Library

Looking for new and notable information to help you dig deeper into an issue? Start with these featured reports and web sites, and then browse through our full selection by topic.

Reports: Featured

A National Profile of Youth and Young Adults
Annie E. Casey Foundation, October 2024
Presents data related to more than 60 indicators on the health and well-being of young people ages 14 to 24, including employment, poverty, education, health, mental health, and family and community issues. Many of the indicators are available by race and ethnicity, and are also provided by state and, in some cases, by territory, city and congressional district. more info >

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, September 2024, 118 pp.
Reports data on a set of indicators of child well-being. Indicators included are in the categories of family and social environment, economic categories, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. This is an annual report. more info >

U.S. Child Poverty in 2023
First Focus, September 2024, 8 pp.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly 14% of children (nearly 10 million) in the United States lived in households with incomes below the poverty threshold in 2023 ($37,482 for a family of four with two children). This represents a 10% increase in child poverty from 2022, resulting in almost one million more children experiencing poverty in a year. more info >

Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being
Annie E. Casey Foundation, July 2024, 54 pp.
This annual report provides data on 10 indicators of child well-being, by state and for the U.S. States are ranked on each indicator and compared to previous years. more info >

Cutting Child Poverty in Half and More: Pandemic-Era Lessons From Child and Family Advocates and Organizers
Foundation for Child Development, June 2024, 34 pp.
This paper examines how comprehensive - but temporary - pandemic-era policies dramatically reduced child poverty and uplifted low-income families. It presents data on poverty rates among young children and explores how family financial well-being directly impacts young children's prospects. more info >

A National Scan of Policies, Practices, and Systems Affecting Young People
MDRC, April 2024, 145 pp.
This evidence-focused scan looks at the landscape of programs and practices relevant to young people who are most disconnected from education, training, or employment opportunities in their communities due to obstacles related to poverty, racial inequality, or system navigation. more info >

Recent Trends in Children’s Poverty and Health Insurance as Pandemic-Era Programs Expire
Kaiser Family Foundation, January 2024, 6 pp.
This issue brief examines recent trends in children's poverty rates and the impact of expiring federal aid, including the loss of Medicaid coverage for many children. more info >

Race for Results: Building a Pathway to Opportunity for All Children
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2024, 51 pp.
This report uses the Race for Results Index, a collection of data presented by racial and ethnic groups and by state, to examine progress and disparities related to child and youth wellbeing. Indicators address early childhood, academic achievement, teen parenting, higher education, and family characteristics. more info >

The Current State of Youth Homelessness Approaches: Insights and Observations
Homeless Youth Collaborative on Developmental Evaluation, January 2024, 37 pp.
This report outlines interventions, practices, and broader strategies to prevent, reduce, and end youth homelessness. more info >

The State of America's Children
Children's Defense Fund, December 2023, 86 pp.
A compilation of national and state-by-state data on poverty, health, child welfare, youth at risk, early childhood development, education, nutrition and housing. Report is compiled annually. more info >

U.S Child Poverty Has Significantly Increased
First Focus on Children, September 2023, 8 pp.
The year 2023 saw a significant increase in child poverty, with 12.4 percent of children living in poverty in 2022 compared with 5.2% of children in 2021. This represents a more than doubling of child poverty in 2022 from 2021 - a record one-year increase due largely to the expiration of improvements to the Child Tax Credit included in the American Rescue Plan Act. more info >

Children’s Health Coverage Trends: Gains in 2020-2022 Reverse Previous Coverage Losses
ASPE, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 2023, 23 pp.
Issue brief on children’s health insurance coverage trends and access to health care services. more info >

Integrated Student Supports in Schools May Boost Lifetime Incomes for Students in Families with Low Incomes
Child Trends, December 2022, 1 pp.
“Soft skills” are important for human capital development and workforce success. Nevertheless, a soft skills “gap” is noted by many employers. This white paper recommends a research-based set of key soft skills that increase the chance that youth ages 15–29 will be successful in the workforce. more info >

Child Tax Credit Options for Reducing Child Poverty
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Columbia Center on Poverty and Social Policy, November 2022, 3 pp.
One of a series of reports presents state Child Tax Credit options that would reduce state child poverty rates when coupled with existing federal law. more info >

Reviewing the Research Base from 1985-2020: Infant and Toddler Child Care and At-Risk Children’s School Readiness
University of Virginia, July 2021, 64 pp.
This report reviews research on infant and toddler child care conducted since roughly 1985, looking particularly at studies highlighting the roles subsidized care, child care quality, and different programmatic inputs can play in supporting the school readiness of young children considered to be at-risk for poor developmental outcomes. more info >

Web sites

Child Care & Early Education Research Connections
Promotes high-quality research in child care and early education and the use of that research in policy making. Includes reports, data, a database of instruments, information on policies, and links to other resources. more info >

diversitydatakids.org
Presents measures of child wellbeing and policy analysis for states, counties, large cities, and metropolitan areas. more info >