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…

This report seeks to raise awareness of the critical importance of chronic early absence, synthesize available data on the scope of the challenge, and share emerging insights about how schools and communities can use chronic early absence to identify and address challenges affecting the social, educational and physical well-being of children and…

This document presents the record of a hearing on the reauthorization of the Demonstration Partnership Program (DPP), part of the Community Services Block Grant Act. The program offers community action agencies the opportunity to test new methods for reducing dependency and fostering self-sufficiency among the poor. Six agency representatives…

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 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…

In recent years, social programs for the poor have lost the support of the American public. This book describes some of the very best programs and documents their benefits, demonstrating that we can, in fact, make substantial progress in the fight against educational failure, family dissolution, violent crime, substance abuse, unemployment, and…

This volume examines two-generation interventions as models that represent a new approach to assisting families in poverty. Five of the chapters examine current programs--their design, characteristics of participants, implementation issues, and in one case, evaluation outcomes. Other chapters offer a research and policy context for this…

Noting that after-school programs are becoming an important developmental support for low- and moderate-income families and their children, this book describes the historical development of these programs, their current status, and critical issues facing after-school programs. Divided into historical eras, the book examines: (1) the evolution of…

The Padres a la escuela (PAE) or Parents in the School program in San Antonio (Texas) encouraged the participation of Hispanic parents in the education of their children. The successes of the PAE program are used in this guidebook to help parents, program staff, and policy makers in similar efforts. This handbook describes the history,…

This report examines the Chapter 1 program's impact at school and classroom levels, strategic directions for Chapter 1 reauthorization, the larger context of school poverty as it influences Chapter 1 delivery, the operation and effectiveness of Chapter 1, and new directions for improving Chapter 1 in line with national reforms. How well Chapter 1…

This annotated bibliography describes 53 books, papers, and articles written about efforts toward integrating and improving human services for children, youth, and families living in poverty. The bibliography has been developed for individuals working on and interested in service integration, including policymakers, program administrators,…

The condition of migrant students is detailed in this report, which points out that the problems facing migrant students are shared by many at-risk students and the recommendations for migrant students apply to many segments of the at-risk population. Chapter 1 outlines migrant student demographics noting racial and ethnic minority status, limited…