The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released its sixth annual report on the status and well being of America's children (last edition reviewed in the July 27, 2001 Scout Report). The 2002 edition contains 24 key indicators divided into five categories -- population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education. In...

This report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a spirited expose of what it describes as hypocrisy on Capitol Hill regarding the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA). The EWG claims that, under the influence of pesticide company lobbyists, members of Congress have worked to expand loopholes and delay children's health protections mandated by the FQPA. While certainly written from...

Released on October 16, this new report from the Health Resources and Services Administration examines 59 health status indicators and service needs of America's children. Topics covered include children's health insurance coverage, infant mortality, low birth weight, vaccinations, adolescent birth rates, sexually transmitted diseases and pediatric AIDS. The full text of the report can be...

This report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines in detail an issue that became a significant point of controversy in the second debate between presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush. Gore accused Bush of failing as Governor of Texas to adequately process enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in his state. But Texas is not the only place where there have...

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to encourage American children to lead healthier and more active lives. Over the years, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson expanded the Council's mandate, adding emphases on Americans of all ages and a prime focus on sports. Their Web site contains information about some of...