We examine the influence of income segregation on a resource vital to young children's development: a family's access to books in early childhood. Income segregation reflects the growing economic segregation of neighborhoods for people living in privilege (1%) compared with those in poverty or near-poverty (20%). After describing recent…

The study employed a developmental, ecological, and resiliency framework to examine whether interactive peer play competencies mediated associations between teacher reported problem behavior and learning outcomes for a representative sample of urban low-income children (N = 507 across 46 Head Start classrooms). Structural equation models provided…

Julie E. Braciszewski, recipient of the APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology, is cited for her noteworthy efforts to decrease mental health and academic service disparities among low-income, urban African American youth. Braciszewski recognizes that educational achievement is the clearest and most reliable…

Human behavior is dynamic, influenced by changing situations over time. Yet the impact of the dynamic nature of important explanatory variables on outcomes has only recently begun to be estimated in developmental models. Using a risk factor perspective, this article demonstrates the potential benefits of regressing time-varying outcome measures on…

This report on poverty in the District of Columbia is designed to serve as a strategic planning tool for the United Planning Organization (UPO), its delegate agencies, affiliate organizations, and the general public as they address the challenges of poverty in the city. The first section highlights the significant demographic changes that have…

An Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax reduction and a wage supplement for low- and moderate-income working families. The federal government administers an EITC through the income tax, as do some states. States that enact EITCs can reduce child poverty, support welfare-to-work efforts, and cut taxes for families struggling to make ends meet.…

This brief examines the disparity in resources available to children in different types of families and different parts of the country, using data from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF), which collected data from about 44,000 households in 1997. Economic well-being among children varies substantially, according to the NSAF,…

In a few urban elementary schools, in-depth, literature-based discussions are taking place under the Junior Great Books Program. For years, Junior Great Books has been a program available to limited numbers of students in special settings. Beginning in 1993, funding from the Ameritech Foundation allowed the Great Books Foundation to support the…

Factors influencing the nutrition of North and South American urban youths from 14-21 years of age are examined. Economic factors which play a role in determining the demand for improved nutrition and the relative importance of economic and noneconomic factors in nutrition are assessed. The effectiveness of higher income as a solution to…

The tables of child poverty presented in this document are the most comprehensive estimates of child poverty across the industrialized world. Based on an analysis of the latest data from the Luxembourg Income Study of household surveys, the first figure shows the proportion of children living in poverty in 23 nations of the Organisation for…

In the early part of 1999, the Institute for Children and Poverty surveyed almost 2,000 families with more than 4,000 children in 24 locations to assess the state of homeless children across the United States. This report tells their story. Families account for almost 40% of U.S. homeless people, and in some cities that percentage is even higher.…

The Census Bureau estimates that more than two million children were missed in the 1990 Census, accounting for more than half the total net undercounted population. This undercount has financial implications because Census data are used to distribute public funds. This paper provides detailed statistics related to the children missed in the 1990…

Marin City is an isolated African American community located in mostly affluent Marin County, California. Thirty-six percent of households in Marin City fall below the poverty line. This report provides three case studies from the Marin City Families First (MCFF) program, an intervention that aims to develop a model comprehensive child and family…

Using estimates drawn from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF), this brief examines variations in the receipt of dental care services and in unmet need for dental care across different subgroups of children aged 3 and over, both nationally and across 13 states. The NSAF is a household survey that provides information on more than…

This report illustrates how poverty rates in the United States vary by selected characteristics: age, race and Hispanic origin, nativity, family composition, work experience, and geography. The estimates in the report are based on interviews with population samples. The Current Population Survey each March interviews approximately 50,000…