This article considers whether the disparate socioeconomic circumstances of families in which white, black, and Hispanic children grow up account for the racial and ethnic gaps in school readiness among American preschoolers. It first reviews why family socioeconomic resources might matter for children's school readiness. The authors concentrate…

This article explores whether it is possible to compare civilizations one with another; that is, whether one can construct some neutral and objective framework in terms of which we could establish in what respects one civilization might deserve to be ranked more highly than its competitors. The author states that, in addressing the idea of an…

This article discusses a study that deals with the relationship between family life and professional activity in Russian society. The materials of the present study were provided by 80 parents (40 men and 40 women) representing 40 families in St. Petersburg. Study participants included families with an average level of subsistence, making up the…

This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

The Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) is a multidimensional instrument for school-based practitioners that assesses the social environmental domains of neighborhood, school, friends, and family, as well as the well-being, behavior, and school performance of students in the third, fourth, and fifth grade. This article presents the…

The World Health Organization has encouraged a whole-school approach when trying to promote mental health and well-being in schools. The Internet-based School Well-being Profile aims to be a holistic well-being evaluation tool for schools. Well-being is divided into four categories: "school conditions", "social relationships",…

Recent studies investigating need theory and the extent to which money can buy happiness have called for more research within culturally homogeneous samples from developing countries to explore this relationship. We examine wealth as a measure of possessions and savings and relate this to subjective well-being (SWB) among poor indigenous farmers…

First published in 2002, "Key Facts about Higher Education in Washington" provides valuable information on the ways higher education serves the state and its people. The most current data and information available is presented throughout this report to highlight the "Key Facts" about Washington's postsecondary institutions,…

This book argues that a paradigmatic change of emphasis is needed from treatment to prevention in order to promote the well being of children and to reverse many of the social problems children face today. Written for an interdisciplinary audience, the book is divided into three sections. The first section provides a framework and overview of…

Minnesota KIDS COUNT focuses on key risk indicators for children and describes the condition of children in each of Minnesota's 87 counties. According to this second annual report, another generation of children is at risk of growing up with decreasing resources, evidenced by increasing arrest rates for violent crimes and substantiated reports of…

This KIDS COUNT statistical report is the first to examine indicators of children's well-being in Hawaii. The bulk of the report is comprised of the indicator results and is divided into four major sections: (1) family composition and resources, including children in poverty, children in single parent families, births to single teens, and children…

A study of 398 young adults (ages 21-26) with severe disabilities who had been out of school for 1.75 to 5 years was conducted to validate a four-factor model of quality of life for youth with severe disabilities in transition from school to community and from youth to adulthood. Information was gathered on life satisfaction, employment-economic…

This report presents activities of the Family Connection initiative in Georgia, whose aim is systemic change and improvement in child health, child development, family functioning, school performance, and family economic capacity. Section 1, "The National Context," illustrates how Family Connection efforts reflect a national recognition…

This Kids Count data book examines county and statewide trends of Idaho children's well-being. The statistical profile is based on 14 indicators: (1) children under age 18 in poverty; (2) children in single parent families; (3) births with adequate prenatal care; (4) infant mortality rate; (5) births to mothers age 10 to 19 without prenatal care;…

A collection of papers on distance education is presented. "Distance Education: An Option for Social Welfare and Social Work Education in the 1990s" (Robert A. Bush and Chris J. Williams) discusses the implications for welfare education of changes in tertiary education and community services industry that are likely to pressure welfare…