Florida's children face the same health and welfare issues found in many other states. Changing family structure, growing poverty among families with young children, limited access to health and social services, an expanding immigrant population, and a tough state budget situation make focusing on children increasingly important for policymakers.…

This illustrated guide was designed to help parents understand: (1) how blood cholesterol in children is related to heart disease later in life; (2) which children should get their cholesterol tested and what to expect afterwards; (3) how the whole family can eat in a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol way; and (4) how to help children follow a…

This study examined the degree to which mothers' perceptions of their marital relationships, the support provided to them by their mothers and others, and their adjustment to pregnancy and motherhood, were associated with success at initiating and maintaining lactation during the first year after their child's birth. The incidence and duration of…

The unmet health needs of children, both globally and in the United States, have recently been extensively publicized in the media. Such publicity leads to the question: What can be done about these disturbing conditions? An answer can be seen in the ways in which vast proportions of the world's population, constrained by meager means, few…

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is one of many federal agencies working to understand autism. The NICHD supports and conducts research on what causes autism, how many people have autism, how best to treat…

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a new public education outreach program designed to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. The program is a collaboration of four Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):…

This article summarizes state and community policy activities during the first six months of 2006 and provides updates of the progress to serve infants, toddlers, and their families. The following states are included in the report: (1) Rhode Island; (2) Virginia; (3) New York; (4) Pennsylvania; (5) Nebraska; (6) Ohio; (7) Washington; (8) Arizona;…

The "ACNJ Child Advocate" is published by the Association for Children of New Jersey three times a year. ACNJ collects, analyzes, and distributes information on the well-being of children in New Jersey so that policymakers can pinpoint problems and work toward solutions. It reports data on key indicators of child well-being in each…

This policy brief describes the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative, a policy designed to improve early childhood programs to ensure that all children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn. The SECCS is intended to help states build a bridge from birth to school and addresses how states will support children and…

This report stems from an invitation to the Center staff to reflect on the past, present, and future of mental health in schools for a brief presentation. Because the topic is so broad, we knew that the request for a "brief" overview would not provide sufficient detail. Anyone who has spent time in schools can itemize the multifaceted…

This document consists of four issues of a quarterly newsletter to communicate the major developments within each sector of the child and youth indicators field. The newsletters feature regular sections on the community, state, and national scenes, and include sections of resources and data. The Spring 2001 issue includes articles on the results…

Significant progress has been made through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in recent years to get health insurance to families who cannot afford it. However, children being raised by their grandparents or other relative caregivers are often harder than other groups to reach through standard outreach activities. To find…

Noting that too many children with elevated lead levels are not being identified in the United States, this report presents policy guidelines for increasing screening and follow-up care of children who most need these services, and for helping communities pursue the most appropriate approach to preventing childhood lead poisoning. Following an…

In preparation for the reauthorization of Head Start, this study examined the number and characteristics of participants served, the services provided and the way they were delivered, federal and nonfederal program dollars received and spent by programs delivered by Head Start, and other programs providing similar early childhood services. The…

This report on the well-being of the world's children focuses on the issue of malnutrition and its impact on children's lives. Chapter 1: (1) discusses the incidence of malnutrition and the complex interplay of factors that cause malnutrition, including poor health services and discrimination against women; (2) presents several approaches to…