In this Research-to-Results Brief, the author discusses the importance for policymakers, taxpayers, and the media to recognize the diversity in children's circumstances, because this recognition affects the number of children believed to need varied services and the magnitude of the challenge of meeting that need. Many researchers have developed indices of risk to describe these circumstances. Child Trends has developed one such measure called the "Sociodemographic Risk Index." Analyses show that that children experiencing multiple risks are developing less well, and there is a correlation between risk and child well-being. Low-risk families can meet their children's needs through their families, schools, and communities, but as the number of family risks increases, the outcomes of children become less positive. The needs of children from higher risk families are greater, yet fewer of these children are in any kind of program and are more likely to require a more intensive and longer-lasting program. (Contains 4 graphs and 6 endnotes.) [This publication was sponsored by The Atlantic Philanthropies.]