The Well-Being of America's Children

This comprehensive analysis tackles the ambitious project of measuring American children's quality of life through a pioneering composite index, tracking key trends in child and youth well-being across several decades. Land's work, initiated with a grant from the Foundation for Child Development, systematically answers whether the nation was making tangible progress in improving the lives of its youngest citizens, moving beyond anecdotal evidence to hard data.

The book's distinctive power lies in its data-driven approach to social policy, offering a clear-eyed assessment of where the United States has succeeded and failed its children. For policymakers, educators, and advocates seeking to understand the long-term trajectory of child welfare, this provides an essential benchmark for evaluating programs and shaping future initiatives. Its creation of a reliable, national measurement tool fundamentally changed how we quantify and discuss children's health, safety, and overall life circumstances.