Findings of this staff report provide a picture of the conditions in which American children and families are living in the 1980s and offer a basis for projecting families' needs in the future. While the findings are not definitive, they reflect consistent themes which have emerged from both the personal testimony presented by parents and children in Select Committee hearings, and the evidence presented by prominent scholars and practitioners. Highlighted are trends in economic security, poverty, child care, housing, education, health, and child welfare. These trends suggest disturbing realities for many of America's children and families. During the 1980s, millions of American families have fallen behind. The number of children in poverty continues to grow, with children replacing older persons as America's poorest age group. The number of non-elderly persons without health insurance, one-third of whom are children, has increased dramatically over the past decade. Many families, especially young ones, are finding it increasingly difficult to house and educate their children, pay for child care, save for the future, and care for dependent parents. Full-time employment, even of both parents, often is not enough to keep families out of poverty. (RH)