This report presents child-based data from the March 1983, Current Population Survey. The data have been reorganized from their usual form which is as information on households, families, or individual adults, to data with children as the unit of analysis. The primary focus of the report is on children's living arrangements: what kinds of families children live in and how the family and economic situations of children vary according to these differing living situations. The report finds that although a majority of all children live in two-parent families, a substantial number of children live for at least some period of time with only one parent. The report also finds that among these single parent situations there is great variation: 20.5% of all children live with their mothers and 2.0% with fathers. The children's economic and social status is better when living with divorced or widowed mothers than with separated or never married mothers (71% and 81% respectively of the latter two groups living in poverty). Children living alone with fathers enjoy a higher social and economic status. Children are, however, better off in two parent families with regard to the social and economic factors considered. Particularly striking are the very large race differences in family composition. For example, among whites, 81% of all children live in two-parent families, compared with 41% among blacks, and black children are disproportionately represented in the most disadvantaged family types. The paper includes a short bibliography and five tables giving the statistical data used for the study. (CG)