The U.S. legal system gives parents the authority and responsibility to make decisions about their children's health care, and favors parental rights over society's collective responsibility to provide for children's welfare. Neither the federal government nor state governments have an affirmative obligation to protect and promote children's…

The foundations of the major federal policies that govern today's workplace were put in place during the 1930s, when most families had a stay-at-home caregiver who could tend to the needs of children, the aged, and the sick. Seven decades later, many of the nation's workplace policies are in need of major updates to reflect the realities of the…

The past century has seen vast improvements in our children's health. The infectious diseases that once killed huge numbers of children have largely been conquered. Infant mortality has also fallen markedly, although the United States lags behind other industrialized nations in this and other measures of children's health. Accidents and injuries…

The struggle to balance work responsibilities with family obligations may be most difficult for working parents of the youngest children, those five and under. Any policy changes designed to ease the difficulties for these families are likely to be controversial, requiring a careful effort to weigh both the costs and benefits of possible…

Although most Americans know that the U.S. population is aging, they are far less informed about the reality of providing elders with personal care, health care, and social support. Families--particularly women--have always been critical in providing elder care, but the entry of so many women into the paid labor force has made elder care…

The increasing role that immigrants and their children, especially those from Latin America, are playing in American society, Sandy Baum and Stella Flores argue, makes it essential that as many young newcomers as possible enroll and succeed in postsecondary education. Immigrant youths from some countries find the doors to the nation's colleges…

D. Wayne Osgood, E. Michael Foster, and Mark E. Courtney examine the transition to adulthood for youth involved in social service and justice systems during childhood and adolescence. They survey the challenges faced by youth in the mental health system, the foster care system, the juvenile justice system, the criminal justice system, and special…

Provides information on selected governmental programs that exclusively serve individuals with disabilities, are federally supported (in whole or part), provide services for children with disabilities or young adults with disabilities in the process of becoming independent, and have an annual budget exceeding $500,000,000. Tables provide…

Examines public attitudes toward children, poverty, and government. Concludes that the American public tends toward an integrative perspective that values individual initiative even as it supports opportunities for all Americans. Government programs that fit the practical needs of everyday life are favored. Such programs should support personal…

Analyzes the challenges, pressures, and uncertainties facing the public child protection systems with recommendations for strengthening child protective services agencies and expanding prevention and treatment resources. Articles in this special issue place typical agency practices in a historical context as they consider dimensions of the child…

Summarizes principal features of 6 bills on health care reform introduced in the 103rd Congress as they relate to children. Proposals are compared on 11 major issues, highlighting the degree to which each bill would achieve universal coverage, access to care, equity of treatment, and quality of comprehensive care. (SLD)

Examines definitions of child abuse and neglect and discusses the controversies surrounding these definitions, which provide the legal justification of government interventions. The article also presents statistics about the extent of child maltreatment, reviews research on families prone to abuse or neglect, and summarizes information about the…

In examining the childhood obesity epidemic from the perspective of economics, John Cawley looks at both possible causes and possible policy solutions that work through markets. The operation of markets, says Cawley, has contributed to the recent increase in childhood overweight in three main ways. First, the real price of food fell. In…

Updates information provided in an earlier issue of this journal which examined the problem of drug-exposed infants. Focuses on three areas discussed in that issue: (1) the response of the courts and the legislatures to the problem; (2) the medical effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine; and (3) the impact of drug-exposed infants on the…

Health care reform needs to assure coverage to all children regardless of income level or illnesses; address benefits, financing, administration, and delivery systems; provide substantial subsidies to low-income families; be equitable for all people; provide better monitoring of child health; protect and strengthen health providers who assist…