Child and family demographic trends help project potential needs for education, child care, health care, and other services. Demographic projections point to an overall shortage of children relative to older populations, which will lead to workforce and taxpayer shortages in the coming decades (1, 2). This means each child is more important to the future of California and the U.S. than ever before (1). It also means that leaders need to invest in programs and policies that nurture children and help them reach their potential, and they need to align service systems with shifting demographics. For example, leaders can ensure that culturally appropriate services are available for families and that communities with higher concentrations of children have adequate resources in place to support them.
Demographic factors also matter because the circumstances in which children are born and grow up—as well as larger structural forces such as economics, institutions, and policies—strongly influence their health and well being (3). Decades of research demonstrate inequities in children's well being by race/ethnicity, parent education level, socioeconomic status, and other social characteristics (3, 4, 5). In addition, factors such as youth sexual orientation and gender identification are important, as LGBTQ youth are at increased risk for bullying victimization, substance abuse, child maltreatment, and other negative health and social outcomes (6, 7). The demographic composition and circumstances of children, youth, and families can provide critical insight into population needs.
For more information, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section. Also see the following topics on kidsdata.org: Family Income and Poverty, Immigrants, and Family Structure.
For more information, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section. Also see the following topics on kidsdata.org: Family Income and Poverty, Immigrants, and Family Structure.
[For more, go to https://www.kidsdata.org/topic/7/demographics/summary]
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