Table of Contents

ABSTRACT vii

I. POVERTY, RURALITY, PARENTING, AND RISK: AN INTRODUCTION
Lynne Vernon-Feagans and Martha Cox 1

II. RECRUITMENT OF THE FAMILY LIFE PROJECT SAMPLE
Michael Willoughby, Margaret Burchinal, Patricia Garrett-Peters, Roger Mills-Koonce, Lynne Vernon-Feagans, and Martha Cox 24

III. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
Patricia Garrett-Peters and Roger Mills-Koonce 36

IV. POVERTY AND ASSOCIATED SOCIAL RISKS: TOWARD A CUMULATIVE RISK FRAMEWORK
Margaret Burchinal and Michael Willoughby 53

V. CUMULATIVE RISK AND ITS RELATION TO PARENTING AND CHILD OUTCOMES AT 36 MONTHS
FLP Key Investigators 66

VI. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN RURAL POVERTY
FLP Key Investigators 92

REFERENCES 109

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 126

COMMENTARY

RURAL CHILDREN AT RISK 127
Rand D. Conger

CONTRIBUTORS 139

STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY 142

SUBJECT INDEX 144

About the Author

Lynne Vernon-Feagans (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Applied Developmental Science and Special Education in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has focused her research on children at risk, including children living in rural poverty and children at risk for poor language and literacy development.Martha Cox (Ph.D., University of Virginia) is a Professor of Psychology and past Director of the Center for Developmental Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is best known for her longitudinal studies of family processes and relationships and children's social and emotional development. She has contributed to the development of observational techniques in the study of families.Rand D. Conger (Ph.D., University of Washington) is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Human Development, and Family Studies at the University of California-Davis. His program of research focuses on social, cultural, and individual characteristics that either promote successful development or lead to significant developmental problems.