Third Annual Families and Neighborhoods Network Update

Welcome to the Third Annual Families and Neighborhoods Network Update. In this edition, which focuses on Family Development, you'll find plenty of relevant, interesting news, as well as diversity and spirituality in the context of family development.As always, we strive to provide information and resources regarding human service efforts that support families and neighborhoods. The selection of information and articles for this issue of the Network Update was based on issues raised by the seven Comprehensive Community-BasedModels (CCBMs).Among the highlights of this issue is an article by Dr. Susan Stern and Cassandra Clay, professors at Boston University School of Social Work. In their article, titled "Supporting Children and Families in a Caring Community," they challenge our thinking about family development, while guiding practitioners, policymakers, fund providers, and grassroots community-based organizations into the next century.Also in this issue, you'll find two annotated bibliographies that explore community-based, family centered strategies for integrating education and human services. These bibliographies also present practical ways to design policies that reflect the importance of the family in the development of children and society. As an additional resource, you'll also find a directory of federally-funded resource centers and clearinghouses that compile information on child andfamily welfare, health, and education issues.This issue of the Network Update also offers a personal glimpse of the seven W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded family development sites. Each of the sites was asked to share its definition of family development, and to specify how that definition translates into services or opportunities for families. Staff members at the seven sites also were asked to discuss their philosophies about family development and how that philosophy differs from a mainstream view. Their thought provoking answers are just a few pages away