More Resources America's Children in Brief

The condition of America's children is a harbinger of the future. As the release of today's report shows, our youth are doing well in some areas and not so well in others. I was happy to see that fewer babies are having babies, with the adolescent birth rate dropping to a record low in 2002. That means more teenage girls can finish high school or go on to college without the extra responsibility of raising a child. But the report shows that we also face challenges, like obesity, and an increase in the poverty rate. While it's important to note that we have to address these challenges, the report shows that more parents are reading to their children and more high school students are taking the tough courses.

We know that education is key. That's why grants to help children learn to read are a signature of No Child Left Behind. Surely, the activities made possible by these grants will complement parents' efforts to read with their children at home and could ultimately lead to more students being prepared to tackle the challenges of hard courses later in their educational careers. This report is a good indication that the well-being of America's children is being taken seriously by parents and policymakers as we all work together to ensure that truly, no child is left behind.

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