If you're looking for more information about the top issues facing kids and families, the Children, Youth and Family Consortium (CYFC) offers a variety of opportunities. From at-your-fingertips information through its web site on the Internet (www.cyfc.umn.edu), to work groups where those interested in particular topics gather to take collective action, the Consortium takes its role as a community connector very seriously. CYFC is part of the University of Minnesota. University members include faculty, staffand students from a variety of disciplines. Community members include educators, mental health care professionals, business people, public officials and anyone else interested in this topic. To date, there are more than 8,000 CYFC participants throughout the state.

For more information, call 612-626-1212.

The Partnership to Address Violence through Education (PAVE) provides training to child care educators on nonviolence, skill building, and intervention for young children and families. PAVE is a program of the Center for Early Education and Development at the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development.

For more information call PAVE at 612-625-3004 or visit PAVE's web site at http://www.umn.edu/mincava/pave/pave.htm .

Parents looking for sound advice on raising their young children (up to age five) often turn to Early Childhood Family Education. The program is offered in cities throughout the state through their local school districts. ECFE offers a myriad
of services, including classes involving parents and their children, toy and book lending libraries, parent discussion groups, child care for brothers and sisters, and family field trips.

Call the Department of Children Families and
Learning at 612-296-8414 to find out about programs near you.

Preparing children for success in school is the mission of Head Start. The program's focus is on physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. The typical Head Start classroom serves 17 three-to-five-year old children during
three-hour sessions four days a week. Parents are considered children's first and most important teachers and are encouraged to be involved in the Head Start experience.

Call 612-220-1820 for more information.

Mentoring organizations can play a significant role in helping children and youth develop the domain of competence critical to a young person's self esteem. Minnesota is the home of several matching organizations, including Big Brother/Big Sister, One-to-One, Kinship, and others.

Call the Minnesota Office of Citizenship and Volunteer Services at 296-4731 in the metro area or 1-800-234-6687 in Greater Minnesota to obtain more information about a mentoring organization that fits your interests.

A holistic approach to challenges facing state Native American women, with an emphasis on cultural values is the hallmark of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. Core programs include treatment for substance abuse, family
services, child care, training and housing. MIWRC also hosts legal services clinics for its residents and sponsors a Grandmothers' Society to nurture the gifts of elders so they, in turn, can strengthen the larger community. "The path to recovery is within all women" is the motto of the center.

Contact 612-728-2000 for more information.

Searching for research-based answers about issues facing children and adolescents often leads to the Search Institute. The institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of kids through scientific research, evaluation, consultation and the development of practical resources. Research findings are translated into useful programs, services and resources, including a quarterly newsletter, research reports, books, videos, curricula, study guides and workbooks. Some recent reports include: Growing Up Adopted: A Portrait of Adolescents and Their Families (1994), Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth (1993) and Promising Prevention Strategies: A Look at What Works (1991).

Call 612-376-8955 to find out more about obtaining a catalog of resources produced by the Search Institute.

Nurturing congregations and encouraging voluntarism to support economically disadvantaged children, youth and families is the goal of a new Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches initiative. Congregations and agencies will be
brought together to create working partnerships. Volunteer training and partnership planning will be provided. Agencies will be identified, evaluated and supported to use volunteers effectively.

Contact the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches at 612-870-3660 for more information on this new program.

Finding quality child care is a dilemma for many working parents, and statewide resources can help. Child care providers undoubtedly are instrumental in developing protective factors in children. Professional resource and referral services can help parents plan their child care searches and answer questions about child care in their community.

Contact Resources for Child Caring at 612-641-0332 for east metro resources, Greater Minneapolis Daycare Association at 612-341-2066 for west metro information, and the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network at 507-287-2497 for outstate information.

Success by 6, a program developed by the United Way of Minneapolis, is now six-plus years old. Beverly Propes has staffed volunteer committees since the program's inception. The goal of Success by 6 is to help all children succeed for life by making sure they get a good start during their developmental years. Propes and other Success by 6 supporters have promoted protective factors over the years, especially prenatal care; the program is responsible for dramatically increasing community awareness of the importance of healthy early childhood development, supporting a strong legislative agenda for youth and children, and piloting Way to Grow, which provides a full range of services for families with children prenatal to six years old.

For more information about Success by 6 or
other family resources, call First Call for Help at 612-335-5000.