Report Says Children's Well-Being Improves

American children have made significant gains in their well-being over the past 10 years, according to a study from the Foundation for Child Development, which analyzed 25 categories from school safety and health, to education and social relationships. But those gains may be threatened by problems in the economy.

In our survey of parents, A Lot Easier Said Than Done, we found a majority say American society is an inhospitable climate for raising children, where parents can never let down their guard in the face of popular culture, drugs and crime. In fact, nearly half the parents we surveyed said they worry more about protecting their child from negative social influences than about paying the bills or having enough family time together. Six in 10 rate their generation "fair" or "poor" in raising children. Relatively few parents believe they have been successful in teaching their kids the values they consider "absolutely essential."