Family Indicators of the Advisory and Planning

This report examines the social indicators available for monitoring the situation of children and families in the United States. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the indicators for facilitating an informed public and private dtbate, and it recommends ways in,which social indicators can be improved and supplemented to cintribute more effectively to the quality and productivity of bAh the policz debate amd the policies themselves. The focus Of the report is onTi.)---the child and those features of the child"s environment which affect hi or her progress to adulthood and (2) those aspects of the family wh.ch pertain to its function as a childrearing environment. After e execptive summary provided in section I, the report specifies t e prqbtem, reviews the primary data sets currently in existence, and peser(ts several principles that should guide improvement efforts. 4ctibn 3 organizes the wide rang