Abstract
In truth, none of us has a good grasp on the conditions facing America’s children because state and federal agencies collect data too infrequently and often do not measure what really matters for kids (The Annie E Casey Foundation, 2010: 6).
Many different indicators have been identified. Laevers (1997), for example, proposes that children’s emotional well-being is characterised by eight key factors; these are openness and receptivity, flexibility, self-confidence and self-esteem, assertiveness, vitality, relaxation and inner peace, enjoyment, and the child feeling connected and in touch with himself or herself. Clearly, these attributes are not only important to the individual child but are also important considerations in relation to the child’s current contribution and engagement with their peers and family and their future potential contribution to their community and more broadly to society. Well-being is no longer seen as an optional extra; it is becoming an important concern of policy makers and economists. Indeed, Ben-Arieh and Frønes (2011) note, the ‘dramatic rise in the number of efforts to measure and monitor the position and lives of children’ in recent years. However, as the metrics for measuring children’s emotional well-being are developed and a greater understanding of the complex interplay between the different factors is gained, uncomfortable truths are revealed. According to ‘The Good Childhood Report 2012’ produced by The Children’s Society (2012, p. 14): a significant minority of children in the UK have low levels of well-being. This will have severe impact on their childhood and life chances, as well as on the families and communities around them, and the agencies that support them.
In the United States, indicators of the well-being of children show cause for concern with, for example, 18% of the children in the United States are living in poverty. Between 2000 and 2008, the child poverty rate for non-Hispanic White children increased, whereas the poverty rates for Black and American Indian children remained unchanged but declined for Asian and Hispanic children (The Annie E Casey Foundation, 2010).
However, despite the fact that the datasets available to underpin decision making have deficits, it is essential that the policy is shaped so that it promotes children’s well-being in the short term and long term. The Children’s Society (2012) report identifies the following six priorities for children’s well-being: The conditions to learn and develop, which include opportunities for free play and good quality and supportive education; A positive view of themselves and an identity that is respected, which includes being comfortable with their appearance, being valued for who they are and being healthy; Have enough of what matters, which includes living in an economically stable household and having the items and experiences that help them fit in; Positive relationships with family and friends such as loving and caring relationships; A safe and suitable home environment and local area, including space where they have privacy; and Opportunity to take part in positive activities to thrive, such as being able to play outside and having choice in the activities they engage in.
These priorities can help guide policy makers, commissioners and people providing services for children and their families. They can guide our actions as we interact and engage with children in our everyday and professional lives. Ensuring that children grow up in conditions in which they can thrive and experience positive well-being during childhood is crucial to their development and to their future contributions to society.