America's Children

Each year since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has published  America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, a report on the well-being of children and families. These child well-being indicators span seven domains: Family and Social Environment, Economic Circumstances, Health Care, Physical Environment and Safety, Behavior, Education, and Health.

America’s Children found that children are much safer from victimization now than in the past. In 2008, the rate at which youth were victims of serious violent crimes was 12 crimes per 1,000 juveniles ages 12–17. This rate is similar to the victimization rate in 2007, but significantly lower than in 1993, when the serious violent crime victimization rate was 44 per 1,000 juveniles (the highest since 1980).

 

Not all of the indicators were good: In 2007, 43 percent of U.S. households with children had physically inadequate housing, crowded housing, and/or a housing cost burden of more than 30 percent of household income.

This year's report also reveals that health insurance coverage rates for children increased, average 8th-grade mathematics scores reached an all-time high, teen smoking was at its lowest since data collection began, and the adolescent birth rate declined after a 2-year increase. However, the percentage of children whose parents had secure employment was the lowest since 1996, and the percentage living in poverty was the highest since 1998.