Because nonprofit and voluntary organizations are primary vehicles of citizen action and participation, they serve as important mechanisms to understand how the needs of children can be heard in the policymaking process and how the quality of children's lives can be improved. In Who Speaks for America's Children, leading experts in children's health policy, education policy, community organizing, and sociology focus on the ways nonprofit organizations and community groups influence policymaking on children's issues. Seven chapters frame the issues, raise critical questions, and explore opportunities for further study.

The Interagency Forum on Child and Family Stat. develops priorities for collecting data on children and youth, improve the reporting and dissem. of info. on the status of children to the policy community and the general public, and produce more complete data on children at the State and local levels. This report presents key indicators grouped in seven sections: family and social environ., economic circumstances, health care, physical environ. and safety, behavior, education, and health. It incorporates several modifications: a regular indicator on adolescent depression has been added; and a special feature, Children with Special Health Care Needs, has been included. Extensive charts, tables and graphs. A print on demand report.

Presents an overview of the well-being of America's children. It is a product of collaborative efforts by 18 Federal agencies. Readers will find here an accessible compendium -- drawn from the most recent, most reliable official statistics -- to both the promises and the difficulties confronting our Nation's young people. Includes: population and family characteristics; economic security indicators; health indicators; behavior and social environment indicators; education indicators; blood lead levels; and child care. Appendices: detailed tables, and sources and limitations of data. Dozens of charts and tables.

This report "is a compendium of indicators about our Nation's young people. The report, the 20th produced by the Forum, presents 41 key indicators on important aspects of children's lives. These indicators are drawn from our most reliable Federal statistics, are easily understood by broad audiences, are objectively based on substantial research, are balanced so that no single area of children's lives dominates the report, are measured often to show trends over time, and are representative of large segments of the population rather than one particular group."--P iii

This report provides an accessible compendium of indicators drawn from the most reliable official statistics across topics. Indicators are chosen because they are easy to understand; are based on substantial research connecting them to child well-being; vary across important areas of children¿s lives; are measured regularly so that they can be updated and show trends over time; and represent large segments of the population, rather than one particular group. The indicators are organized into seven sections, each focusing on a domain relevant to children¿s lives: Family and Social Environment; Economic Circumstances; Health Care; Physical Environment and Safety; Behavior; Education; and Health. Charts and tables.