For 36 years, the "KIDS COUNT® Data Book" has provided a clear, consistent overview of children's well-being, using federal data collected across all 50 states. These reliable national- and state-level measures help leaders see where there is progress, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference. By offering both a big-picture view and a local road map, the "Data Book" provides policymakers, advocates and communities with the information they need to make decisions that help kids and young people thrive. The KIDS COUNT indicators capture what children and youth need most in four domains: (1) Economic Well-Being; (2) Education; (3) Health; and (4) Family and Community. Each domain has four indicators, for a total of 16. This year's trends paint a complex picture: steady progress in some areas, setbacks in others and persistent opportunities to do better for kids and their families. Since 2019, seven of the 16 key indicators have improved, six have worsened and three have not changed. Positive trends include reductions in child poverty, children living in high-poverty areas and teen births, along with increases in health insurance coverage, secure parental employment, heads of households with at least a high school diploma and on-time high school graduation. A deeper look at state-level indicators offers important lessons about where progress is being made and where greater investment is still needed.