Maternal and infant health indicators are often used to gauge the overall health of a nation. Understanding the current state of maternal and infant well-being, health behaviors, and social determinants of health across several domains offers the opportunity to kindle ideas for interventions to improve well-being. This report features indicators…

Early care and education (ECE) programs for children prior to kindergarten in California are provided through a mixed delivery system that includes licensed home- and center-based programs as well as school settings. The requirements, experience, and supports for educators vary widely across settings, depending more on funding sources and…

Little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of training strategies for child care providers. The current study used an experimental intent-to-treat design to measure the impact of an established intervention, the on-site caregiver training component of the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), on child development and child care…

A study was conducted to develop baseline information on special education early intervention programs. A review of the literature revealed the following: the effects of a stimulating or depriving environment appear to be most powerful in the early years of childhood; there is evidence that the effects of early intervention programs for children…

Public opinion polls consistently show a strong, bi-partisan consensus on the need to invest in the nation's kids. Yet even as Americans demand a greater focus on children, public investments are shifting away from them. In California, this is leading to children who are increasingly unhealthy yet lack health insurance, failing in school or unable…

This report card and its supplement summarize the Kids Count data book for 1995, which profiled statewide trends in the well-being of California's children. The report card findings indicate that California ranks at the bottom among the 50 states in fostering the healthy development of children. The report card proposes the passage of the…

This report card and its supplement summarize the California Kids Count data book for 1996, which profiled statewide trends in the well-being of California's children. The report card focuses on the challenges that families face in the current economy and provides recommendations for the public and private sectors. The supplement begins with an…

Rising maternal employment, welfare reform, and increased preschool enrollment contribute to accelerating family demand for child care in California, and federal and state governments have responded by doubling support for child care and preschool programs between 1996 and 1999. However, there is little information available on how child care…

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors influencing young children. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 54 indicators of well-being in 4 areas: (1) education, including preschool participation, licensed child care spaces, percentage of income spent on child care, reading…

This data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of California's children. The report begins with highlights of findings and focuses on teens in the areas of teen births and gun violence. The report then lists summary tables for the state for 17 indicators of child well being in the areas of: (1) family economics; (2) education; (3)…

This data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of California's children. California is the only state where the majority of the children (56%) come from African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American families. The report begins with summary tables of general state facts, including: (1) California's children under 18; (2)…

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors influencing adolescents. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 33 indicators of well-being in 4 areas: (1) family economics, including child poverty rate, median family income, youth unemployment, children in families receiving TANF,…

This Kids Count data book and report card examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of California's children, with an additional focus on indicators of the new economic realities encountered by families as counties take on greater responsibility for local welfare programs. The statistical portrait is based on indicators in the…

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors for school success. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 32 indicators of well-being in 4 areas: (1) education, including reading and mathematics achievement, high school dropout rates, and student-teacher ratios; (2) family…

This Kids Count Data Book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors influencing young children. This statistical portrait is based on trends in 19 indicators of child well-being in four areas: (1) family economics, including child poverty rate, children receiving TANF, children receiving WIC, fair market rent,…