Each year since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has published a report on the well-being of children and families. Pending data availability, the Forum updates all 40 indicators annually on its Web site (http: //childstats.gov) and alternates publishing a detailed report, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, with a summary version that highlights selected indicators. The America's Children series makes Federal data on children and families available in a nontechnical, easy-to-use format in order to stimulate discussion among data...

As described below, each section of the report corresponds to one of the seven domains and includes a set of key indicators. These indicators either characterize an aspect of well-being or an influence on well-being. The report does not distinguish between these two types of indicators, nor does it address the relationships between them. Yet all the indicators are important if we are to assess the well-being of children. Family and Social Environment includes indicators that characterize or are related to children's family and social environment. Economic Circumstances includes indicators...