Public spending on children represents an effort to invest in the nation's future by supporting children's healthy development and human potential. To inform policymakers, children's advocates, and the general public about how public funds are spent on children, this 15th edition of the annual "Kids' Share" report provides an updated…

"A Nation at Risk" and other recent reports have focused public attention on excellence in education. During the same period, the federal government has cut aid to education by almost 20 percent and consolidated federal funding into block grant programs, which some critics have claimed are less efficient than programs before…