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This report presents findings on the well-being of American children from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a longitudinal study conducted at 4 month intervals by the U.S. Census Bureau. Data were collected in fall 1994 and include a variety of indicators to portray children's experiences while growing up, such as differences in family living arrangements, economic and social environments, and the types of neighborhoods where children live. Findings are presented in the following areas: (1) families and neighborhoods, including living arrangements and family characteristics, family income, and neighborhood safety; (2) early child care experiences, including types of child care and child care entry ages; (3) parent-child interactions, including family reading practices and evidence of television viewing rules; (4) participation in extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, and lessons; (5) academic achievement, including school changes, grade repetition, academic achievement, enrollment in gifted classes, and suspensions. Data are delineated by family or household characteristics and child's age, sex, or ethnicity. Among the main findings were the following: children in married-couple families and with higher incomes are more likely to enter non-family child care arrangements at early ages than children in single-parent or low income households. These children also have more frequent reading interactions with parents and more supervision over their television viewing, are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities and progress more steadily in school. (KB)

The US Census Bureau, as part of its Current Population Survey, collects voting and registration data in congressional and presidential years. Recently, the Bureau has posted data from the 1996 elections online. Selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are presented in both text and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Among the highlights of the report: 54 percent of the voting-age population voted in 1996, down from 61 percent in 1992; and only 66 percent of the voting-age population reported that they registered in 1996, the lowest registration rate since 1968. The site also contains information on the 1994 elections, some projection information, and several brief historical tables.

The Census Bureau has recently posted Population Division Working Papers No. 24 on its website. The paper, written by Kristin E. Smith, Loretta E. Bass, and Jason M. Fields, provides figures from four areas of child well-being: early childhood experiences, parent-child interaction, school-age enrichment activities, and children's academic experience.