The most disadvantaged children: Trends over time

Using national data on children and their families, this article examines t rends in childhood disadvantage from 1968 to 1992. Reflecting recent resear ch in developmental psychology, our analyses focus on children exposed to m ultiple disadvantages. Of particular interest are children we describe as m ost disadvantaged-those living in poor families receiving welfare headed by a jobless female. Our analyses indicate striking growth in the proportion of children living in such families, especially among young children. These figures also indicate that poverty rates underestimate the racial gap in w ell-being as well as growth in that disparity over time.