EXPLORATIONS IN A PROPOSED NATIONAL POLICY FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Empirical evidence suggests that the family system is under pressure i n the United States. This evidence includes but is not limited to a si gnificant increase in out-of-wedlock childbearing by teenagers, an inc rease in the number of children living in families below the poverty l evel, lack of available health care to large numbers of children and f amilies, and a rising number of children dropping out of school. The a uthors offer an analysis of the problems facing families, and a nation al policy model for children and families is proposed.