This brief examines state-level data on social, economic, and child well-being measures at the outset of welfare reform, highlighting 13 states being studied in-depth. The National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) reveals that social and economic conditions relevant to welfare reform are quite diverse among the 13 states. State differences in child well-being are not as large as those for poverty, welfare dependence, single parenthood, and employment. Nevertheless, outcomes for children vary across states and also differ significantly from the national average in one or two of the indicators of child well-being in each state. For each of five child outcomes measured (behavioral and emotional problems, fair or poor health, low school engagement, skipped school, and suspended or expelled), NSAF data show that American children living in families with characteristics deemed harmful by architects of welfare reform fare significantly worse than other children. After adjusting for differences in socioeconomic conditions across states, the proportions of children experiencing negative outcomes in the 13 states move closer to the national averages in most cases, with some notable differences. Overall, states and families face diverse socioeconomic conditions, and children's well-being strongly relates to family socioeconomic status. (SM)