Study develops and evaluates the Family Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ), a multidimensional scale of family involvement in early childhood education. Factor analyses reveal three involvement constructs: school-based involvement, home-school conferencing, and home-based involvement. Multivariate analyses reveal that parents with education beyond…

The author articulates key stressors in the lives of families who are homeless. These stresses often combine with barriers such as lack of job opportunities and/or insensitive professionals. Strategies for helping homeless families overcome these barriers and related issues are presented.

This paper has been developed by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children to serve as a companion document to the 2003 joint position statement "Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation-Building and Effective, Accountable System in Progams for Children Birth through Age 8" of National…

The evidence-based practice movement in the early childhood field has stimulated efforts to synthesize and disseminate research findings related to direct services, such as child interventions and classroom teaching practices. This article describes the need to use an evidence-based process to make decisions about indirect services, specifically…

Step by Step (Early Childhood Program) is an education reform program to engender democratic principles and practices in young children and their families. The authors interviewed 15 teacher participants in the yearlong Step by Step training to learn how the training changed their teaching practices and how their new practices affect the children…

Notes that caregivers need to create an atmosphere that reflects their experiences with children and knowledge of child development. A productive partnership with families improves the quality of care through shared commitment and positive outcomes. Suggests ways caregivers can develop a productive partnership with families, including newsletters,…

Offers suggestions for ways parents can participate in schools. Suggestions include individual activities, such as reflecting on one's assumptions about school, activities with children, such as providing a space and time for homework, cooperation with teachers by asking for needed resources to help in homework supervision, activities at school…

This article discusses: the concept of team interaction as it relates to early intervention with young special needs children, the evolution of the family's role on the team, and principles and practices for team development of the Individualized Family Service Plan. Examples of exemplary family-focused principles and practices are provided. (JDD)

Head Start stresses the partnership between the family and the early childhood program, a relationship that is becoming increasing important in a society where more women are entering the labor force and the number of children receiving non-familial child care continues to rise. This study sought to answer two questions: (1) Are there parents who…

The issue of early childhood intervention programs is considered, particularly improvement of social competence and respect for biological heterogeniety. (Author/GK)

This paper describes the cultural influences on the process of interviewing families to develop intervention goals for young children with disabilities. It describes an approach to ethnographic interviewing that involves developing rapport, using descriptive questions, and carefully wording questions, to assist families in discovering answers to…

This article describes a model project for promoting interagency collaboration at state and local levels to facilitate transitions of young special needs children and their families from infant/toddler programs to preschool programs. Project Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools (STEPS) has four major components: interagency…

An analysis of transcripts from focus groups of service providers and parents of children diagnosed with autism found convergence in the areas of collaboration, family support, financial issues, equity, early identification, advocacy, training, and inclusion. Divergent themes included access, home programming, the law, best practice, and…

A survey of 25 families of children (ages 3-9) with autism and pervasive developmental disabilities found that families interacted with a host of different agencies and professionals to receive services. Many families reported difficulty accessing needed services and minimal involvement in planning or implementing these interventions. (CR)

Suggests eight questions that can serve as a framework for determining the extent to which early intervention has accomplished the goals inherent in a family-centered approach. Conceptual issues and methodological considerations associated with documenting these outcomes are presented and recommendations regarding implementation and future…