3) intrusiveness, (4) need to respect the family's style of living, (5)…

This paper describes a project to train service providers in replicating the Home Activity Program for Parents and Youngsters (HAPPY). HAPPY is a family-focused program developed to meet the educational needs of disabled children ages birth through 5 years in rural Nevada. Content of the training modules was developed from a review of literature…

The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 provide for early intervention services to children with special needs and their families. Part of the amendment requires that early intervention programs develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for each child. These plans require that families participate in defining the child's…

This study documented 45 African-American and 40 Puerto Rican-American middle- to lower-middle-income fathers' involvement with their preschool children. Their styles of functioning within the family, and the support they received from their families and communities in their role as parents were also examined. The fathers completed three parental…

Exploring the idea that urban culture has changed food sharing practices and, in effect, produced a cultural "advertisement" in the marketing and selling of the fast food franchise, this paper discusses the commercial replication of community and the communion of food sharing in this new fast food culture. Following an introduction that…

After an introductory discussion and review of literature on divorce among Jewish families, this document presents and analyzes two case studies which show the adverse effect of divorce and child-custody battles on the children of Jewish families who subsequently plan a B'nai Mitzvah (Bar or Bat Mitzvah) ceremony--a joyous ritual of initiation…

As part of a larger study which investigated the educational aims of black parents who send their children to private desegregated schools, a survey was taken to examine the relationship between parental involvement and students' peer acceptance. "Parental involvement," knowing how to obtain the information necessary to support the child's…

A diagnosis of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has both a physical and psychosocial impact that require substantial support. Relating to the families of origin concerning an AIDS diagnosis is a difficult task which sometimes results in rejection and sometimes results in support. In this study subjects (N=32) with AIDS described their…