Each year since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (Forum) has published "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," a report that includes detailed information on the well-being of children and families. This Brief highlights selected indicators from the more detailed report, which were…

Heart Health is grounded in the skill of learning to listen to the language of the heart. It connects students to their heart-rate data, and offers insights into what these numbers mean using the framework of Heart Zones Training. There are eight learning opportunities that originate from the following questions: How does heart health information…

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides funds to states to expand health insurance coverage for low-income children who are uninsured. States have a great deal of flexibility to design and implement SCHIP, resulting in considerable diversity across states. Enrollment reached 3.4 million in federal fiscal year 2000 and…

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was created to ensure that children in low-income areas could have access to nutritious meals during the summer months when school is not in session. During the school year about 15 million low-income children depend on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) for…

This report summarizes the association of welfare sanctions--benefits terminated or reduced for failure to comply with behavioral requirements--with the health and food security of children younger than 3 years of age in 6 large U.S. cities (Baltimore, Boston, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.). Information for the report…

Intended for Spanish-speaking farmworkers with children, this publication in comic book format tells these parents how they can protect their children from pesticide risks. On returning home from work, one farmworker couple does not hug their young children. When their behavior is questioned by neighbors, the mother explains that the fields were…

In an effort to provide uninsured children with health care, California and states across the nation have focused on locating uninsured children and enrolling them in Medicaid and their state children's health insurance program. This report provides a comprehensive examination of California's efforts and offers strategies for keeping children…

This book describes current controversy in medical journals over existing treatments for chronic childhood earaches. It suggests that the causes of otitis media are a series of events which flourish when poor nutrition occurs, noting that careful attention to diet and nutrition to prevent food allergies, and the use of acupressure, homeopathic…

Recognizing that many families might be unaware that their home may contain lead hazards, the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 issued a grant to the University of Illinois-Chicago to develop a model curriculum for junior high school students on the risks of lead in the home and environment. This integrated seven-lesson unit…

In response to California's 1992 Lead-Safe Schools Protection Act, the state's Department of Health Services conducted a study of the extent of lead contamination in paint, soil, and water in California schools. Data were collected in the field between 1995 and 1997. This report presents the study findings to the state legislature and makes…

This report provides detailed information on the child poverty rates in Toronto from 1990 to 1998. The report card offers income data for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It includes new income data for Toronto from the Family Databank of Statistics Canada. This databank uses information reported by all income tax filers and from the Canada Child Tax…

Sure Start Scotland is part of a broader action program for children from birth to age three and their families with the objectives of improving children's social and emotional development, health, and ability to learn, as well as strengthening families and communities. This summary report details a "mapping" project to identify services…

By bringing together neurologists, developmental psychologists, pediatricians, and economists, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child offers a unique knowledge base from which early childhood policy and practice can be informed. By communicating how and why early experiences have a lasting impact on brain architecture--and what…

This publication offers concrete suggestions for schools working to improve the health and school attendance of students with asthma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six strategies for schools and districts to consider when addressing asthma within a coordinated school health program. The six strategies detailed…

In the fall of 1993, the Nevada Department of Education conducted its third biennial survey to assess drug and alcohol attitudes and use among students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. The results of this survey are reported here. All of the state's school districts were represented by the 9,401 students participating. The survey findings are…