Even Start is a family-centered national literacy program whose goal is to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by expanding the educational opportunities available to low-income families with limited educational experiences. To reach this goal, all Even Start projects provide services in each of three core areas: adult education, parenting…

Part of a series designed to provide guidance for communities interested in building systems of care for children with emotional disturbances, this volume addresses mental health services for very young children and their families. A literature review was conducted, and four Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program…

This final project report describes three related studies that examined reform efforts in a major metropolitan school district. Emphasis was on seven schools that had developed collaborative service approaches to reduce fragmentation of service delivery, increase accountability for students "at risk," and eliminate duplication of services. In…

The Wisconsin Framework for Comprehensive School Health Programs is a multistrategy approach to address the entire range of youth risk behaviors and promote the health, well-being and positive development of students and other members of the school-community as an integral part of a school's overall mission. The framework is a collection of…

Despite the conventional wisdom that comprehensive services are an essential element in the support of children and families, over the past several decades programs and services have continued to be disconnected, separately funded, and provided by these multiple agencies. The need for local intermediaries has emerged through the devolution of…

This Community Perspectives Series document includes statements about the new economy in Toronto made by four participants in a March 2001 forum. The new economy was defined by the moderator as "an economy that emphasizes knowledge and technical processes put to the production of goods and other outputs so that an individual's knowledge is…

This brief document provides a look at research and evaluations that have demonstrated that school-based health centers represent cost-effective investments of public resources.

In the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in awareness of how interventions that address multiple risk factors and target both children and their families can help ensure that children grow up healthy and able to learn. In 1995, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) undertook a project to "map" state initiatives…

This training manual is designed for use by local Head Start programs in training current and new entry-level staff to deliver comprehensive social services to Head Start families. The introductory section of the manual provides an overview of Head Start, describes its social service component, and explains the organization of the manual. The…

Establishing coordination among schools, families, and communities has emerged as a major policy issue in the debate over the quality of education and how the restructuring of education should be accomplished. This book explores coordination of services for children and youth between and among schools, families, and community groups and agencies,…

Noting the increasing need for public officials, practitioners, business leaders, concerned citizens, and parents to work together to improve the quality of life for young children and families, this book for community organizations provides information needed to begin or enhance local or statewide community mobilization efforts. Included are…

By working together, pooling resources and energy, both health centers and schools can do more to help children to be ready to learn and to reach their full potential as citizens. This book focuses on establishing links between schools serving low-income children and community or migrant health centers. The book is organized into three chapters…

Educators are considering ways to help youth identified as "at-risk" succeed in school and beyond. Alternative programs (AP) can be effective environments for students who may not fit the mainstream mold and need additional support. Effective AP use a holistic approach that encompasses social, academic, psychological and career-related…

This paper, one of a series from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE) project "Higher Education and the Economy of the West," presents a summary of interviews, conducted by the WICHE staff during the fall and winter of 1991-92 with 22 "Frontier Thinkers." Issues discussed included planning for the…

The 13 chapters of this book on early intervention services for young children with disabilities are organized into three sections covering issues in service provision in early intervention, application, and future directions. Chapter titles and authors include: (1) "Service Delivery Issues in Center-Based Early Intervention" (R. A. McWilliam);…