ONE OF A SERIES OF PUBLICATIONS DERIVED FROM THE CHILD REARING STUDY (CRS) OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THIS PAMPHLET ATTEMPTS TO REFUTE THE POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE POOR. CRS FINDINGS SHOW THAT SUCH FAMILIES DO NOT NEGLECT THEIR CHILDREN BUT RATHER ARE FORCED BY THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES TO TRAIN THEM TO BE INDEPENDENT. POOR FAMILIES CARE DEEPLY ABOUT EDUCATION AND OTHER MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES BUT LACK THE MONEY AND KNOWLEDGE TO REALIZE THESE ASPIRATIONS. ALTHOUGH ACCUSED OF PROMISCUITY, IN FACT THE CRS SAMPLE ARE PRUDISH AND INHIBITED ABOUT GIVING SEX INFORMATION TO THEIR CHILDREN, AND PLACE GREAT VALUE ON THE LEGITIMACY OF OFFSPRING. FATHERS DESERT THEIR FAMILIES MAINLY BECAUSE OF UNEMPLOYMENT OR LOW PAYING JOBS. URBANIZATION AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEPRIVATION, RATHER THAN A BACKGROUND OF SLAVERY, ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CHARACTER OF NEGRO FAMILY LIFE. MEASURES TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THESE FAMILIES MUST BE BASED ON A CLINICAL APPROACH WHICH ATTENDS TO SUCH BACKGROUND FACTORS AS UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND SEGREGATION, WHICH HAVE LEAD TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. POSITIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MUST RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY OF LOW-INCOME LIFE STYLES AND REQUIRES A NONJUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH THE POOR. THIS DOCUMENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM CROSS-TELL, 1101 M STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005. (NH)