Community development approaches for early intervention

This study assessed the impact of a project that used a community developme nt framework to implement change in early care and intervention services in two culturally diverse communities. Two aspects of community development a re emphasized: the change process, which involves creating a community plan ning team to identify and implement change strategies; and empowerment theo ry, to develop and test new ways of giving consumers a voice in shaping com munity-based reform. This article describes how community forums and parent leadership training assisted in change efforts, reports results associated with four short-term outcomes, and discusses lessons learned from implemen ting and evaluating reforms in culturally diverse and traditionally underse rved communities.