The Future of Children is a new semiannual publication that provies research and analysis to promote effective policies and programs for children. This first issue focuses on "School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps." For more than 30 years, researchers have seen white children outperform black and other minority children in tests of reading and math skills. Though there is evidence that the gap has narrowed somewhat, the very persistence of this "racial and ethnic gap" remains a source considerable concern for academics, policy professionals and parents. The ethnic and racial gaps appear to reach back to the preschool years. When children reach the school door, minority children exhibit lower school readiness skills, at least those measured by standardized tests, than their white counterparts. From that point forward, the achievement gap only widens. If policy professionals are to address this disparity in academic achievement (and the consequent disparity in later opportunity), the racial and ethnic gap must be examined in the very earliest years, before students begin school with embedded inequalities. This volume critically summarizes the research on the origin and trajectory of the racial and ethnic gap in the early years from several theoretical perspectives. In particular, research is analyzed to determine when these differences start to emerge, in what areas they appear, what factors contribute to their development by the time children enter grade school and what are the long term effects. Contents: Introducing the Issue of Test Score Ethnic and Racial Disparities, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Sara McLanahan, and Cecilia Elena Rouse Identifying Racial and Ethnic Differences in School Readiness, Donald Rock and Jack Stenner Test Score Gaps: The Contribution of Family and Neighborhood Characteristics, Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson Genetic Differences and School Readiness, William T. Dickens Neuroscience Perspectives on Disparities in School Readiness, Kim Noble, B. J. Casey, and Nim Tottenham Low Birth Weight and School Readiness, Nancy Reichman The Impact of Health on School Readiness, Janet Currie Parenting, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Lisa Markman Childcare and Early Education, Katherine Magnuson and Jane Waldfogel

This volume examines the causes and consequences of increasing rates of obesity and overweight among children. In addition, it reviews specific policies and programs aimed at reducing obesity and overweight and the related health problems that result. Contents: Introducing the Issue, Christina Paxson and Elisabeth Donahue (Princeton University) Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes, Patricia M. Anderson (Dartmouth College) and Kristin F. Butcher (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago) The Consequences of Childhood Overweight and Obesity, Stephen R. Daniels (University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center) Treating Childhood Obesity and Associated Medical Conditions, Sonia Caprio (Yale University School of Medicine) The Role of Built Environments in Physical Activity, Eating, and Obesity in Children, James F. Sallis (San Diego State University and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and Karen Glanz (Emory University) The Role of Child Care Settings in Obesity Prevention, Mary Story and Karen Kaphingst (University of Minnesota and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), and Simone French (University of Minnesota) The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention, Mary Story, Karen Kaphingst, and Simone French Markets and Childhood Obesity Policy, John Cawley (Cornell University) The Role of Parents in Preventing Childhood Obesity, Ana C. Lindsay, Juhee Kim, and Steven Gortmaker (Harvard School of Public Health), and Katarina M. Sussner (Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)

In the ten years after President Clinton made good on his promise to "end welfare as we know it" by signing the reform act of 1996, the number of families on welfare dropped by over three million. This hotly contested legislation has fueled countless hyperbolic arguments from both sides of the political spectrum rather than a clearheaded examination of the actual results of the reform. Robert Cherry steps into the fray with a story that differs sharply from both conservative and liberal critiques. He portrays the women who left welfare as success stories rather than victims, and stresses the many positive lessons of the policy initiatives that accompanied the reform without downplaying the problems it created. The result is an eye-opening look at the ground-level repercussions of welfare policy changes, developments that have been overshadowed by partisan politics for too long. Anchored by solid economic research and policy background, Welfare Transformed comes alive with revealing interviews of key members of the Clinton Administration, directors and staff at welfare-to-work programs and community colleges, and - most importantly - welfare leavers themselves. Cherry carefully explains the factors (racial, social, economic, generational) that spurred and shaped the reform, and moves past partisan rhetoric in his review of its effects. Instead, he pays attention to concrete data and real people's experiences that combine to provide a full account of the legislation's aftermath. Armed with this new view, Cherry offers a range of strong suggestions for transforming successful welfare policies into universal family policies, from strengthening federal economic supports for working families to improving our community colleges. A refreshing take on a lightning-rod subject, this book is certain to foment heated discussions among all who read it.

Over the past several decades, researchers as well as social policymakers and educators have acknowledged the importance that fathers play in their children's lives. A good deal of research on fathering has been conducted among Euro-American families in North America. However, our understanding of fathering across various ethnic groups remains limited. Throughout Canada and the United States, the immigrant population has been growing rapidly. Currently, no book has delineated the field of immigrant fathering from a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary perspective which includes theory, research, and social policy. Researchers are widely recognizing that the theoretical frameworks and models of parenting, and more specifically, fathering, that were based on Euro-American families may not be relevant to other ethnic groups. As researchers refine theoretical and methodological approaches to understand fathering within sociocultural contexts, they become more cognizant of the varying meanings of parenting between and within ethnic groups. On New Shores extends the understanding of fathering in ethnic minority families and specifically focuses on immigrant fathers--an area which has remained fairly unchartered. The book provides readers with a richer and more comprehensive approach to how researchers, practitioners, and social policymakers can examine fathering among ethnic minority families.

American voters say they want to hear more about the issues and less about partisan politics. An unusually wide-open presidential race presents a unique opening for frank discussion and innovative solutions to pressing policy challenges. Opportunity 08 takes advantage of this political space to help presidential candidates, political observers, and the informed public focus on critical issues facing the nation. Opportunity 08 tackles a broad range of issues, organized under three categories: Our World, Our Society, and Our Prosperity. On the latter, for example, Brookings scholar Isabel Sawhill joins former Congressmen Bill Frenzel (R) and Charles Stenholm (D) and longtime budget counsel Bill Hoagland to provide a clear picture of the American budget deficit situation and what should be done about it. Sawhill also collaborates with Ron Haskins on a plan to provide greater support for education, work, and marriage. Hugh Price puts forth a strategy (and price tag) for boosting academic achievement among American schoolchildren. Brookings scholar Henry Aaron and Harvard professor Joseph Newhouse describe America's health care predicament and discuss options for expanding coverage and reducing costs. Mark McClellan, until recently the administrator of Medicare and Medicaid, takes another angle on the same subject. In the realm of international affairs, Jeffrey Bader and Richard Bush as well as former Bush administration official Michael Green discuss how best to deal with China. Jeremy Shapiro calls for a more analytic and threat-based approach to homeland security, arguing that many proposals are too ambitious and costly. On the Middle East, Martin Indyk and Tamara Cofman Wittes emphasize the need for a moderate coalition that will counter Iran's ambitions in the region, while also discussing political reform in Arab states and the Arab-Israeli peace process. Peter Rodman, until recently a Bush administration Pentagon official, also addresses the challenge p

How do some families successfully negotiate the linguistic, cultural, and psychological challenges of immigration, while others struggle to acculturate? This timely volume explores the complexities of immigrant family life in North America and analyzes the individual and contextual factors that influence health and well-being. Synthesizing cutting-edge research from a range of disciplines, the book addresses such key topics as child development, school achievement, and the cultural and religious contexts of parenting. It examines the interface between families and broader systems, including schools, social services, and intervention programs, and discusses how practices and policies might be improved to produce optimal outcomes for this large and diverse population.

As racially-based inequalities and spatial segregation deepen, further strained by emergent problems associated with climate change, ever-widening differences between wealth and poverty, and the economic crisis, this book issues a timely call for just, sustainable development.