This assessment of children’s well-being in Santa Clara County was based on 20 indicators measuring five outcome areas: community, family, children’s physical health, children’s social and emotional health, and children’s intellectual health. Over 50 community members contributed to the project. In addition to collecting and analyzing pertinent data, ASR researched and presented national promising practices for each of the five outcome areas.

The Children’s Executive Council (CEC) of San Mateo County asked the Children’s Executive Council Action Team to identify outcomes and indications for children’s health and well-being. The CEC was interested in developing a report on children to build community-wide consensus, to help policymakers and the public understand concrete results of investments in children, and to guide program development and resource allocation.

ASR was contracted to lead the data design and collection effort. The project identified six outcomes desired for children, including that children are safe, healthy, nurtured in a stable environment, succeeding in school, out of trouble, and supported by systems. For the third year of the report, data for key indicators were collected in outcome areas refined to be more inclusive: children are healthy; children are nurtured and in a stable, caring environment; children are succeeding in school; and children are safe. For each of these general outcomes, a set of indicators was selected to help quantify progress. The report also identified areas in which better data were needed, and led to recommendations as to how policymakers and service providers could align their activities and their outcomes.

ASR completed the 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report Card for the Contra Costa County Children and Families Policy Forum. This third Children's Report Card consists of 24 indicators that measure the status of children and families, arranged in four outcome areas: Children are Healthy and Ready for School, Youth are Healthy and Preparing for Adulthood, Families are Economically Self-sufficient, and Families and Communities are Safe.

ASR completed a Children’s Report Card for Nevada County called KidsCAP: A Report to the Community on the Well-Being of Nevada County’s Babies and Young Children. The report was commissioned by First 5 Nevada County and provides comprehensive data on over 20 indicators of the well-being of Nevada County’s children. There were three focus areas, including Parent Education and Support Services; Early Care and Development; and Health and Wellness. To better understand the needs of children in Nevada County, ASR developed a telephone survey for parents of children under six years old. To augment findings from the survey, ASR also used data from a variety of credible sources including the California Department of Health Services and the California Employment Development Department.

Findings from the report will be used by First 5 Nevada County to launch a Parent Education and Support Initiative in 2004, with a focus on health. The Commission will fund services and education on asthma, obesity, immunizations and child development areas identified by parents. Parents will design and help administer the program, because they are the experts! In addition to the report, ASR developed a professionally designed tri-fold to highlight key findings from the KidsCAP and assist with data dissemination.