Formal adoption in the Black community is not readily accepted, perhaps because the social services system is insensitive to Black culture. Informal adoption by relatives with extended family support is prevalent and reflects the Black self-help tradition. But such adoption can perpetuate the cycle of dependency and poverty. (SH)

Reporting the second in a series of regional fact-finding committee hearings held across the United States, this document includes testimony from social service organizations and state offices in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Testimony from clients and representatives of these agencies documents efforts to ameliorate problems…

Child abuse and neglect among American Indians is a political as well as a clinical problem, as the victims belong to one cultural group and health professionls who detect maltreatment generally belong to another. Reluctance to diagnose and report child abuse, although universal, is probably more significant in Indian communities for several…

This document presents results of a survey involving 400 homeless families on a number of social and economic factors, including family structure, housing history, employment background, educational attainment, and various interpersonal problems. The study sought to gain a greater understanding of the demographics surrounding homelessness.…

The first in a series of five regional fact-gathering committee hearings, this hearing report includes testimony from private and public social agencies in New York, New Jersey, Maine, Massachussetts, and Connecticut. Information and statistics are presented on a wide variety of social problems, including (1) family violence; (2) family planning…