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This collection of papers is drawn from a conference dedicated to children suffering from the harm associated with being born to neglecting families, a circumstance that has emerged as the most challenging phenomenon for the child welfare system. Papers consider the dimensions of the problem, treatment models, policy considerations, and recent trends. Papers include: (1) "Introduction. Neglected Children: Killing Them Softly" (Esther Wattenberg); (2) "Overview of the Conference Papers" (Esther Wattenberg); (3) "Alive but Not Well: An Overview of Policy, Program, and Practice Concerns with Neglecting Families" (Jeanne Giovannon); (4) "Testing the Community Standard on Neglect: Are We There Yet? Findings from a First-Stage Survey of Professional Social Services Workers" (Esther Wattenberg and Laura Boisen); (5) "Reconceptualizing Social Support: The Results of a Study on the Social Networks of Neglecting Mothers" (Sandra Beeman); (6) "Risk Assessment: What Do We Know? Findings from Three Research Studies on Children Reported to Child Protective Services" (Diana English); (7) "Throwing a Spotlight on the Developmental Outcomes for Children: Findings of a Seventeen-Year Follow-up Study" (Martha Farrell Erickson and Byron Egeland); and (8) "Testing Two Innovative Approaches: Summaries of Practice Project Presentations Given at the Conferences: 1. Amplifying Choice for Neglecting Families: Early Findings from a Research Study" (Philip AuClaire); 2. "Empowering Families To Disconnect from Public Agencies as They Find Resources within Their Own Communities" (Nancy Schaefer and Charles E. Jackson). References follow each paper. (Contains 17 tables.) (SLD)

This publication is a compilation of papers presented at an April 1994 workshop sponsored by the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health and the Bureau-funded Johns Hopkins Child and Adolescent Health Policy Center (CAHPC). The papers are as follows: (1) "Defining the Issues and Planning for Change: Health Care Systems, Primary Care, and Reform" (David Heppel); (2) "Health Care systems and Primary Care for Children and Adolescents: Overview and Context" (Bernard Guyer and others); (3) "Delineating Public Roles in Planning, Providing, and Evaluating Primary Care Services for Children and Their Families: Les Nouveax Miserables--Modern Victims of Social Asphyxia" (David R. Smith); (4) "Assessing the Status of Primary Care Services: A Working Approach" (Barbara Starfield); (5) "Developing Population-Based Datasets at National, State, and Local Levels: Potential and Promise" (Deborah Klein Walker); (6) "Assessing the Status of Primary Care Services: Early Experiences of the Child and Adolescent Health Policy Center in Evaluating Primary Care" (Charlyn E. Cassady); (7) "Assessing Needs and Monitoring Progress in the Delivery of Primary Care Services for Children and Youth" (David M. Stevens and others); (8) "Community System Assessment and Child Health Planning in Iowa" (Charles E. Danielson and others); (9) "Evaluating the Delivery of Pediatric Primary Care in New York City" (Lucille Rosenbluth); (10) "Accountability in Primary Health Care Systems: Conceptual Frameworks and Policy Challenges" (Bernard Guyer and others); (11) "Primary Care Provider and System Challenges in Caring for High-Risk Children and Families" (Larry Culpepper); (12) "Meeting the Contemporary Needs of Children and Youth with Developing Primary Care Systems: Issues for Pediatricians in Health Care Reform" (Susan Aronson); (13) "CHIP--A Community Model for a Comprehensive Health Care System" (Peggy Balla); (14) "Pediatric Primary Care Systems Development Initiatives in Arizona" (Jane Pearson); (15) "Health Care Reform and Public Health Consideration in Alabama" (Larry Menefee); (16) "Public Health and Health Care Reform: Healthy People in Healthy Communities" (Martin Wasserman); (17) "What's Needed to Move Forward? State MCH Program Perspectives" (Maxine Hayes); and (18) "Commentary and Closure" (Bernard Guyer). Two appendices include the workshop agenda and a list of participants. (DR)

A number of research seminars were organized to clarify the fundamental principles underlying local, regional, and international efforts to establish a structure for monitoring and promoting children's rights. This book contains papers presented at these seminars by experts on child advocacy, promotion of children's interests by children, and children's knowledge and views. The 14 papers presented are: (1) "The Search for the Achilles Heel: Monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Its Implications for the States Parties" (Eugeen Verhellen); (2) "Working for the Rights of Children in Norway" (Malfrid Grude Flekkoy); (3) "Activities of the German Society for the Protection of Children: Establishing the Office of the Child Commissioner in the Federal Republic of Germany" (Walter Wilken); (4) "'Baby Kissing' or a Real Policy for Children?" (Ludwig Salgo); (5) "French Public and Private Initiatives Contributing to the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in France" (Jean-Pierre Rosenczveig with Annie Bouyx); (6) "Out of the Mouths of Babes," on the difficulties of implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Judith Ennew and Virginia Morrow); (7) "Do the Rights of the Child Bring Childhood from the Periphery to the Centre of Society?" (Marjatta Bardy); (8) "Ways of Presenting Children's Lives and Activities" (Jens Qvortrup); (9) "Policy for Children: The Situation in Norway" (Per Egil Mjaavatn); (10) "Children or Youth Town Councils" (Evelyne Lebault); (11) "The Conference 'Voices of the Children,' A Participation Project of and for Children" (J. J. Voeten); (12) "Children's Express: By Children for Everybody" (Robert Clampitt); (13) "Working Children: Leading the Struggle to Obtain and Defend Their Own Rights" (Nelly Torres); and (14) "The United Nations of Youth" (Jeroen Keppens). (TJQ)

Opposition to corporal punishment in the United States has increased over the last 2 decades. This paper explores the legal implications of the maltreatment of children in schools, particularly corporal punishment. Despite the general opposition to corporal punishment, several issues must still be resolved. The first of these is one of definition: What constitutes corporal punishment? The ramifications of using broad or narrow definitions are discussed. The second issue involves the drafting and enacting of an acceptable law. Problems center on defining whether the following practices constitute corporal punishment: infliction of pain (how much and what kind), confinement, verbal abuse, and force. The third issue is the retraining of teachers, who must be given alternatives for handling student discipline problems. In conclusion, the prohibition of corporal punishment is not enough--the legal and educational communities must refine the concept of corporal punishment, draft and enact more acceptable laws, and retrain teachers in the use of acceptable practices. The endnotes contain three references. (LMI)

In recent years, demand has increased for the development and implementation of a better overall human service delivery system for the United State's at-risk children and their families. Critics condemn the current system as being fragmented, too narrowly focused, beset with bureaucratic red tape and harmful restrictive regulations, difficult to access, and lacking in both fiscal and programming accountability. This paper highlights the major findings of selected recent national reports and studies involving the current and projected status of children and families in the United States. Identified are the major problems and obstacles that impede the effectiveness and efficiency of the current national human service delivery system. General strategies of how these problems can be overcome are discussed, as well as the role the nation's schools can play in human service delivery. It is argued that traditional concepts of schooling must change in order to accomplish this objective. Suggestions are made as to specific ways in which psychologists can contribute to the development and implementation of a more effective human service delivery system. (RJM)

This document contains papers presented at the Seventh National Conference of the Children's Rights Council, also known as the National Council for Children's Rights. The papers presented were: (1) "Alternatives to the Adversarial Process for Resolution of Child Custody Cases" (Hugh McIsaac); (2) "New Decision Making Models in Child Protection Cases" (Nancy Thoennes); (3) "Socializing Techniques: Positive Parenting in a Hostile Environment" (Kris Kline); (4) "How To Prepare for Your Day in Court" (Karen Chandler); (5) "Improving the Legal System Response to Allegations of Sexual Abuse Involving Very Young Children" (Howard Davidson); (6) "The Custody Revolution" (Richard Warshak); (7) "Revising the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act--Our Best Hope for Dealing with Sex-Abuse Hysteria in the United States" (Richard Gardner); (8) "How To Better Distinguish between Real and False Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse" (Dean Tong); (9) "What Children Need from Parents after Separation and Divorce" (Risa Garon and others); (10) "Grandparents as Resources for Children and Grandchildren" (Ethel Dunn); (11) "The Crisis, Courage, and Challenge of Single Parenting" (Suzy Yehl Marta); (12) "Play Therapy for Adults: Enriching the Child Within" (June Hutchison); (13) "Understanding Child Psychotherapy (or) When Talk Isn't Cheap" (Kim Boedecker-Frey); (14) "Symposium: A New Financial Child Support Guideline for the States To Consider" (Roger Gay); (15) "Maximizing Child Support" (Donald Bieniewicz); (16) "The Use and Misuse of Mental Health Experts in Child Custody Cases--Relocation" (Arnold Rutkin); (17) "The Use and Misuse of Mental Health Experts in Child Custody Cases--Standards" (Ronald Henry); (18) "How Parents Can Use Life Insurance To Provide for the Financial Security of Their Children after Divorce" (Ted Knight); (19) "How To Work with the Courts and Commissions" (H. W. Burmeister and others); and (20) "Working with the Media and State Legislatures" (Eric Anderson). (TJQ)

This conference proceedings document includes 43 papers on the provision of mental health services to children. Eleven papers focus on evaluation of systems of care, addressing: preliminary findings from several program evaluation studies, systems of care in California, several Robert Wood Johnson projects, a parents' satisfaction survey in Colorado, comprehensive services and prevention, multicultural issues, and innovative neighborhood-based approaches. Five papers discuss the organization, staffing, and financing of systems of care. These papers consider state financing strategies to promote home-based and community-based services, workforce issues related to community-based services, residential treatment programs in Florida, embeddedness and resource transfers between agencies, and the role of cash subsidies. Program evaluation is the focus of six papers considering issues of children's in-home psychiatric emergency services, family reconciliation services, a home-based mentor program, community-based programs, qualitative evaluation of community-based prevention programs, and multisystemic treatment with adolescent offenders and substance abusers. Eight papers look at the role of education in systems of care. These papers discuss: the school-based wraparound approach, three demonstration projects in Texas, a primary prevention and early intervention demonstration project, attitudes of teachers and students toward mainstreaming, and attitudes of parents toward collaborative educational teams. The final section presents five papers on child welfare/foster care systems. They address: factors influencing appropriate placement, treatment foster family care, an individualized system of care and juvenile delinquency, the use of aggregated progress indicators to evaluate treatment foster care, and integrating research into practice in a public welfare agency. Most papers contain references. (DB)

This paper discusses the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in 1989 and, over the next approximately 3 years, was ratified by 117 member countries. After a brief historical overview of children's rights, the paper presents a summary and analysis of the Convention's preamble, which states the preconditions of the convention and sets out guidelines for interpreting the convention, and articles of the convention. The articles include 41 substantial texts which are divided into three groups of articles which deal with: (1) provision for children's rights to survival and development; (2) protection of children from separation from their family, exploitation, and violence; and (3) children's participation in decisions that affect their lives. The convention also included four articles that concern the implementation of the convention, and nine articles that outline the conditions under which the convention will enter into force. Several articles that are especially important are discussed in greater detail. Sweden's responsibility as a ratifying nation is discussed, and suggestions for improving the standards and adding new articles are offered. (MM)

This conference report presents papers delivered during the three sessions of the conference. The first session concerned violence against children. In this session, two papers discussed the goal of achieving a healthy childhood for all children. The second session addressed the topic of early child care and education. Papers presented in this session described a two-generation project for providing community-based early childhood care and education in Aberdeen, Scotland, and a multicultural project that served children in a German town with a large population of Turkish immigrants. The sole paper presented in the third session discussed changes in mass media since 1955 and the right of children to receive information that furthers their well-being. A list of conference participants is appended. (BC)

The last decade has seen the convergence of three trends in the United States: a decline in the well-being of America's children; increasing overlap between the educational policy agenda and a broader policy agenda for children; and a shift in responsibility for social policy from the federal to the state level. This paper examines the current capacity of states to address children's needs, particularly in light of changing demographic and socioeconomic conditions. The first section examines the underlying philosophical, political, and administrative beliefs and structures that characterize society's responses to children. The second section reviews the current mismatch between state policymaking and the condition of children. State policies designed to improve the coordination of policies and services are analyzed in the third section. The final section outlines a proposed state-level policy framework that corresponds with knowledge about optimal child development. (31 references) (LMI)