America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007
Conceptual Framework for America's Children
There are many interrelated aspects of children's well-being, and only selected aspects can be included in this report. In order to identify the key areas to be included, the Forum investigated various overarching conceptual frameworks. This report draws on many of those frameworks, identifying seven major domains that characterize the well-being of a child and influence the likelihood that a child will grow to be a well-educated, economically secure, productive, and healthy adult. The seven domains are family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. These domains are also interrelated and can have synergistic effects on well-being.
As described below, each section of the report corresponds to one of the seven domains and includes a set of key indicators. These indicators either characterize an aspect of well-being or influence well-being. The report does not distinguish between these two types of indicators nor does it address the relationships between them, but all the indicators are important if we are to assess the well-being of children.
- Family and Social Environment includes indicators that characterize or are related to children's family and social environment.
- Economic Circumstances includes indicators that characterize or are related to children's basic material needs.
- Health Care includes indicators that characterize determinants of, or use of, health services.
- Physical Environment and Safety includes indicators that characterize children's environmental conditions or are related to children's safety.
- Behavior includes indicators that characterize personal behaviors and their effects.
- Education includes indicators that characterize or are related to how children learn and progress in school.
- Health includes indicators that characterize or are related to physical, mental, and social aspects of children's health.