Putting Children First: Visions for a Brighter Future for Young Children and Their Families

How can a country so rich in resources be so neglectful in providing a secure and healthy future for all children? What can be done to ensure that all young children grow, learn, and develop to their potential?Tackling these vital questions, this innovative book seeks to move the fields of early childhood education, early intervention, and mental health toward a more proactive, partnership-based model for ensuring maximum opportunity for all young children and their families. Thoroughly researched chapters represent a broad range of critical issues related to early care and education including child care, inclusive education, and collaborative approaches. Chapters are complemented by frank and compelling essays written by parents as well as by powerful contributions by leaders in the field.A valuable resource, this book provides a wealth of practical and meaningful advice on how to provide effective early intervention for children - with and without disabilities - who have been exposed to abuse and neglect; community and family violence; exclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity, or disability; health-related education problems; substance abuse; and poverty.Written with rather than for families, this timely volume is essential as a textbook for students from a variety of disciplines who plan to work with young children and their families in various community-based settings. As an in-service handbook, this volume furnishes the tools needed to make a meaningful difference in the lives - and the futures - of all children.