The Annie E. Casey Foundation is dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged families and children in the United States. To this end, the foundation created KIDS COUNT, a national and state-by-state research initiative intended to provide policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being. The core piece of the project is the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, which includes specifics related to educational, social, economic and physical conditions for children in communities nationwide. For 15 years, KINETIK has designed this publication, which is the only book of its kind.