Learning environments for infants

Learning environments in a sample of communal families and a sample of two-parent married nuclear families are compared for both intragroup and acrossgroup differences likely to influence childrearing and socialization outcomes. Learning environment variables include family and demographic backgrounds of parents; newborn health, developmental, and feeding patterns; personnel, size, and density in households; caretaking patterns; work loads and domestic tasks for mothers; kin and social supports for mothers; beliefs and value orientations of the parents; and change and mobility in families. Creedal and domestic types of communes also differed. The learning environment variables are interdependent with each other and with demographic features of the groups, and there is rapid change in communal lifestyles; both these features suggest that intragroup and longitudinal data are essential for generalizing about the effects of lifestyles on young children.     

Consumer evaluation of community treatment

Development of community programs for offenders requires innovation in program design and evaluation. The Complex Offender Project (COP) provided intensive community treatment, and its clients' opinions were used as a component of its evaluation. Treated clients perceived the same needs for services as did other offenders, but more of them reported receiving the services. Compared to probation, COP was perceived to be more helpful in resolving problems, more continuously helpful, and of helping more to learn useful skills and achieve meaningful goals. The Complex Offender Project provides a model for program development, and the techniques of consumer evaluation are recommended as a means of evaluating such programs.     

Risk Assessment of Virus in Drinking Water

The reevaluation of drinking water treatment practices in a desire to minimize the formation of disinfection byproducts while assuring minimum levels of public health protection against infectious organisms has caused it to become necessary to consider the problem of estimation of risks posed from exposure to low levels of microorganisms, such as virus or protozoans, found in treated drinking water. This paper outlines a methodology based on risk assessment principles to approach the problem. The methodology is validated by comparison with results obtained in a prospective epidemiological study. It is feasible to produce both point and interval estimates of infection, illness and perhaps mortality by this methodology. Areas of uncertainty which require future data are indicated.     

The multiple service needs of drug dependent mothers

Maternal drug use has been the subject of much political discussion. Increases in the foster care population are reported to be a result of drug use by mothers. However, there is little information about the characteristics and service needs of drug using mothers. This study obtained data on drug dependent mothers referred to a child welfare agency, and suggests the need for coordinated treatment.