Although much investigation of adult social support networks has been done, little attention has been paid to children's social support networks. Childhood patterns of social support probably influence adult patterns. A study was conducted to describe the social networks of third through sixth grade children. It also tests the validity of a new instrument, the Children's Social Support Questionnaire, to measure quantitative and qualitative dimensions of children's social support networks. Participants (N=169) were third through sixth graders who obtained parental permission. All were of lower socioeconomic status. The Children's Social Support Questionnaire, consisting of questions measuring socialization, advice and information, physical assistance, and emotional support, was administered. The Perceived Competence Scale for Children, a self-reporting measure of children's perception of confidence, was also administered. The face validity results of the Children's Social Support Questionnaire were encouraging. The results showed that family members provided children with the greatest percentage of support, followed by friends. Professionals provided information and advice. Girls reported greater numbers of emotional supporters than boys. (ABL)