How do children fare in the federal budget? Investments in children's health, education, and overall well-being pay high dividends for taxpayers and the economy as a whole. Without adequately funded education, nutrition, housing, early education and care, and other basic supports, the foundation of children's well-being is at risk. This report 1)…

The 17th edition of "The State of Preschool," the National Institute for Early Education Research's (NIEER) report on their annual survey of state preschool policies, provides government policymakers valuable information for planning short- and long-term responses to the crisis. The report includes information for every state on child…

We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads.…

The "2013 State Preschool Yearbook" is the newest edition of our annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest "Yearbook" presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2012-2013 school year as well as documenting a decade of progress since the first…

The broad array of data presented each year in the "KIDS COUNT Data Book" is intended to illuminate the status of America's children and to assess trends in their well-being. By updating the assessment every year, KIDS COUNT provides ongoing benchmarks that can be used to see how states have advanced or regressed over time. Readers can also use…

Describes the IMCIPE Project (Incarcerated Mothers and Children: Impact of Prison Environments) which investigates the experiences of incarcerated mothers whose children live with them in Mother and Baby Units and incarcerated mothers who are separated from their children; the impact of the prison environment on mother-child relationships; and…

The "2011 State Preschool Yearbook" is the newest edition of our annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest "Yearbook" presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2010-2011 school year as well as documenting a decade of progress since the first…

The STOP Abusive Behavior Syndrome (STOP ABS) Project attempts to implement a community-based discipline model for inner-city elementary schools that avoids both physical and emotional abuse by teachers and students, while contributing to the students' overall development. Prevailing disciplinary models either relate to children as objects to be…

This address was presented to a conference celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of The United Way's "Success By 6" early childhood development initiative. The address acknowledges that the American public education system has traditionally operated on the assumption that children enter kindergarten at approximately the same educational…

Addressed to the Minnesota State Legislature, this report on Minnesota's Early Childhood Health and Developmental Screening Program discusses issues related to program goals and program implementation, overviews the program, and reports and summarizes statewide program results for 1985-86. Issues discussed concern responsibility for the program,…

Asserting that early reading success is a strong predictor of academic success in later grades and that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) are critical for literacy development, this issue brief explores actions states can take to develop and support literacy-rich environments for children. Following an introductory summary, the brief…

Discusses the need of young children for strong social bonds with family and other caregivers to withstand stressful early childhood experiences. Briefly describes parent education programs in Chicago and Washington, DC, that give parents information on how to deal with their children's problems in and out of school. (FMW)

Asserting that President Bush's proposal to shift responsibility for Head Start to the states would allow the federal government to abandon its promise to truly give children a head start, this report, with accompanying executive summary, outlines what is known about children receiving Head Start services and how the program addresses their needs.…

The GOAL ONE Project of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is designed to ensure that children have access to an environment that provides a foundation for school success. GOAL ONE is a national project involving model, community-based, collaborative programs that provide a nurturing environment for children whose…

The overarching mission of the Child Trends organization is to improve the lives of children and families by providing research-based information to inform policies and programs affecting children's lives. This annual report details the organization's accomplishments for the year 2002. The report begins with a letter from the president and the…