First published in 2000. Part of the Children of Poverty series that offers studies on the effects of the single parenthood, the feminization of poverty and homelessness, this volume looks at the unequal opportunities and role of the State when looking at the complex issue of child well-being in the United States. This book will offer an approach to explaining child social well-being which forces us to examine the environmental constraints of child social well-being outcomes for children, and consequently re-examine how we develop policies and programs which are designed to help children. This study supports the need to develop child welfare policies and programs which address the needs of particular localities rather than just the needs of individual families.