This book contains a series of articles that represent a broad range of viewpoints about how the use of social indicators affects child and family policy. The book discusses the use of indicators as an effective tool to change policy. A distinguished, international group of researchers and policymakers provide insights into the past, current and future use of good information to develop and change policy that improves the well-being of children and youth. This book will be of value to policymakers, journalists, researchers and professionals working in the social sciences, humanities and health professions. It is one of the first efforts to link child well-being indicators to policies and services. It combines methodology issues with conceptual issues and actual experience, and looks on child well-being indicators from an effectiveness perspective.

Zusammenfassung
ROBERT C. GRANGER William T. Grant Foundation During the past 10 years or so, a number of researchers, policymakers, and prac- tioners have made important progress on the identi?cation and use of indicators of children's well-being. The United States federal government, via the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, as well as such private funders as the Annie E. Casey Foundation, have supported many of these efforts. During this time, the William T. Grant Foundation, who was not a primary funder of such activities, was nevertheless one of the many institutions bene?ting from the work. Fortunately, Asher Ben-Arieh, Larry Aber, and Bob Goerge persuaded us to support a working conference on how to assess the effects of indicator usage on policiesandprograms.Thisvolumeistheresultoftheirtalentsandtheclearthinking of many of their colleagues. It is my pleasure to introduce the volume with a few thoughts about its contributions and the questions that remain.

Inhalt
GENERAL.- GENERAL.- The Role of Social Indicators in an Era of Human Service Reform in the United States.- Measuring and Monitoring Children'sWell-Being: The Policy Process.- USING THE INDICATORS.- USING THE INDICATORS.- Indicator Measurement in Comprehensive Community Initiatives.- The Power of Regional Indicators in Achieving Action: The Southern Regional Initiative on Child Care.- The Use of Indicators of Child Well-Being in the United Kingdom and the European Union.- Using Indicators of Child Well-Being at the International Level.- THE POLICY PERSPECTIVE.- THE POLICY PERSPECTIVE.- Preparing Indicators for Policymakers and Advocates.- Using Indicators of School Readiness to Improve Public Policy for Young Children.- Increasing the Impact of Indicators Among Legislative Policymakers.- How Can We Better Use Whole Population and Outcomes Indicators: A Policymaker's Perspective.- THE RESEARCH PERSPECTIVEMETHODS AND TECHNIQUES.- THE RESEARCH PERSPECTIVEMETHODS AND TECHNIQUES.- Studying the Role of Child Well-Being Indicators in the Policy Process: Using Surveys Among Decision Makers.- Indicators and Policy Decisions: The Important Role of Experimental Studies.- Informative or Not? Media Coverage of Child Social Policy Issues..- Some Possible Directions for Research.- Studying the Impact of Indicators of Child Well-Being on Policies and Programs.