This report tracks federal spending from 1960 to 2006 and uses current policy and some assumptions to project activity through 2017. The report looks at more than 100 major programs that aim to improve children's lives through income security, health care, social services, food and nutritional aid, housing, education, training, and tax credits and…

A panel of four child life specialists debated one another regarding the best approaches to structuring and supporting child life play practice within the changing health care system. Question 1 was, "What is the most appropriate role of senior child life staff?" The traditional playroom-based focus provides an opportunity for…

The purpose of this book is to focus the attention of counselors and other youth workers to aspects of life that are challenging boys today. The text offers constructive suggestions for professional guidance and counseling services. Much of this book draws on the accumulated literature on boys, especially research investigations. It opens by…

A national survey identified key elements of post-1980 position papers on the health, education, and welfare of children up to eight years old. Content analysis revealed consistent themes and a consensus of professional thought on recommended responses to concerns voiced in the position papers. Survey results revealed the need for expansion and…

This monograph from the Center for Child Well-Being, looks at children's well-being holistically, integrating physical, cognitive, and social-emotional dimensions. The monograph begins by identifying elements of child well-being and then reviews the literature on well-being, describing foundational elements in physical, social-emotional, and…

This article focuses on the importance of school readiness to school success and long-term life success. Issues relating to school readiness include what constitutes readiness, types of fundamental knowledge, how children approach learning, children's mental and physical health, and how readiness is defined. The article first examines what is…

Many communities across the country have set for themselves the goal of enhancing school readiness. But what does school readiness mean, and how do communities know whether they have achieved it? This research brief is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. It begins by summarizing recommendations from the…

This book provides an overview of the political, moral, and social context within which British child welfare practitioners and managers attempt to work with children, families, and others. The book reviews the development of improved policy and practices in child protection. Placing children at the center of policy, practice, and discourse, it…

Noting that computers are reshaping children's lives in profound and unexpected ways, this report examines potential harms and promised benefits of these changes, focusing on early childhood and elementary education. Chapter 1 argues that popular attempts to hurry children intellectually are at odds with the natural pace of human development.…

Introduces this theme issue's articles, which provide a variety of frameworks for understanding and action in relation to the crisis in child and adolescent mental health. Further emphasizes the challenge to provide resources for all children and to provide ideas for the integration of information between education and mental health professionals.…

Although most American adolescents are psychologically, socially, and physically healthy, adolescence remains a time of considerable change and risk. To examine what works to promote well-being among America's adolescents, Child Trends reviewed contributing influences and programs that lead to positive behavior in seven areas: mental health,…

This report reviews the current conditions of New York's children. Topics include: (1) demographic conditions, trends and projections; (2) economic conditions; (3) child care; (4) education; (5) health and nutrition; (6) school-age pregnancy and child bearing; (7) alcohol and drug abuse; and (8) racial and ethnic group inequality. The report…