Sheila B. Kamerman

Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries

Child development and child well-being are major concerns in many OECD countries and are the subject of ongoing work at the OECD. These concerns have led to a search for policies to offset poverty, deprivation, vulnerability, and the risk factors that can trigger a lifelong cycle of disadvantage. It is in this context that we carried out a review of the research literature on child outcomes and of the different social policies that may affect them. The paper is organized in four parts: (1) a summary of child outcomes of concern in various OECD countries; (2) a discussion of one particular outcome, child poverty, and its negative consequences for children; (3) a summary of the research linking different family types with different outcomes; and (4) the social policies that may lead to different positive and negative outcomes. Our main conclusions from this literature review is that knowledge-building is proceeding, in particular, with regard to child poverty and the policies ... Le developpement de l’enfant et son bien-etre constituent, dans bon nombre de pays de l’OCDE, d’importantes preoccupations qui font l’objet de travaux suivis a l’Organisation. Le souci d’y repondre a conduit a rechercher des moyens d’action qui permettent de compenser les effets de la pauvrete, du denuement et de la vulnerabilite, et de parer aux facteurs de risque qui peuvent fait de la vie entiere une succession de difficultes. C’est dans cette optique que nous avons passe en revue les etudes consacrees au devenir des enfants et aux differentes politiques sociales qui peuvent influer sur lui. Ce document comprend quatre parties : (1) recapitulatif des sujets de preoccupation concernant le devenir des enfants dans differents pays de l’OCDE ; (2) examen d’une situation particuliere, la pauvrete chez les enfants, et des consequences negatives qu’elle a pour eux ; (3) resume des travaux de recherche faisant le lien entre plusieurs types de famille et differents resultats ; (4) expose ...

Investing in Children: Public Commitment in Twenty-one Industrialized Countries

Using time series and survey data, this article explores public commitment to children and their families from 1980 through 2001 in 21 industrialized countries. Despite the shrinking child population in all countries and the slowed growth of the welfare state in most, the authors find that spending on children and families has increased in most countries. The authors conclude that the instruments and goals of the family benefit and service package have changed over time and that future public spending on children is increasingly likely to go toward helping families balance their responsibilities as workers and parents and toward enhancing the development of young children.

Early Childhood Education and Care in the United States: An Overview of the Current Policy Picture

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the US includes a wide range of part-day, full-school-day, and full-work-day programs, under educational, social welfare, and commercial auspices, funded and delivered in a variety of ways in both the public and the private sectors, designed sometimes with an emphasis on the “care” component of ECEC and at other times with stress on “education” or with equal attention to both. Although ECEC scholars and advocates are increasingly convinced of the need to integrate all these program types, categorical funding coupled with diverse societal values continue to support the differences. The result is a fragmented ECEC system, of wide-ranging quality and with skewed access, but with some movement in recent years toward the integration of early childhood education and care.

Participation, Leadership, and Expertise: Imbalance or in Balance?

Participation, leadership, and expertise are three elements often considered in juxtaposition in community action and planning efforts. A study of community-based programs offered an opportunity to view these variables in interaction. It became clear that to be successful, projects must balance these factors even though there may sometimes be conflict among them. Although the occasional dominance of one or the other factor does not appear to create problems in these organizations, the absence or minimization of any inevitably leads to failure.

A Paradigm for Programming: First Thoughts

Program development is becoming increasingly important, yet skill and competence in this area are difficult to obtain. This article suggests a conceptual model and some guidelines to be employed by administrators and others engaged in the creation of new programs. The model was derived inductively from intensive study of twenty-three programs from their inception through a two and one-half to three-year period. Existing theories of organizational development and related literature were reviewed and those concepts selected that seemed most relevant to the developmental stages identified empirically. The three stages of program development-planning, initiation, and implementation-are discussed, and the major tasks for each phase described. A clearer understanding of these stages should permit identification of factors affecting program implementation, the stage that is critical for demonstrating a programs success or effectiveness.