The following resources discuss child and youth well-being, including child, family, and community factors that impact well-being, as well as ways to improve well-being.
America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (2017)
Presents annual statistics on more than 40 indicators in domains such as family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.
America's Report Card 2012: Policy Recommendations
First Focus (2012)
Presents policy recommendations for improving five aspects of child well-being in the United States: economic security, early childhood, K-12 education, permanency and stability, and health and safety.
Analyzing State Differences in Child Well-Being
Foundation for Child Development, Annie E. Casey Foundation, & Population Reference Bureau (2012)
Lists child well-being indexes and compares States' results in areas including family economic well-being, health, safe/risky behavior, education attainment, community engagement, social relationships, and emotional/spiritual well-being.
Flourishing Children Project
Child Trends (2014)
Highlights the development of the Flourishing Children Project, a major initiative by Child Trends to develop rigorous national indicators of flourishing among children and youth for inclusion in national surveys, research studies, and program evaluations.
Focusing on Outcomes for Youth: Well-Being
National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth
Discusses strategies to improve outcomes for runaway and homeless youth related to well-being, permanent connections, safety, and self-sufficiency. Several State and local efforts are described.
Giving Child Well-Being Data a Work Out
Axford & Little (2014)
Journal of Children's Services, 9(1)
Explores the data gathered to examine children and youth well-being and focuses on supporting child welfare professionals with the research needed to improve outcomes and daily work functions. The report provides an unpackaged version of well-being data and describes the importance of accurately depicted data sets.
Research Brief: Housing and Child Well-being
Marcal & Fowler (2015)
Washington University St. Louis, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Center for Social Development
Discusses the developmental consequences of housing instability and reviews available resources in homeless services, public housing services, and the child welfare system. It also identifies gaps in screening practices, service provision, and systems coordination, including recommendations for reducing housing instability and promoting child well-being.
More Than Jobs: Providing Disadvantaged Teens and Young Adults With Healthy Relationship Skills as a Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Improve Child Well-Being (PDF - 5,069 KB)
Bouchet (2014)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Offers professionals the tools to support youth to form and sustain healthy and intimate relationships within their systems. The report highlights key factors such as supporting youth in completing education and workforce development as well as how to overcome social and economic barriers to ensure personal success.
Primary Health Partners – Promoting Children's Health and Resiliency: A Strengthening Families Approach (PDF - 166 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy & American Academy of Pediatrics (2013)
Informs pediatricians and other health care providers about Strengthening Families and provides concrete ideas about how they can support families to build protective factors. The brief touches on general family strengthening practices as well as specific action steps to take when children are exposed to trauma.
Strange Bedfellows: How Child Welfare Agencies Can Benefit From Investing in Multidisciplinary Parent Representation (PDF - 814 KB)
Sankarian, Rideout, & Raimon (2015)
Examines the role parent advocates play in ensuring the well-being and safety for children, highlighting emerging parent representation models for children in foster care. The article explores the challenges facing child welfare agencies in engaging parents, suggests how multidisciplinary parent representation can assist them in reaching their goals, and encourages child welfare agencies to prioritize strengthening parent representation.
The State of America's Children: 2015 Research Study. A Report to Congress and the Nation (PDF - 7,537 KB)
American Humane Association (2015)
Presents findings from an indepth qualitative exploration of adults’ perceptions of the threats facing children. Includes findings, a discussion to explore how to best support the emotional, mental, and physical health of youth in America, and includes a chart detailing the American Humane Association's efforts from 1877 to 2015 to protect children.