Learning Resources

Note: Be sure to complete this module’s Discussion before reviewing the Learning Resources.

Required Resources

• Report: America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008
  
  
  As you read this report, consider the following questions:
  • What is your personal definition of well-being?
  • How are children faring overall in terms of the indicators used in the report?
  • How may this new knowledge and understanding impact your professional goals and future work with children and families?
    

Optional Resources

• Report: UNICEF: Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries
  
• Web Site: The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Kids Count Data Center
  
  Note: This page connects you with state- and city-level data for over 100 measures of child well-being.
  

Activating Prior Knowledge

In the next 12 weeks, you will focus on “the well-being of children.” Pause now to consider what this phrase means to you and how, based on your current knowledge and experience, you define and determine a child’s well-being based. To prepare for this Discussion, draw on your own experiences and previous coursework to help you reflect on the following:

• What does the term “well-being” mean to you?
  
• How do you determine the well-being of a child?
  
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• What factors influence a child’s well-being? Which factors do you consider to be most important, and what do you know about these factors?
  
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• What would like to learn or gain from this course?

When you have gathered your thoughts, follow the instructions below for this Discussion.

By Day 3 of Week 1:

Post your responses to the following:

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• Write a definition of the phrase “the well-being of children” that reflects your current knowledge and thinking. As part of your definition, explain what the term “well-being” means to you. Describe how you would determine a child’s well-being and the factors that have the most influence on children’s well-being. Support your reasoning with examples from your own experiences or previous coursework.
  
• Explain what you hope to gain or learn from this course. As part of your response, identify factors related to the well-being of children with which you would like to know more, and why.