The Child Well-Being Index (CWI) is an annual evidence-based composite measure of trends over time in the quality of life for U.S. children from birth to age 18 conducted by Duke University’s Foundation for Child Development Child and Youth Well-Being Index Project. It tracks changes as compared to 1975 base year values.

"America is doing a really bad job relative to other countries," said Reihan Salam, a fellow at the New America Foundation, referring to the well-being of US children. According to the CWI, although the recession is predicted to end in 2010, ...