Family Coping Strategies and Strengths in Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian Families of Young Children

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal perceptions of family coping strategies and family strengths in Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian families of young children with and without disabilities. The 206 participants, recruited from early intervention and childcare programs in Florida and California, completed the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES) and the Family Strengths questionnaires. Within-culture analysis showed that the use of internal family coping strategies tended to be more predictive of family strengths than was the use of social supports outside the family within all three ethnic groups. Further analysis revealed no differences in family coping strategies and family strengths between Hispanic families of children with and without disabilities, one difference related to social support among African-American families, and multiple differences among Caucasian families. Implications of the findings for early interventionists were discussed.