Since their historic high in 1994, welfare caseloads in the United States have dropped an astounding 59 percent--more than 5 million fewer families receive welfare. Family and Child Well-Being after Welfare Reform, now in paperback, explores how low-income children and their families are faring in the wake of welfare reform. Contributors to the volume include leading social researchers. Can existing surveys and other data be used to measure trends in the area? What key indicators should be tracked? What are the initial trends after welfare reform? What other information or approaches would be helpful? The book covers a broad range of topics: an update on welfare reform (Douglas J. Besharov and Peter Germanis); ongoing major research (Peter H. Rossi); material well-being, such as earnings, benefits, and consumption (Richard Bavier); family versus household (Wendy D. Manning); fatherhood, cohabitation, and marriage (Wade F. Horn); teenage sex, pregnancy, and nonmarital births (Isabel V. Sawhill); child maltreatment and foster care (Richard J. Gelles); homelessness and housing (John C. Weicher); child health and well-being (Lorraine V. Klerman); nutrition, food security, and obesity (Harold S. Beebout); crime, juvenile delinquency, and dysfunctional behavior (Lawrence W. Sherman); drug use (Peter Reuter); mothers' work and child care (Julia B. Isaacs); and the activities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Don Winstead and Ann McCormick). When welfare reform was first debated, many people feared that it would hurt the poor, especially children. The contributors find little evidence to suggest this has occurred. As time limits and other programmatic requirements take hold, more information will be needed to assess the condition of low-income families after welfare reform. This informative volume establishes a baseline for that assessment.

It is important for professionals who provide medical, rehabilitation, educational, and community services for children and youth with cerebral palsy to provide a quality medical home, family-centered, and needs-based services to address their needs and improve child and family well-being. Knowledge regarding determinants and unique profiles of needs for families of children and youth with cerebral palsy is limited. The aims of this research were to (1) test structural equation models of determinants of three types of family needs of parents of children and youth with cerebral palsy; (2) identify and describe unique profiles of family needs; and (3) examine whether profiles of needs are differentiated based on child, family, and service characteristics. Participants were 579 parents of children and youth with cerebral palsy. Children/youth and their parents completed a modified version of the Family Needs Survey, Family Environment Scale, Coping Inventory, Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment, Measure of Processes of Care, and Services questionnaire. Research assistants determined the Gross Motor Function Classification System levels of the children. The structural models explained 23% of variance in needs related to child condition, 43% of variance in needs related to community and financial resources, and 33% of variance in needs related to family functioning. The determinants of the three models included different combinations of services (accessibility, coordination, processes), family (relationships, income), and child (gross motor function, adaptive behavior, communication problems) characteristics. K-means cluster analysis indicated four unique profiles of needs: Low Needs, Needs Related to Child Health Condition, Needs Related to Community and Financial Resources, and High Needs. Profile membership was differentiated based on child gross motor function and adaptive behavior, family relationships and income, and access to and coordination of services. Families who were included in the profile of low needs commonly reported accessible, coordinated, and family-centered care. The results emphasize the importance of providing medical and family-centered services to address the unique needs of families of children and youth with cerebral palsy. Service providers are encouraged to engage families in expressing their needs, collaborate with families in identifying resources to meet needs, and guide families in navigating complex service systems to address needs.

Children Learn by Observing and Contributing to Family and Community Endeavors, the latest in the Advances in Child Development and Behavior Series provides a major step forward in highlighting patterns and variability in the normative development of the everyday lives of children, expanding beyond the usual research populations that have extensive Western schooling in common. The book documents the organization of children's learning and social lives, especially among children whose families have historical roots in the Americas (North, Central, and South), where children traditionally are included and contribute to the activities of their families and communities, and where Western schooling is a recent foreign influence. The findings and theoretical arguments highlight a coherent picture of the importance of the development of children's participation in ongoing activity as presented by authors with extensive experience living and working in such communities. - Contains contributions from leading authorities in the field of child development and behavior - Presents a coherent picture of the importance of the development of children's participation in ongoing activity - Provides a major step forward in highlighting patterns and variability in the normative development of the everyday lives of children, expanding beyond the usual research populations that have extensive Western schooling in common - Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

Volume II of The Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy presents established and emerging models of relational treatment of children and young people. Developed in partnership with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), it will appeal to clinicians, such as couple, marital, and family therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists. It will also benefit researchers, educators, and graduate students involved in CMFT.

The forty-fourth volume in the esteemed NOMOS series considers the philosophical, political, and legal dilemmas of the changing definition of "family" today.

This leading resource is a specifically designed curriculum for family child-care providers. They will be able to incorporate best practices and activities appropriate for the mixed ages of children in their care. Developmental domains and milestones, learning areas, age-appropriate activities and outcomes, and more are included. It is far more affordable than other family child care curriculum alternatives, and it aligns with Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) requirements around the country. Sharon Woodward is the author of several resources for family child-care providers and holds a degree in social work.

For home-based family child care (daycare) providers, taking care of the children is only half of the job. The other half is taking care of the business—tracking expenses, being profitable, filing taxes, and meeting government requirements. This resource covers everything family child care providers need to keep accurate business records. If a family child care provider pays close attention to the recommendations in this book, he or she will be able to claim the maximum allowable deductions and pay the lowest possible federal taxes. Since the previous edition of Family Child Care Record-Keeping Guide, Congress and the IRS have made many changes to tax rules that affect family child care providers. There have been changes in depreciation rules, adjustments to food and mileage rates, and clarifications on how to calculate the Time-Space percentage. Author Tom Copeland has been involved in many IRS audits and represented providers in several Tax Court cases that have also clarified numerous rules. Further necessitating this ninth edition, the IRS issued two significant new rules in 2013. These updates, new rules, and clarifications are detailed in this book; all of the information is applicable to child care providers in every state, regardless of local regulations. Tom Copeland, is a writer, trainer, lawyer, and consultant focusing on family child care business issues. He has conducted record-keeping, tax preparation, and business workshops for family child care providers across the country since 1981.