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This book describes the findings of a five-year journey of inquiry of medical and social scientists. Of particular interest and emphasis are issues of gender, poverty, Aboriginal status, and cultural factors that frame the lives of "typical" and "non-typical" young children and their families in urban, rural and remote communities.

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Theory and background to the CHILD Project Rules, Rituals and Realities: From Theory to Practice What We Have Learned About Poverty and Vulnerability What We Have Learned About Aboriginal Children and Families What We Have Learned About Early Identification and Screening Programs What We Have Learned About Nurturant Environments for Children What We Have Learned About Interdisciplinarity What We Have Learned About University-Community Collaboration The Graduate Student Experience Conclusions and New Beginnings

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"This book provides an excellent guide for those interested in conducting interdisciplinary research on young children. Researchers and professionals in the medical and social sciences will benefit from the content and process of the CHILD Project as described in this volume." - Frank Oberklaid, Director, Center for Community Child Health, Royal Children´s Hospital, University of Melbourne

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SURETHA SWART Ph.D. Candidate in School Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Canada, with a background in clinical psychology and child and youth mental health. Her current research and clinical interests revolve around supporting students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and other disabilities in schools. ANNE SYNNES, MD, Clinical Neonatologist at British Columbia´s Women´s Hospital, medical director of the Neonatal Follow-Up program, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and member of the Child and Family Research Institute, Canada. Her clinical research interests are evaluating the clinical outcomes of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates and changing NICU practices to improve outcomes. LILLIAN TSE Master of Science in Nursing from University of British Columbia, Canada, in 2005. She was the recipient of the 2003 Sheena Davidson Fund for her study on Parents´ Perceptions about a Behavioural Sleep Intervention. Tse is currently a public health nurse specialized in the health and development of young children. SILVIA VILCHES Completing her Ph.D. in Social Planning, focusing on the experiences of lone mothers with welfare reform under neo-liberal regimes. Her past work focuses on community capacity development, the community benefits of early childhood education, gender issues in the social and economic structures available to low income families, and equity issues for Aboriginal peoples and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirited, and transgendered people.

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