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This Kids Count report examines state and countywide trends in the well-being of Florida's children. Demographic information is presented along with a statistical portrait for the state and for each county based on the following indicators: (1) birth, including births to unwed mothers, teen births, early prenatal care, low birth weight, and infant mortality and deaths; (2) well-being, including child deaths, teen violent deaths, dissolutions of marriage with children affected, and child abuse and neglect; (3) youth and the law, including delinquency, juvenile detentions, and transfers to adult court; and (4) education, including graduation rate, non-promotions, dropouts, disciplinary actions, academic performance on standardized tests, and students eligible to participate in free/reduced lunches. The bulk of the report presents state and countywide data on demographic information and the indicators for 1997-98. Thirteen appendices list state- and countywide data, with some indicators listed by race or age categories. The report concludes with information on terminology and data sources. (SD)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Tennessee's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of children's well-being in four main areas: (1) child health; (2) education; (3) social indicators; and (4) economic status. The report begins with an executive summary and a lengthy listing of the major statistical findings in each indicator area. The report continues with the statistical summary for each of the four indicator areas, including a narrative of the problems and progress made in the target area, as well as statistical data. The first area covers the status of health, including the TennCare program, prenatal care, teen pregnancy, low birth weight, infant mortality, child death, teen violent death, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases. The second area pertains to the status of education, including Head Start, school safety, education, special education, high school dropouts, and school nutrition. The third area covers social indicators, including child abuse, juvenile justice, and state custody. The fourth area addresses economic status, including income, families first, food stamps, labor, housing, single parent families, and population. The report concludes with a listing of definitions and terms. (Contains 49 references.) (SD)

This Kids Count report is the seventh to examine statewide trends and county data on the well-being of Nebraska's children. The bulk of this statistical report presents findings on indicators of well-being in eight areas: (1) child abuse and neglect/domestic violence (investigated and substantiated cases, who reports, types of abuse, domestic violence shelters, how domestic violence affects children); (2) early childhood care and education (early childhood development, early childhood education programs, Early Head Start, child care facilities and subsidies, Nebraska Good Beginnings); (3) economic well-being (Earned Income Tax Credit, single parent families, divorce and child support, Family Mentoring Project, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families); (4) education (high school graduates, school dropouts, expelled students, special education, educational achievement scores); (5) physical and behavioral health (births, prenatal care, low birth weight, secondhand smoke, births to teens, out-of-wedlock births, immunizations, blood lead levels, access to health care, infant mortality, child deaths, suicide and homicide, drug use, seat belt use, drinking and driving, weapons, fighting, teen sexual behavior, mental health and substance abuse treatment, community-based services, residential care); (6) juvenile justice (juvenile arrests, victims of rape, probation, detention after arrest, Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers, adult jail and parole for juveniles); (7) nutrition (food stamps, USDA nutrition programs); and (8) out-of-home care and adoption (out-of-home care, State Foster Care Review Board, licensed and approved foster homes, lack of foster care homes, multiple placements, race and ethnicity, adoption services). The report also includes an introductory commentary on Nebraska's abused and neglected children. (EV)

This KIDS COUNT report presents statistics highlighting challenges faced by newborns and their parents in major urban areas. Data came from birth certificates. Overall, children living in central cities are far more likely to experience six risks associated with negative child outcomes, and when those six factors are used collectively to determine which children are high risk, 20 percent of children living in central cities are high risk, compared to only 8 percent of those living in suburbs and 14 percent of those living outside metropolitan areas. The report describes key indicators, including: percent of total births to women under age 20; percent of teen births to women who were already mothers; percent of total births to unmarried women; percent of total births to mothers with less than 12 years of education; percent of total births to mothers receiving late or no prenatal care; percent of total births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy; percent low-birthweight babies; percent preterm babies; percent healthy births; and percent of high risk births based on maternal characteristics. City profiles present key indicators, 1997; the number of births by maternal characteristics, 1997; the healthy birth index, 1997; and the risk index based on maternal characteristics, 1997. Two appendixes present cities ranked by indicator, 1997, and states ranked by indicator, 1997. The report also includes definitions and data sources and primary contacts for state KIDS COUNT projects. (SM)

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Connecticut's children. The report first examines the extent of child poverty in Connecticut, as well as its causes and effects, and suggests some possible courses of action. Following demographic information, the bulk of the report provides a statistical portrait of Connecticut's children based on 14 indicators of well-being: (1) children living in poverty; (2) family setting; (3) children in families receiving welfare benefits; (4) children receiving free or reduced-price meals; (5) low birthweight; (6) infant mortality; (7) prenatal care; (8) births to teen mothers; (9) performance on Connecticut Mastery Test; (10) performance on Connecticut Academic Performance Test; (11) high school dropout rate; (12) juvenile violent crime arrests; (13) child abuse; and (14) teen deaths. Among the findings, the report indicates that increasing numbers of children are living in poverty; the number of children in families receiving welfare benefits has declined; the low birthweight rate has increased; and test performance has improved, as has the dropout rate. Percent of births to teen mothers has remained static. The final portion of the report presents the child well-being information organized by region rather than indicator. An explanation of terms and methodology concludes the report. (HTH)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of North Dakota's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of children's well-being in seven areas: (1) population; (2) family composition; (3) economic condition; (4) child safety; (5) child health; (6) education; and (7) teens at risk. The report begins with an overview of the organization, criteria for data selection, changes in data presentation, data limitations, description of the categories and indicators of child well-being, and regional maps. The report's second section presents statewide data, including multi-year trend data, as available. The third section presents regional data for eight geographical regions of the state, including multi-year trend data as available, and comparative data between the region and the state. The fourth section, and bulk of the report, presents profiles for each of the state's 53 counties, including multi-year trend data as available, and comparative data between the county and the state. Important findings include an increase in children living in foster care, children eligible for food programs, low birth weights, special education enrollments, ACT scores, licensed child care providers, juvenile court referrals, and teen birth rate. There was a decrease in the number of children in families receiving federal aid, and in infant mortality and child death rates. The report's two appendices address definitions used in completing the report and state goals by well-being indicators. (SD)

Intended to inform policymaking in the public and private sectors, this booklet compiles secondary data for 55 health status indicators. The book provides both graphical and textual summaries of data, and addresses long-term trends where applicable. Data are presented for the target populations of Title V funding: infants, children, adolescents, and women of childbearing age. In addition to health status, the book addresses health services utilization and population characteristics. Following the introduction, which discusses trends and issues in children's health, the booklet has six sections: (1) "Population Characteristics," including children in poverty, maternal age, working mothers, and school dropouts; (2) "Health Status," discussing the health issues related to infants, children, and adolescents; (3) "Health Services and Utilization," including health care financing, vaccination coverage levels, physician visits, service utilization by children with chronic conditions, hospital utilization, and prenatal care; (4) "State-Specific Data," including data tables on infant and neonatal mortality, prenatal care, low birth weight, births to women under 18, Medicaid information, and health care financing; (5) "City Data," focusing on comparisons between cities with populations over 100,000 and national data on infant mortality, low birth weight, and prenatal care; and (6) "Progress towards Healthy People 2000," summarizing progress toward several prevention objectives. (Contains 34 references.) (HTH)

This Kids Count report examines regional differences in the well being of Tennessee's children. The statistical portrait is based on 16 health, social, and economic indicators of child well being: (1) percent of population enrolled in TennCare, state health insurance program; (2) percent of births lacking adequate prenatal care; (3) percent of low birthweight births; (4) infant mortality rate; (5) child death rate; (6) teen violent death rate; (7) teen pregnancy rate; (8) percent of students receiving special education; (9) percent of high school dropouts; (10) child abuse and neglect rate; (11) percent of children referred to juvenile court; (12) child state care rate; (13) per capita income; (14) percent of children receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; (15) percent of population receiving food stamps; and (16) percent of students participating in Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Following an overview, the bulk of the report contains statistical profiles for each of nine regions in Tennessee. Information on each region includes historical background, demographic information, history of the relevant regional council on children and youth, comparison of the region to the rest of the state on the indicators of well being, and tables detailing the indicators in 1996 and 1992. Information on definitions and data sources and four appendices containing data tables complete the report. (KB)

This Kids Count data book provides information on indicators of the well-being of Arkansas' children. The report's introduction discusses factors contributing to increased attention to children and families, the need for broad-based community collaborations to address children and family needs, and cultural changes influencing families. Data tables list demographic information and findings for 28 indicators of child well-being for 1990 and for the most recent year available. Indicators include: (1) teen arrest rates; (2) teen violent death rate; (3) child maltreatment rate; (4) foster care rate; (5) Aid to Families with Dependent Children participation; (6) food stamp participation; (7) school lunch program participation; (8) Women, Infants Children Supplemental Food Program participation; (9) births to women with less than 12 years education; (10) per capita income; (11) unemployment rate; (12) child support cases; (13) low birth weight rate; (14) percent mothers receiving no first trimester prenatal care; (15) teen birth rate; (16) infant mortality rate; (17) child death rate; (18) immunization rate; (19) children served by mental health system; (20) children in preschools for educationally deprived children; (21) children enrolled in Head Start; (22) special education students; (23) per pupil expenditures; (24) seniors taking ACT examination; and (25) dropout rate. Indicator definitions and data sources are appended. (KB)

This Kids Count data book is the fourth annual profile examining statewide trends in the well being of Rhode Island's children. The statistical portrait is based on 28 indicators in five areas: (1) family and community; (2) economic well-being, including median household income, poverty rate, and percent of children in families receiving cash assistance or food stamps; (3) health, including health insurance rates, percent of women receiving delayed prenatal care, percent low birthweight infants, infant mortality rate, percent of children screened for lead poisoning with elevated blood lead levels, teen birth rate, and substance use by teens; (4) safety, including child and teen death rates, number of children younger than 13 receiving emergency housing services, percentage of 10- to 17-year-olds referred to family court, and child abuse and neglect rates; and (5) education, including percentage of eligible children enrolled in Head Start, special education enrollment, fourth-graders' reading scores, availability of out-of-school programs, high school graduation rate, and 16- to 19-year-olds not in school and not working. The report defines each indicator, describes its significance and trends since the 1980s, provides information on intervention programs, and presents relevant data for the state, each city and town, and an aggregate of the five cities in which more than 15 percent of the children live in poverty. The report concludes with a description of the methodology and acknowledgements. (KB)

This Factbook provides state- and county-level statistical information on teen births in Ohio and discusses statewide trends from 1992 to 1996. The statistical portrait is based on 12 indicators: (1) number of infants born to teens; (2) teen birth rate; (3) repeat teen birth rate; (4) percentage of teen births to unmarried teens; (5) percentage of births to 18- and 19-year-old mothers without high school diplomas; (6) percentage of teen and adult births with low birthweights; (7) percentage of all adult births where the baby were low birthweight; (8) and (9) percentage of teen and adult births with inadequate early prenatal care; (10) age breakdown of fathers of infants born to teen mothers; (11) education of fathers, age 18 and older, of infants of teen mothers; and (12) age and race breakdown of teen mothers. The bulk of the report provides county profiles on the indicators. The major findings indicate that between 1992 and 1996, there were improvements in repeat births and early prenatal care and little change in teen birth rate, low birthweight births, high school completion, and teen mothers' age distribution. The percentage of births to unmarried teens increased between 1990 and 1996. Although most Ohio teen births are to whites, the black teen birth rate is high, and African-American teen mothers are less likely to be married or receive early prenatal care, and more likely to have low birthweight infants than white counterparts. Eight of the 10 counties with the worst teen birth rates are in rural Appalachian Ohio. However, urban counties account for half of Ohio teen births. (KB)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Maine's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of children's well-being in four areas: (1) physical and mental health; (2) community and family environment; (3) social and economic opportunity; and (4) education and learning. The report's introduction describes the Child Health Care Access initiative, the indicators addressed, and changes in the state profile from the 1997 report. The second section, and bulk of the report, presents a profile for each of the 16 counties of the state, and the county data, including a comparison to the statewide averages and changes from the 1995-96 report, for the 20 indicators of child well-being. The 20 indicators are: (1) children in families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); (2) children receiving subsidized lunches; (3) children on Medicaid; (4) unemployment; (5) births to unmarried teens; (6) prenatal care; (7) low birth-weight; (8) infant mortality; (9) number of physicians; (10) number of dentists; (11) children in foster care; (12) child deaths, ages 1-14; (13) teen deaths; (14) teen violent deaths; (15) child and teen suicide; (16) domestic assaults; (17) arrests; (18) dropout rate; (19) post-secondary education rates; and (20) children with special needs. The report's appendix lists definitions and data sources used in completing the report, and an index. (SD)

This Kids Count report details trends in the well-being of the District of Columbia's children. Following an executive summary which describes overall findings, the bulk of the report presents the statistical portrait, based on nine areas of children's well-being: (1) general population trends; (2) economic security; (3) family attachment and community support; (4) child day care; (5) homeless children and families; (6) child health; (7) safety and personal security; (8) education; and (9) selected indicators by ward. The third section addresses youth risk behavior issues, including school violence, other violence, vehicular safety, substance abuse and sexual behavior. The fourth section provides an update on welfare reform in the District. The fifth section describes D.C. Kids County strategies and recommendations which include the following recommendations for D.C. schools: (1) curriculum changes; (2) safety and security; (3) facilities; (4) support and aid to young people; and (5) building community. The final two sections provide further information on data gathering and acknowledgments. The report finds that youth crime and teen violent death rates have improved, but describes the overall circumstances for children in the District as perilous. (SD)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of Florida's children. Demographic information is presented along with a statistical portrait for the state and for each county based on indicators related to: (1) birth, including births to unwed mothers, births to teenage mothers, births receiving early prenatal care, low birthweight births, and infant mortality rate; (2) education, including graduation rate, student disciplinary actions, and percent all passing statewide mathematics and communications examination; (3) child well-being, including child deaths, teen violent death rate, dissolutions of marriage with children affected, and child abuse and neglect reports; (4) youth and the law, including delinquency cases received and juvenile detentions. The bulk of the report presents state and county level data on demographic information and the indicators for 1996-97. Thirteen appendices list state- and countywide data, with some indicators listed by race or age categories. The report concludes with information on terminology and data sources. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county trends in the well-being of Colorado's children. The statistical portrait is based on 12 indicators of well-being: (1) infant mortality; (2) low birth weight births; (3) immunizations; (4) child poverty; (5) early prenatal care; (6) child abuse deaths; (7) health insurance; (8) paternity establishment; (9) teen births; (10) teen suicide rate; (11) youth unemployment; and (12) high school graduations. The report begins with a discussion of the major results. The bulk of the report details county- and state-level demographic, economic, health, education, and safety data. County-level trends for data are indicated where appropriate, based on 1991, 1994, and 1996 data. Additional information on school enrollment, child abuse and neglect, and teen suicide is also included. Findings indicate that since 1990, only 1 of the 12 indicators (infant mortality) has met the decade goal, but that progress has been made toward meeting seven goals. Fifteen percent of Colorado's children live in poverty. About 25 percent of infants are born to unwed mothers and 10 percent to teen mothers. Over 80 percent of women who gave birth in 1996 received early prenatal care. The low birth weight rate continues to rise and is one of the worst in the nation. However, the infant mortality rate is on the decline. Over 90 percent of Colorado's licensed child care facilities were ranked poor or mediocre. The high school graduation rate is still well below the state's goal. (KB)

This booklet from the Alaska Department of Education describes stages in babies' and young children's growth and development and suggests ways parents can support their children's development process. The information is divided into the following age ranges: (1) prenatal; (2) birth to 4 weeks; (3) 1 to 3 months; (4) 3 to 6 months; (5) 6 to 9 months; (6) 9 to 12 months; (7) 12 to 18 months; (8) 18 to 24 months; (9) 2 to 3 years; (10) 3 to 4 years; and (11) 4 to 5 years. For each age range, a summary paragraph introduces the information, followed by a listing, with explanation, of behaviors parents can expect from their child at that age. Sidebars contain "Tips and Things To Watch For" and "Notes on Brain Development." (EV)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of Idaho's children. The statistical portrait is based on 15 indicators of well-being: (1) child poverty rate; (2) percent of single-parent families with children under 18; (3) infant mortality rate; (4) percent of low birthweight infants; (5) percent of mothers without adequate prenatal care; (6) percent of mothers 10-19 years with no prenatal care; (7) child death rate; (8) child abuse and neglect referrals; (9) students' standardized test scores; (10) percent high school graduates; (11) dropout rate; (12) teen birth rate; (13) percent of teens not in school and not working; (14) juvenile violent crime arrest rate; and (15) teen violent death rate. Following introductory material summarizing current child well-being in the state and providing regional and racial/ethnic comparisons on the indicators, the bulk of the report presents state and county level data on demographic information and the indicators. State findings indicate that the teen birth rate, the juvenile violent crime arrest rate, and infant mortality continue to decline. Measures showing mixed progress are child poverty rate, percent of single parent families, mothers without adequate prenatal care, child mortality, academic achievement, and high school graduation. Indicators needing immediate attention include the low birth weight rate, child abuse rate, school dropout rate, and teen violent death rate. The report's eight appendices include a data indicator table, child abuse referrals by county, standardized test scores and high school graduation rates by school district, and child health insurance and immunization levels. (KB)

The Kids Count Data Book examines trends in the well-being of Kansas children. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 22 indicators of child well-being, grouped into 5 areas: (1) economic well-being--births to single teens, free school meals, family economic assistance, child poverty rates; (2) physical health and safety--childhood deaths, infant mortality, early prenatal care, immunization rates, low birth-weight infants; (3) childhood care and education--Head Start participation, child care availability, high school graduates pursuing post-secondary education/training, births to mothers with less than a high school degree, high school graduation rates; (4) emotional well-being--out-of-home placement, teen violent deaths, reported and confirmed child abuse and neglect; and (5) social behavior and control--juvenile court filings, youth alcohol use, youth reporting binge drinking, youth who have ever used drugs other than alcohol. Section 1 of the data book, "A Roadmap for the Future," discusses the importance of early childhood for future development and describes Kansas' investment in those years through parent education initiatives. Section 2 consists of tables detailing findings for each indicator by county and statewide. Section 3, the bulk of the report, presents statistics for each county, a graphic and narrative description of trends, and demographic information. Among the findings, the report notes that for 18 indicators with reliable baseline data, there have been improvements since the early 1990s in Head Start participation, child care availability, post-secondary education, out-of-home placements, and child immunization. However, there have been increases in youth alcohol and drug use, juvenile court filings, and teen violent deaths and declining rates of family economic assistance. The data book's appendix includes information on indicator selection and data sources. (KB)

This Kids Count data book examines statewide and county trends in the well-being of West Virginia's children. Following a summary which describes overall findings, the bulk of the report presents the statistical portrait, based on 12 indicators of well-being: (1) percent of low birth weight babies; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) percent of eligible children served by Head Start; (5) percent of children approved for free and reduced school meals; (6) child abuse/neglect rate; (7) teen birth rate; (8) percent of births to unmarried teens; (9) percent high school dropouts; (10) juvenile delinquency case rate; (11) teen violent death rate; and (12) percent of births to mothers with less than a twelfth-grade education. Trends for data are indicated where appropriate, based on 1980 and 1996 data. Statewide, several indicators show improvement, while the rates of low birth weight babies and births to unmarried teens have increased. A special section on child poverty in West Virginia is also included. (EV)

This Kids Count report is the sixth to examine statewide trends and county data on the well-being of Nebraska's children. The bulk of this statistical report presents findings on 32 indicators of well-being in 8 areas: (1) child abuse and neglect/domestic violence, including abuse fatalities and serious injuries; (2) early childhood care and education, including Head Start enrollment, child care availability, and child care subsidies; (3) economic well-being, including poverty rates, divorces and child support, and families receiving cash assistance; (4) education, including high school graduation rates, school expulsion, and special education students; (5) physical and behavioral health, including low birth weight, prenatal care, teen birth rate, infant and child mortality, immunizations, teen suicide, and teen drug use; (6) juvenile justice, including juvenile arrests and numbers committed to youth rehabilitation and treatment centers; (7) nutrition, including numbers receiving food stamps, free or subsidized school lunches, and summer food programs; and (8) out-of-home care, including foster home availability. The report combines statistical data, the findings of impact studies, and policy information related to indicators of well-being. Statewide statistical data are reported as well as for each county. The report's findings indicate that since 1985, Nebraska has seen fewer substantiated child abuse cases, with a slight increase in the number of cases investigated. Fewer than half the eligible children have access to a Head Start program. The number of families receiving cash assistance is at its lowest point since 1985. The high school dropout rate is at 17.8 percent. The report also describes the methodology and data sources. Contains 35 references. (KB)

This is the third edition of an annual report on trends in the well-being of America's children and youth. Part 1 of the report describes national trends for over 90 indicators of child and youth well-being based on data collected by the federal government. The information provided for each indicator includes one or more tables documenting recent historical trends and important population subgroup differences, graphics to highlight key trends and group contrasts, and accompanying text that describes the importance of each indicator and highlights the most salient features of the data. The indicators are grouped into five substantive areas: (1) population, family, and neighborhood; (2) economic security; (3) health conditions and health care; (4) social development, behavioral health, and teen fertility; and (5) education and achievement. Part 2 of the report compares the well-being of immigrant children, native-born children of immigrant parents, and native-born children of native-born parents. (Contains approximately 100 references.) (KB)

This Kids Count report is the fifth to examine statewide trends and county data on the well-being of Nebraska's children. The bulk of this statistical report presents findings on 32 indicators of well-being in 8 areas: (1) juvenile justice, including juvenile arrests, and numbers committed to youth rehabilitation and treatment centers; (2) physical and behavioral health, including low birth weight, prenatal care, teen birth rate, infant and child mortality, immunizations, teen suicide, and teen drug use; (3) child abuse and neglect and domestic violence, including substantiations of abuse and neglect, and hospitalizations; (4) out-of-home care, including foster home availability; (5) education, including high school graduation rates, school expulsion, and special education students; (6) economic well-being, including poverty rates, divorces and child support, and families receiving cash assistance; (7) nutrition, including numbers receiving food stamps, free or subsidized school lunches, and summer food programs; and (8) early care and education, including Head Start enrollment, child care availability, and child care subsidies. The report combines statistical data, the results of impact studies, and policy information related to indicators of well-being. Statistical data are reported for each county and statewide. Findings indicate that while the number of immunizations and the number of licensed foster care homes have increased, the number of children living in poverty and the number of substantiated child abuse cases are still high, and the rate of juvenile arrests continues to rise. The report also describes the methodology and data sources. (Contains 11 references.) (KB)

This report presents nationwide data on the well-being of U.S. children. The statistical report is based on indicators of child well-being such as family income and mortality rates. The first part of the report, "Population and Family Characteristics," presents data that illustrate the changes that have taken place during the past few decades in six key demographic measures including children as a proportion of the U.S. population, family structure, and difficulty speaking English. The second part of the report, "Indicators of Children's Well-Being," presents data on 26 key indicators in the following areas: (1) "Economic Security," including family income, secure parental employment, housing, and access to health care; (2) "Health," including activity limitation, infant and child mortality rates, and immunization rates; (3) "Behavior and Social Environment," including substance abuse, and youth victims and perpetrators of serious violent crimes; (4) "Education," including family reading to young children, and youths neither enrolled in school nor working; and (5) "Special Features," which covers blood lead levels, and child care. For each background measure in the report's first section and for each indicator in the second section, three types of information are presented: a short statement about why the measure or indicator is important to understanding the condition of children, figures showing important facts about trends or population groups for each indicator, and highlights with information on current status, recent trends, and important differences by population groups noted. Two appendices contain detailed tables of data and data source descriptions. The report notes that several indicators show an improving picture of the well-being of most children, but those living below the poverty line continue to compare unfavorably with those above the poverty line, and there is also disparity in well-being for different race and ethnic groups. Death rates among adolescents and birth rates among adolescent females have declined; there has also been a decline in the rates for which youths 12 to 17 were either victimized by serious violent crime or perpetrated violent crime; substance abuse, however, has increased. (HTH)

This Michigan Kids Count data book for 1997-98 describes the condition of children in each of Michigan's 83 counties. As in previous data books, an overview of general trends in the state and developments in each major area of child well-being are presented. This year's book also displays data for counties arranged into five groups based on metropolitan status and geographic location. Following an introduction focusing on the special issues of immunization and lead poisoning, data are presented for the state and for each county in five areas: (1) economic security (child poverty, free and reduced price lunch); (2) child health (inadequate prenatal care, low birth-weight babies, infant mortality, child deaths); (3) child safety (investigations of child abuse or neglect, child abuse and neglect victims, out-of-home care); (4) adolescence (births to teens, teen deaths, index crime arrests, high school dropouts); and (5) education (special education, inadequate reading skills). Overall, the report indicates that child well-being in Michigan declined between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s, with 13 of the 19 key indicators worsening. Of the six indicators showing improvement, the rates for infant mortality and for child death registered the most significant declines. The report concludes with data notes and sources. (EV)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends between 1990 and 1996 in the well-being of Arizona's children. The statistical portrait is based on 16 indicators of well-being: (1) prenatal care; (2) incidence of low birth weight; (3) state-approved child care spaces; (4) comprehensive preschool services; (5) lack of health insurance; (6) infant mortality rate; (7) child death rate (ages 1-14); (8) gun-related deaths; (9) adolescent death rate; (10) teen birth rate; (11) high school dropout rate; (12) juvenile violent crime arrest rate; (13) child abuse and neglect reports; (14) substantiated abuse and neglect; (15) children in foster care; and (16) deaths from abuse and neglect. Chapter 1 of the report indicates that most progress has been slight and setbacks have been substantial. The dropout rate and juvenile violent crime arrest rate have dropped, but the juvenile drug crime arrest rate has soared, and the percentage of children without health insurance has continued to rise. The child death rate has declined, but the teen death rate has risen and the death rate from abuse and neglect has nearly doubled. The percentage of children in foster care has risen 25 percent. Chapter 2 of the report reveals considerable variation in risk indicators by county. Chapter 3 focuses on the impact of welfare reform on family income, family stability, and access to services. Chapter 4 describes public policy areas that have potential to strengthen working families and opportunities for citizen action. Appendices present rates for each indicator, references, and data sources. Contains 23 references. (KB)

Intended to inform policymaking in the public and private sector, this booklet compiles secondary data for 53 health status indicators and service needs of America's children. The book provides both a graphic and textual summary for the data and addresses long-term trends, where applicable. Some statistics indicate the extent of progress toward "Healthy People 2000" goals or a reduction in the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors, while others reveal escalating health problems. Following the introduction, which discusses trends and issues in children's health, the booklet has six sections: (1) "Population Characteristics," including children in poverty, working mothers, child care, and school dropouts; (2) "Health Status," discussing the health issues related to infants, children, and adolescents; (3) "Health Services and Utilization," including health care financing, vaccination coverage levels, physician visits, service utilization by children with chronic conditions, postpartum hospital discharge, and prenatal care; (4) "State-Specific Data," including tables of state-level data on infant, perinatal, and neonatal mortality, prenatal care, low birth weight, births to women under 18, Medicaid information, and health care financing; (5) "City Data," focusing on comparisons between cities with populations over 100,000 and national data on infant mortality, low birth weight, and prenatal care; and (6) Progress Towards Healthy People 2000 Objectives," summarizing progress toward several objectives. Contains approximately 50 references. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends from 1992 to 1996 in the well being of Tennessee's children. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 16 indicators of child well being: (1) enrollment in state health insurance program; (2) births lacking adequate prenatal care; (3) low-birthweight births; (4) infant mortality rate; (5) child death rate; (5) teen violent death rate; (6) teen pregnancy rate; (7) teen sexually transmitted disease rate; (8) percent students receiving special education; (9) dropout rate; (10) child abuse and neglect rate; (11) juvenile court referral rate; (12) state care/custody rate; (13) per capita income; (14) percent of children in families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; (15) percent of population receiving food stamps; and (16) percent children participating in National School Lunch Program. Following an overview of statewide findings, the report provides county profiles for each of the health, social, and economic indicators, and indicates the percentage change from the 1992 to the 1996 report. The reports findings indicate that the percent of population enrolled in the TennCare health insurance program decreased from 1994 to 1996. Although prenatal care improved and infant mortality declined, the percent of low birth weight babies increased from 1990 to 1995. There were improvements in the child death rate, the teen pregnancy rate, sexually transmitted disease among teens, and the high school dropout rate. There were increases in the teen violent death rate, the percent of students receiving special education services, child abuse and neglect rates, and percent of students participating in school nutrition programs. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Idaho's children. The statistical portrait is based on 15 indicators of child and family well-being: (1) poverty; (2) single parent families; (3) infant mortality; (4) low birth weight babies; (5) percent of all mothers not receiving adequate prenatal care; (6) mothers ages 10-19 not receiving any prenatal care; (7) child death rate; (8) child abuse and neglect; (9) academic achievement of 8th graders; (10) high school graduation; (11) drop-out rate; (12) births to teens; (13) percent of teens not attending school and not working; (14) juvenile violent crime arrests; and (15) teen violent death rate. Following an overview and description of indicators, the report presents a look at Idaho's children in a glance for each indicator, a comparison of Idaho's children to those of the rest of country, and noted trends in the indicators. The bulk of the document is comprised of statistical profiles for the state and for each county, as well as the population of youth by county. Five appendices include a data indicator table, child abuse referrals by county, high school graduation rates by school district, and standardized test scores by grade and school district. Data sources and notes are also appended. The report indicates that for 1995, several indicators showed improvement in the areas of infant mortality, births to teen mothers, and the number of mothers receiving adequate prenatal care. Idaho's rate of single-parent families with children was 35 percent below the national rate. Other indicators reveal, however, that there were more low birth weight babies born, more teen violent deaths, and that there has been no significant change in the high school dropout rate. (WJC)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Maine's children. The statistical portrait is based on indictors children's well-being in four areas: (1) physical and mental health; (2) social and economic opportunity; (3) community and family environment; and (4) education and learning. The report's introduction describes goals for Kids Count, presents a Maine state profile including comparative national data where available, and describes the indicators addressed. The second section, and bulk of the report, presents a demographic profile for each of the state's 16 counties, and the county data, including a comparison to the statewide averages and changes from the 1995-96 report, for the 20 indicators of child well-being. The 20 indicators are: (1) children in families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); (2) children receiving subsidized lunches; (3) children on Medicaid; (4) unemployment; (5) births to unmarried teens; (6) prenatal care; (7) low birth-weight; (8) infant mortality; (9) number of physicians; (10) number of dentists; (11) children in foster care; (12) child deaths, ages 1-14; (13) teen deaths; (14) teen violent deaths; (15) child suicide; (16) domestic assaults; (17) arrests; (18) dropout rate; (19) post-secondary education rates; and (20) children with special needs. The report's two appendices present definitions and data sources used in completing the report, and 20 references for further reading. (SD)

This report of the Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics presents nationwide data on the well-being of America's children. The statistical report is based on 25 indicators of child well being: (1) child poverty; (2) food security; (3) housing problems; (4) secure parental employment; (5) health insurance; (6) summary health status; (7) prenatal care; (8) infant mortality; (9) low birthweight; (10) childhood immunization; (11) activity limitation; (12) child mortality; (13) adolescent mortality; (14) teen births; (15) cigarette smoking; (16) alcohol use; (17) substance abuse; (18) victims of violent crimes; (19) difficulty speaking English; (20) family reading; (21) early childhood education; (22) math and reading proficiency; (23) youth high school completion; (24) detached youth; and (25) higher education; with a special section on (26) child abuse and neglect. Part 1 of the report describes population and family characteristics of children in the United States. Part 2 presents results on the well-being indicators. Findings indicate that the percentage of children in poverty and who report not having enough to eat declined slightly during the 1990s. The percentage of mothers receiving early prenatal care and immunization rates increased in the 1990s. Mortality rates for most ages and population groups declined in the past 20 years. Rates of cigarette smoking, substance abuse, and violent criminal victimization of adolescents increased during the last decade. The percent of youngsters enrolled in preschool increased since 1980. Mathematics proficiency rates increased modestly, and high school completion rates increased substantially for blacks since 1980. (Appendices contain detailed data tables, and data sources and limitations.) (KB)

This KIDS COUNT data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Connecticut's children. After listing the regional population, racial/ethnic background, poverty status, and family setting of Connecticut's children, the statistical report examines 13 indicators of well-being: (1) percentage of children receiving welfare benefits; (2) low birth weight per 1,000 births; (3) infant mortality rate; (4) percentage of births with late or no prenatal care; (5) percentage of all births to teen mothers; (6) child death rate; (7) percentage of students meeting Connecticut Mastery Test goals; (8) percentage of tenth graders well below the Connecticut Academic Performance Test standard; (9) percentage of all students grades 9-12 who are high school dropouts; (10) juvenile violent crime arrest rate; (11) child abuse/neglect rates; (12) teen death rate; and (13) child poverty. Section 1 of the report summarizes recent brain development research and the ways development is hindered or helped by the environment. Sections 2 and 3 present child well-being indicators, organized by indicator and region, respectively. The document concludes with an explanation of terms and methodology. Findings indicate that about 19 percent of children live in poverty. In the last 10 years, there has been a slight worsening of the low birth weight rate, improvements in infant mortality, an increase in the percentage of mothers receiving prenatal care, and a decrease in the percentage of all births to teenage mothers. In 1995-96, 30 percent of sixth graders met state goals on the Connecticut Mastery Test. The dropout rate improved slightly during the past 5 years. The juvenile violent crime arrest rate per 100,000 increased from 1991-92 to 1995-96. (Contains 22 references.) (KB)

This Kids Count report provides information on state and countywide trends in the well-being of New Jersey's children between the early and middle 1990s. The statistical report is based on 13 indicators of child well being: (1) children receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; (2) children receiving food stamps; (3) low birth weight; (4) no prenatal care; (5) infant mortality; (6) births to teens; (7) child deaths; (8) teen deaths; (9) juvenile arrests; (10) juvenile commitments; (11) child abuse substantiated; (12) family problems; and (13) out of home placement. Findings show statewide increases in the number of children receiving AFDC benefits and food stamps, infants with low birth weight, women receiving no prenatal care, juvenile arrests and commitments, and family problems. There have been decreases in: the number of births to teens; deaths of infants, children, and teens; and out of home placements. The bulk of the report is devoted to county profiles. The report also contains city profiles for Atlantic City, Camden, Vineland, East Orange, Irvington, Newark, Orange, Bayonne, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union City, Trenton, New Brunswick, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Asbury Park, Middletown, Brick Township, Dover Township, Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Plainfield. A glossary of indicators is appended. (KDFB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Nebraska's children. The statistical portrait is based on seven general areas of children's well-being: (1) early care and education; (2) physical and behavioral health; (3) child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence; (4) out of home care; (5) education; (6) economic well-being; and (7) juvenile justice. Indicator one focused on child care, education programs, and Head Start. Indicator two focused on prenatal care, low birthweight babies, birth defects, child deaths, infant mortality and substance abuse. Indicator three focused on substantiated cases of abuse and neglect, and domestic violence shelters. Indicator four focused on foster care homes, out of home care, and children in state custody. Indictor five focused on high school graduation, dropout, and special education. Indicator six studied single parent families, divorce, child support, school food programs, and housing costs. The final indicator focused on juvenile arrests, offenses, detention, and parole. Hopeful findings included a steady increase in the number of places funded for children enrolled in Head Start, increase in WIC food supplements, and an increase in eligible children receiving Medicaid. Of concern was the dramatic increase in number of children in foster care and juvenile arrests. (SD)

This 1997 Kids Count report examines challenges to Colorado children and youth and how prevention and early intervention can enhance their well-being. The report includes a summary of recent research on brain development and the importance of early experience and stimulation in early intervention programs. The levels of state funding for various programs serving children and their families are delineated. The statistical report is based on 12 indicators of child well being: (1) child poverty; (2) paternity establishment; (3) early prenatal care; (4) low birth weight; (5) infant mortality rate; (6) teen birth rate; (7) immunizations; (8) health insurance; (9) child abuse deaths; (10) teen suicide rate; (11) high school graduation rate; and (12) youth unemployment. Results indicate that Colorado has met its first goal, identified in 1990's Children's Campaign, by reducing the infant mortality rate to 6.9 per thousand. There has been excellent progress on paternity establishment and immunization, and slower progress on early prenatal care and teen births. Progress on goals for child abuse and neglect, health insurance, and teen suicide is stagnant. Lack of progress on low-weight births and high school graduation rates is also troubling. The report challenges the state to promote health, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral growth of all Colorado children by championing preventive health care, quality child care, and family support during children's formative years. (KDFB)

This Kids Count data book profiles the status of children in Kansas, based on 17 indicators of well being. The indicators are grouped into four areas: (1) economic well-being--births to single teens, children approved for free school meals, and children receiving economic assistance; (2) physical health and safety--child death rates, infant mortality rates, births with early prenatal care, kindergartners fully immunized by age two, and low birth weight babies; (3) childhood care and education--Head Start participation, child care availability, high school graduate post-secondary education, births to mothers with less than a high school degree, and high school graduation rates; and (4) emotional well-being--teen violent death rates, out-of-home placement, youth alcohol use, and children in grades 5 through 12 who have used drugs other than alcohol. Section 1 of the report is comprised of tables and graphic displays detailing findings for each indicator on a county and statewide basis. Part 2, the bulk of the report, is comprised of statistics for each county listed alphabetically, a graphic and narrative description of changes over time, and demographic information. The overall finding is one of small but significant improvements in most of the indicators, especially the reduction in the childhood death rate and teen violent death rate. Concerns highlighted include the number of infants born to single teens, the number of school age children eligible for free school meals, and the amount of alcohol use among youth. Appendices discuss the selection of indicators and data sources. (KDFB)

This resource guide is designed to help teachers assist pregnant and parenting teens, such as those enrolled in Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) programs, in achieving the competencies outlined in the GRADS Ohio Competency Analysis Profile. Introductory materials include information on use of the guide and resource material on two key issues for classroom instruction: trauma and posttraumatic stress and involving parents in the education of teen parents. The main part of the guide begins with a unit on the process competencies that represent important lifelong learning skills for adolescent parents. The nine content units are as follows: self-formation; pregnancy, wellness, and prenatal care; postpartum/neonatal care; parenting; enhancing child development; creation of a healthy, safe environment; relationships and social support systems; economic independence; and employability. Learning activities in these units reinforce the process competencies as students study and develop action plans. Each unit includes the following components: one-page overview, teacher background information, learning activities for both individual students and groups, action projects designed to help students transfer learning to real-life situations, and student resources (handouts). Special features of the learning activities include performance assessment, family involvement, journal activities, and student-developed resource notebooks. (YLB)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of North Dakota's children. The statistical report is based on indicators of child well-being in six areas: (1) family composition, including foster care placement; (2) economic conditions, including children in near or extreme poverty; (3) child health, including low birthweight, and infant and child mortality; (4) education, including high school drop out rates, special education enrollment, Head Start enrollment, and average expenditures per pupil; (5) child safety, including child abuse and neglect, child care capacity, and children affected by domestic violence; and (6) teens at risk, including juvenile court referrals, out of school teens, and juvenile arrests. Part 1 of the report describes the organization and selection of data. Part 2 gives an overview of the statewide trends in each indicator. Part 3, the bulk of the report, contains state, region, and county profiles for each indicator. Results indicate that race/ethnicity, immigration status, and family size are related to child well-being. Foster care demand is increasing faster than the supply. Nearly half the children under six live in poor or nearly poor families. Child health continues to exceed national averages on most indicators, with infant mortality continuing to decline. The high school dropout rate, has declined slightly but dropout continues to be a problem for some reservation counties. About 10 percent of children receive special education. About 4 percent of children are effected by domestic violence. Juvenile court referrals for property offenses have declined. (Definitions and data sources are appended.) (KB)

This Kids Count report examined statewide trends in the well-being of Rhode Island's children. Five chapters addressed the areas of: family and community; economic well-being; child health; safety; and education. The statistical portrait is based on 26 indicators of well-being: (1) children in single parent families; (2) median household income; (3) cost of rent; (4) children in poverty; (5) children receiving AFDC; (6) children receiving food stamps; (7) children receiving school breakfast; (8) children without health insurance; (9) women and children receiving WIC; (10) women and delayed prenatal care; (11) low birthweight infants; (12) infant mortality; (13) children with lead poisoning; (14) births to teens; (15) alcohol, drug, and cigarette use by teens; (16) additional children's health issues; (17) child deaths; (18) teen deaths; (19) homeless children; (20) juveniles referred to family court; (21) child abuse and neglect; (22) child care; (23) children enrolled in Head Start; (24) fourth-grade reading skills; (25) high school graduation rate; and (26) teens not in school and not working. The information on each indicator contains the following: definitions; significance; sidebars; city/town tables; core cities data; comparison data; and most recent available data. (SD)

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 following 12 areas: (1) family economic realities; (2) family expenses and child support; (3) family health; (4) infant mortality; (5) teen births; (6) high school dropout rates; (7) high school graduates prepared for college; (8) K-12 education; (9) child abuse; (10) foster care; (11) gun-related incidents resulting in child injury or death; and (12) youth arrests. The report's introduction details serious limitations with the available data, discusses data interpretation, and presents recommendations for state and county officials and Californian citizens to improve conditions for California families. The bulk of the report contains state and county level fact sheets reporting on demographic information and the indicators throughout the 1990s. The California fact sheet indicates that although the state economy is booming, a large percentage of children are from low-income or extremely poor families. The infant mortality rate dropped considerably since 1990; however, birth outcomes have not improved. The teen birth rate decreased for all ethnic groups. There has been steady improvement in the high school dropout rate for all ethnic groups. After climbing steadily for 10 years, the child abuse rate leveled off in the last 2 years. The report's summary tables list state and countywide data for comparison purposes. (KB)

This Kids Count factbook details statewide trends in the well-being of Wyoming's children. The 1997 report has been expanded to include detailed information on the status of children by categories of welfare, health, and education. The first part of the factbook documents trends by county for 15 indicators: (1) poverty and population; (2) education; (3) births; (4) early prenatal care; (5) percent of mothers who smoked during pregnancy; (6) percent of low birth weight babies; (7) births to teens; (8) infant deaths; (9) children with developmental disabilities; (10) certified day care facilities; (11) child deaths; (12) teen violent deaths; (13) teen motor vehicle deaths; (14) teen suicides; and (15) juvenile arrests for violent crime. The statistical findings include the following: in 1993, 14.9 percent of Wyoming children were living in poverty; the number of births in Wyoming had declined since 1990; on average, 22 percent of Wyoming's mothers smoked during pregnancy; Wyoming continues to exceed the national average of low birth-weight babies; the percent of babies born to teen mothers has increased slightly since 1990; and teen violent deaths and teen motor vehicle deaths have increased since 1990. The next part of the factbook presents the child care providers compensation study, which include the following findings: child care teachers in for-profit centers receive lower wages than in non-profit/non-government centers; teachers' average starting salary was $16,057; home providers earn an average of $6,400 per year, working 11 1/2 hours per day, 5 days a week, closing only 15 days per year. The remainder of the factbook presents state and county profiles for the indicators listed above. A directory of legislators concludes the document. (HTH)

This is the second edition of an annual report on trends in the well-being of America's children and youth. Presented in five sections, the report describes national trends for over 80 indicators of the well-being of children and youth, based on data collected by the federal government. The information provided for each indicator includes one or more tables documenting recent historical trends and important population sub-group differences, graphics to highlight key trends and group contrasts, and accompanying text that describes the importance of each indicator and highlights the most salient features of the data. The indicators are grouped into five substantive areas: (1) population, family, and neighborhood; (2) economic security; (3) health conditions and health care; (4) social development, behavioral health, and teen fertility; and (5) education and achievement. (KB)

This Kids Count report is the third to examine statewide trends in the well-being of Hawaii's children. The bulk of this statistical report is comprised of indicator results and is divided into four major sections: (1) family composition and resources, including children in poverty, children in single parent families, births to single teens, and children with health insurance; (2) infancy and preschool years, including low-birth-weight infants, infant mortality rate, immunization rates, children at risk for developmental problems, and child abuse and neglect; (3) early school years, includes child death rates, children of working parents in after school programs, fourth graders' academic progress, and children with special needs; and (4) adolescence and youth, including eighth graders' academic progress, high school graduation rates, idle teens, juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes, substance use, teenage pregnancy, and teen violent deaths. Findings indicate that there have been improvements since 1990 in teen pregnancies, infant and child mortality rates, immunizations by age 2, and teen violent death rate. Conditions have worsened in the percent of children in poverty, income spent on shelter, low birthweight, children with working parents in after school programs, on-time high school graduation, excessive alcohol use, and juvenile violent crime arrest rates. The report provides a demographic profile of Hawaiian children, compares Hawaiian to national data, and describes the methodology and data sources. (KB)

This Kids Count fact book is the fourth to report on the well-being of children and youth in the District of Columbia. The report's Executive Summary presents overall findings, and the bulk of the report presents trends in eight areas: (1) economic security; (2) family attachment and community support; (3) child day care; (4) homeless children and families; (5) child health; (6) deaths to children and teens; (7) safety and personal security; and (8) education. The report also discusses general population trends affecting the district's children; comparisons among the district's wards; district systems reform since the last report; recommendations to improve outcomes for the district's children, and indicator definitions and data sources. The report's findings indicate that about half of the district's children receive their sole support from welfare. The unwed birth rate declined for the second straight year to 66 percent, with about 15 percent of children born to teenagers. Paternity and child support court cases declined, while child abuse and neglect cases increased slightly. About half of mothers received adequate prenatal care in 1995. The number of low birthweight infants and the infant mortality rate declined for two years, but are still about twice the national level. The number of teen violent deaths decreased slightly. Juvenile cases increased by two percent. There have been no significant improvements in third or eleventh graders' mathematics achievement since 1989, and both have declined in reading achievement. The graduation rate fell to 48 percent in the years since 1995. Head Start enrollments have plummeted since the 1992-93 school year. (KB)

This Kids Count data book is the fourth to examine the well-being of Arkansas' children and notes trends from 1990 to 1995. The report's introductory sections include discussions of the potential impact of welfare reform on Arkansas' children, and present figures detailing the number of children affected by particular risk factors each week. The statistical report is based on 13 core indicators of well-being: (1) unemployment rate; (2) per capita personal income; (3) Aid to Families Profiles with Dependent Children (AFDC) participation;(4) Food Stamp Program participation; (5) School Lunch Program participation; (6) Women, Infants and Children's Nutrition Program participation; (7) high school dropout rate; (8) percent births to women with less than 12 years of education; (9) teen birth rate; (10) infant mortality rate; (11) child maltreatment rate; (12) teen arrest rate; and (13) teen violent death rate. The bulk of the report presents state and county profiles and, in tabular format, county and statewide data for indicators of safety and security, socioeconomic status, health, and education. Appended are indicator definitions and data sources. Findings indicate that for core indicators, between 1990 and 1995, there were improvements in per capita income, unemployment rate, AFDC participation, high school dropout rate, percent of births to women with less than 12 years education, and the infant mortality rate. Arkansas' children fared less well in 1995 in terms of participation in other assistance programs, teen birth rate, child maltreatment rate, and teen arrest and violent death rate. (KB)

This KIDS COUNT report examines trends in the status of South Carolina children on a state-wide and county basis. The statistical portrait is based on 32 indicators of well-being, grouped into 6 categories: (1) family (family characteristics, child neglect/abuse); (2) economic status (poverty, mean family income); (3) health (prenatal care, immunization, cigarette smoking); (4) readiness and early school performance (grades 1-3); (5) school achievement (including special education and dropout rate); and (6) adolescent risk behavior (pregnancy, alcohol and drug use). Data are analyzed in detail and summarized in tabular form at the end of each state/county report; tables summarize data for the most recently available year and trends over the last three comparable periods. The report finds that too many children in the state are at risk of not growing up to be self-supporting adults, with 25.1 percent of them in single-parent families, 21.0 percent in poverty, 27.3 percent dropping out of school, and 37.4 percent of high school students using alcohol and 20.7 percent using drugs each month. (EAJ)