A comprehensive look at inner-city youth programs. Urban Sanctuaries analyzes the strategies of community leaders and organizations. The author describes how these leaders create and sustain youth programs in spite of enormous challenges.

Dale Borman Fink, the author of the only book on inclusion of youth with special needs in before and after school child care, now presents the first book to examine the experiences of children with disabilities participating in youth programs alongside their typical peers. This book is the product of Fink's quest to learn as much as possible about one community's experience with the inclusion of children with special needs in youth programs. Using a case study technique, he probes into the issues and dynamics that influence the increasing participation of kids with disabilities in such activities as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and park and recreation programs. Fink enters a Midwestern community of 14,000, which he calls Wabash, interviewing the parents, the professionals, the peers, the community leaders, and the volunteers about the participation of children with disabilities. How does a girl who relies on an augmentative communication device take part in a Brownie troop? What do other tee-ball players think about a teammate with cerebral palsy? Why does one family refuse to use the local drop-in recreation center? Readers will learn what practices are evolving and what opportunities are being overlooked. Fink makes his own biases and interpretations plain, and he shares part of his own biography along the way. But it is the voices and experiences of the people of Wabash, rather than those of the author, that invest this book with such power about and such importance to all who are concerned youth with special needs.

Why is the United States one of the few advanced democratic market societies that do not offer child care as a universal public benefit or entitlement? This book-a comprehensive history of child care policy and practices in the United States from the colonial period to the present-shows why the current child care system evolved as it has and places its history within a broad comparative context. Drawing on a full range of archival material, Sonya Michel shows how child care policy in the United States was shaped by changing theories of child development and early childhood education, attitudes toward maternal employment, and conceptions of the proper roles of low-income and minority women. And she argues that the present policy-erratic, inadequate, and stigmatized-is typical of the American way of doing welfare.

This concise and accessible new text examines the correlations between runaway children and teenage prostitution in the United States from a criminological, sociological, and psychological perspective. The author takes a systematic approach to defining and describing the differences between youth who run away from home and those who leave institutional settings and distinguishes the difference between runaway and throwaway children. A careful examination of teenage prostitution among girls and boys helps to illuminate the special problems faced by children who have run away. In addition, the author discusses laws related to runaways, teenage prostitution, and the sexual exploitation of minors as well as the criminal justice response to the problems. Runaways and prostitution involving youth in other countries is also explored. The text's findings support current conclusions on the characteristics of runaways, the relationship between runaways and teen prostitution, and the implications of running away from home.

"Runaway Kids and Teenage Prostitution" is divided into five parts. Part I examines the scope and dynamics of running away and differentiates between runaways and throwaways. Part II explores teenage prostitution and provides information on girl and boy prostitutes and the people who exploit them. Child sexual abuse and child pornography as correlates to the problem are studied in Part III, and Part IV reviews the law that atttempts to combat teenage prostitution. Part V is devoted to an examination of the scope and significance of the problem in other countries. Together, these chapters provide readers with a clear picture of the problem of runaways and teenage prostitution in the United States and around the world.

Argues that the current system of adoption in the United States is not in the best interest of the children.

Global Childhoods in International Perspective gathers a wide spectrum of contributors from Europe, the U.S., South Asia, South Africa and Latin America, who, attuned with present dilemmas in the area of childhood studies, discuss some key theoretical and empirical aspects of child scholarship, such as identity, child wellbeing, child mobility and migration, intergenerational relationships and child abuse. Through these expert contributions, the book explores the many ways in which the relationship between universality and particularities of childhood plays an important role in describing global childhoods. The book highlights childhood as a cross-cutting issue in global sociology with chapters on globalization and schooling in Burkina Faso, child abuse and neglect in India, identity and integration among children of African immigrants in France, social class mobility of Filipino migrant children in Italy and France, and an investigation into Kyrgyz childhoods. Ideal reading for researchers, practitioners and students interested in both childhood studies and the other areas including community research, sociology of education, social stratification, and the sociology of migration.

This book brings together current theory and research about atypical attachments in infants and young children at developmental risk in order to illustrate and understand some of the key issues in cases that do not fit traditional attachment patterns. It also illuminates a variety of conceptual issues that warrant more empirical attention in future research on parent-child attachment.

'Joe is Joe, a different label is not going to make him suddenly think he is someone else' (Joe's Mum)

Quotations like this about five year old Joe are used to illustrate this text, which draws on the experience of learning disabilities in the family. Peter Burke and Katy Cigno provide helpful definitions and reflect on some preliminary, but important theoretical ideas linking to social exclusion and vulnerability. Drawing on research and experience, different aspects of family lives are illustrated in all their diversity. The implications of stressful times, major upheavals and transitions for family members are examined in detail, indicating when help from professionals should be readily available.

"Learning Disabilities in Children "introduces the theory relating to learning disabilities from the family perspective, and includes an examination of support systems for parents, caregivers and siblings. The authors emphasize why contact from service providers is necessary, particularly those based in health, education and welfare agencies. In addition, the need to give power to children and families as a multi-agency responsibility is addressed, with the aim of promoting positive practice in the professional sector for the benefit of the children involved.

"Learning Disabilities in Children "is a useful resource for postgraduates specializing in child welfare, social work and community care. It will also be of interest to social workers, community caregivers, healthcare professionals and teachers, as well as to families where there is a child with learning disabilities.

Key features:
*Based on the experience of families with children who have learning disabilities
*A practical guide for professionals and care givers seeking to clarify and understand family needs
*Explains how a more inclusive partnership between children, their families and professionals may be achieved
*Includes a chapter on child development
*Provides a unifying framework for working in the complex field of childhood learning disabilities.

Learning Disabilities in Children is a useful resource for postgraduates specializing in child welfare, social work and community care. It will also be of interest to social workers, community caregivers, healthcare professionals and teachers, and families where there is a child with learning disabilities.

Children, Child Abuse and Child Protection is the second book written by the Violence Against Children Study Group, a multidisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners from a range of professional settings concerned with child protection. This book follows on from the highly successful Taking Child Abuse Seriously, published in 1990. This new volume gives an overview of the complex and uncertain political, moral and social context within which practitioners and managers attempt to work with children, families and others. The authors suggest factors that should be taken into consideration when refining policy and practice. The book reviews the development of improved policy and practices in child protection, placing children at the centre of policy, practice and discourse. The chapters explore the margins of the child protection system, and in particular how child protection interconnects or overlaps with other systems, such as health, police and education. This accessible text:

• provides a unique focus on the margins of the child protection system
• engages in current debates in social theory and social research
• makes suggestions for policy and practice

New Yorker writer William Finnegan spent time with families in four communities across America and became an intimate observer of the lives he reveals in these beautifully rendered portraits: a fifteen-year-old drug dealer in blighted New Haven, Connecticut; a sleepy Texas town transformed by crack; Mexican American teenagers in Washington State, unable to relate to their immigrant parents and trying to find an identity in gangs; jobless young white supremacists in a downwardly mobile L.A. suburb. Important, powerful, and compassionate, Cold New World gives us an unforgettable look into a present that presages our future.

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction of 1998 selection
One of the Voice Literary Supplement's Twenty-five Favorite Books of 1998

In the 20th century we have witnessed the massive movement of women and young mothers into paid employment in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. By 1995 64% of married mothers with a preschool-aged child were in the labor force compared to 35% only 25 years earlier. Rising divorce rates and an increase in the percentage of female-headed households make more families dependent on the mother s earnings. These structural shifts, along with women s growing aspirations for careers and more independence, have changed social norms. Families increasingly depend on formally provided child care.

The child care crisis is easily overlooked. It is a silent, voiceless crisis. Three-, four-, and five-year-old children cannot speak for themselves. Low- and middle-income children and mothers, those most directly affected, have little economic or political power. What choices must we as a society make to aid our nation in raising its children?"

The Silent Crisis in U.S. Child Care," a special issue of THE ANNALS, addresses the important debates and questions regarding child care:

- Regulating Child Care Quality

- Making Child Care Affordable in the United States

. Defining and Assessing Early Childhood Program Quality

. Who Should Pay for Child Care

The discussion of child care not only affects our society as a whole, but also influences the decisions of policymakers and politicians. The articles in this special issue are valuable to scholars, researchers, policymakers and those working in and with the child care system who seek to find answers and solutions to this timely and important problem."

Who are the new families that are appearing on city streets, in suburban malls, and at Fourth of July celebrations? The parents, in their 40s and 50s, are obviously Caucasian, and their very young daughters are obviously Chinese. This book is about these new American & Chinese families that are being formed through the mechanism of international adoption.

The first survey of bicultural Chinese-American children, based on personal experience and rigorous research, both documents these adoptions and examines their implications for American society. This book will be of great use to couples considering or living with adopted Chinese children, professionals in social welfare and education, and scholars and other researchers involved with American multiculturalism.

"When I was young I wanted to be a geologist, you know, dinosaurs and stuff. But as I got older I became aware of my being in a wheel char and it dawned on me it wouldn't be possible."

This quotation from a disabled student interviewed for this book graphically illustrates how disabled boys and girls experience their childhood differently from most children. The challenge for those working with disabled children and young people is to enable them to negotiate their childhood successfully, and to help them in a world which may crush their hopes and dreams, confront them with barriers and prejudices, and exclude, bully or abuse them because of their difference.

Thinking inclusively means designing services to meet the needs of all children, not just those who are able bodied. Placing the experiences of disabled children at the heart of service planning will create high quality provision for all service users, addressing key issues such as communication, family support, protection, confidence in services, advocacy, children's rights and anti-oppressive practice.

Key features:
draws on disabled young people's own accounts of their childhood
describes their experiences of the health, education and welfare systems
offers explanations for continued prejudice against disabled people in an age of equal opportunity
assists professionals and organisations to understand and dismantle discriminatory practices
makes suggestions for more inclusive provision

Written by a leading authority in the field, this book is a valuable text for childcare professionals in all sectors as well as anyone with an interest in promoting social justice.

Childrens homes have cultures which vary from the benign to the malignant. Using a distinctive cross-institutional design, this study of 48 childrens homes shows how some were characterised by widespread bullying, delinquency and low morale among both staff and residents whilst others were relatively peaceful and friendly. These differences are explained by the way these homes were resourced, managed and run, thus providing lessons for the future. This accessible text provides

• a much-needed insight into the management of childrens homes and the impact on their residents
• perspectives from a large sample of children, parents, staff and social workers
• an examination of the effect on staff and residents of features such as the size of the home, staff ratios, the proportion of trained staff and the approach of the head

With the heart of an adoptive mother and the eye of a journalist, Lois Gilman navigates the often complicated but ultimately fulfilling world of adopting a child.

This practical, wise, and encouraging book contains all the information a couple or an individual needs to investigate adoption alternatives, arrange for and complete a successful adoption, and raise an adoptive family. Beginning with a broad overview of options for both domestic and foreign adoption, the author provides details about agencies, home studies, paperwork, and legal issues. Also covered are procedures for agency and independent adoptions as well as concerns about intercountry adoption, special-needs children, preparing for a child's arrival, and longer term questions about the impact of adoption on your family over the years.

This newly revised fourth edition features:

• more information on open adoption and creating the relationship with birth parents that's right for you and your child;

• the latest on financing an adoption, including loans, government subsidies, and tax credits;

• the best sources for pursuing an international adoption;

• new stories throughout from birth mothers, adoptive parents, and adopted children to illustrate adoption issues today, and a detailed bibliography for further reading;

• and completely updated listings of over a thousand domestic agencies, parent groups, information exchanges, and public service offices.

Joining New Families is based on a research study which followed 61 children who were placed, between 5 and 9 years old, with adoptive or permanent foster families. Most of the children had previously been maltreated. The study focused on the problems and strengths that these children brought to their new families; how the new families coped; and the factors associated with the placements becoming stable and secure. The authors provide a detailed presentation of the findings from this unique study and highlight the implications for policy and practice. Key factors examined include

• the children’s pre-placement experiences
• the quality of preparatory work with the children and families
• the characteristics of the new parents and their parenting style
• the children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties
• the development of relationships within the new family
• the type and quality of post-placement support

Going Missing presents important findings from the first major study of young people who go missing from residential and foster homes. By exploring the diverse reasons why young people go missing and what happens when they do, the authors highlight the impact both of individual motivations and of residential and foster care contexts on the patterns associated with going missing. The authors address the serious risks that young people may encounter while missing, including the dangers associated with sleeping rough, offending, sexual exploitation, and substance misuse. The longer term implications of repeatedly going missing for the structure of young peoples lives are also explored. In outlining the strengths and limits of the different professional responses to young people who go missing, the authors present an analysis of the difficult professional task of managing risk for different groups of people. Conclusions drawn from this unique study are considered in terms of their wider implications for

• developing preventive services for teenagers
• the nature of residential and foster care provision
• inter-agency approaches to supporting young people

The process of interviewing a child can be a daunting experience for both the child and the interviewer. Interviewing Children offers practical advice for understanding the linguistic abilities of children and for applying that knowledge effectively to the evidentiary interview. Drawing on real transcript data and data from language games with presumed non-abused children, the authors examine each stage of the phased interview as outlined, in the Memorandum of Good Practice. Incorporating case studies, checklists, and self-assessment sheets, Interviewing Children provides step-by-step guidelines for

• establishing an effective interview setting
• building rapport with the child
• overcoming the difficulties that can arise when eliciting free narrative accounts
• understanding which question types to use and which to avoid
• identifying and using age-appropriate language
• interviewing disabled children and those who are bilingual or use a minority language

"Making Research Work" demonstrates how research can be fostered and applied more effectively to child care policy and practice. Drawing on a wealth of experience, current literature and government documents, the contributors present a comprehensive discussion of key contemporary issues relating to child care research. Recommendations are given for recognising and responding to both the fundamental and the specialist issues that challenge the various stages of the research process. Practical guidelines are given for

• undertaking single-case design research
• appraising current child care literature and official statistics
• accessing hidden or hard-to-reach populations
• dissemination
• establishing a research centre
• preparing a research proposal to submit to a funding body
• commissioning and funding research

Childhood is ideally a time of safety, marked by freedom from the economic, sexual, and political demands that later become part of adult life. For many children, however, particularly those who live in our inner cities, childhood is increasingly a time of danger. In the urban war zones of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., children grow up with firsthand knowledge of terror and violence. This book examines the threat to childhood development posed by living amid chronic community violence. Most importantly, it shows caregiving adults such as teachers, psychologists, social workers, and counselors how they can work together to help children while they are still children—before they become angry, aggressive adults.

An indispensable resource to those families considering or affected by adoption, this book takes an informed look at adoption from a Jewish perspective and will prepare readers for the many unforeseen challenges that may arise.

This timely new book presents the concepts, context, and applications of a problem-solving approach to group work with children and adolescents. This comprehensive new volume covers it all. It addresses issues associated with assessment, problem recognition, planning and composition, leadership, and activities in a wide range of settings when working with children and adolescents. Phases of group work, practice guidelines, and evaluation are also thoroughly considered. Significant applications focus on group work with children and adolescents from families in which divorce has occurred; group work to improve peer relationships and social competence; group work with children and adolescents who are at risk for developing mental health and substance abuse disorders; and school performance group work. To help illustrate key points, a lively case example is provided for each application. A practical volume for practitioners in the helping professions, Group Work with Children and Adolescents will be highly valuable to those practicing in the fields of social work, human services, clinical and counseling psychology, and psychiatric nursing.

Now in its third edition, this resource provides a detailed guide for adoptees and their birthparents. It offers a wealth of ideas, advice, resources, and encouragement to those considering embarking on their own journey of discovery. Drawing from personal experiences as well as extensive research, author Jane Askin presents creative ways to overcome obstacles and attack problems that occur during the search process. She presents realistic choices and alternatives, and their consequences for both parties. New to this edition is coverage of the advances that have been made in the area of electronic search methods for adoptees and birthparents, and how even the most novice computer users can assess them. State-by-state listings of adoption laws have also been updated, as have the addresses and contact information for the various groups, organizations and other resources featured in the book.

Schooling is so much a part of our culture that we have come to believe that education cannot exist without it. Yet the number of children being educated at home is rapidly growing . Moreover, the number looks set to grow further, with more people opting to work from home coupled with the great increase in educational software and knowledge available via the internet. This new book covers the issues involved in home education. Most importantly, Alan Thomas conducts a systematic inquiry in to how parents actually go about teaching their children at home. Based on the experiences of a hundred home educating families, the book assesses parents' motives and the ways in which they are forced to adapt conventional methods of education and learning, often challenging basic assumptions about the nature of children's learning. This book's findings, including an extended focus on informal learning, not only permit a long overdue assessment of educating in the home but also have tremendous implications for wider educational thinking. Dr Alan Thomas is Visiting Fellow at the University of London Institute of Education and was formerly at the Northern Territory University, Darwin, Australia. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Updated for a New Paperback Edition, the Definitive Guide to Open Adoption, by the founder of the Open Adoption Movement The exploding popularity of open adoption today underscores what adopting parents, birthparents, and many adoption experts now maintain: Open adoption is the healthiest, most humane, and fastest method available. It's better for the birthmother, because she (not lawyers or social workers) decides the future of her child. It's better for children, because they're raised without the shroud of secrecy and stigma that accompanies most closed adoptions. And it's better for adopting parents, because it dramatically shortens the time it takes to obtain a baby, from an average of seven years to under one year. As director of one of the country's leading open adoption agencies and founder of the first nationwide network of open adoption organizations, Bruce Rappaport has facilitated thousands of successful open adoptions and acquired an intimate understanding of the most common and heartfelt concerns of parents seeking to adopt a baby. Interweaving personal stories and real-life experiences of adopting parents, birthparents, and adopted children, he answers the questions clients most frequently ask:

• What is an open adoption? How does it differ from traditional adoption?
• Will I ever feel like a real parent if my child's biological mother knows I'm raising her child? Will she interfere?
• What if the birthmother changes her mind after the adoption?
• How long will it take to get a child?