Innovative Models to Guide Family Support and Education Policy in the 1990s: An Analysis of Four Pioneering State Programs.

This report focuses on the formulation and implementation of family support and education policies in four states, all of which have established programs that provide the core services of parenting education, early childhood development activities, parent support groups, and information about other community agencies. The initiatives are family-centered; preventive, as opposed to interventionist; nonbureaucratic; and community-based. This report is based on field and documentary research carried out over two years. Findings of the research are discussed in terms of placement of family support and education in policy agendas, funding, definitions of state and local roles, and suggestions for future research. Missouri's Parents as Teachers Program, Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education Program, Connecticut's Parent Education and Support Centers, and Maryland's Family Support Centers are described in detail. Descriptions in each case include a historical overview, a discussion of program development and implementation, and a program evaluation. Appendixes provide a chronology of events for each program's development, and an overview of the states' evaluations. (BC)