Child development happens within the social, cultural, political, environmental, and economic contexts of a particular place, but researchers and policy makers describe best practice in the field as if one size fits all. An early interventionist's experience illustrates how ruralness and community characteristics impact practice. Collaboration…

Background information and recommendations related to the support of child care services in Fort Wayne, Indiana is presented in six chapters. Chapter I discusses the feminization of the workforce and demographic data bearing on the need for child care, the child care workforce, and child care arrangements. Chapter II reviews child care services in…

Background: Disadvantaged communities are increasingly the target for interventions. Sure Start was launched in England in 1999 to tackle child poverty and improve child and family services, with Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) targeted at relatively small areas of marked deprivation. However, they are located in a range of different types of…

This report is a comprehensive study of the status of children and their families in New York City. It measures how well children are doing by using widely recognized indicators of well-being, and it measures the need, use, and accessibility of services to help children. "Keeping Track" focuses on community-level data, examining the 59…