EMBARGOED UNTIL: 10 A.M. EDT, OCTOBER 1, 1997 (WEDNESDAY) Public Information Office CB97-164 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) e-mail: pio@census.gov Kenneth Bryson 301-457-2465 Census Bureau Releases New "America's Children At Risk" Report About half of America's 16- and 17-year-olds face risks such as poverty, welfare dependence, or the absence of one or both parents that make them more likely to face adversity later in life, according to a "Census Brief" released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Children in this age group who face these risks are more likely to wind up out of school and out of work; girls are more likely to become teenage mothers. "The presence of a risk factor does not doom a child to a particular outcome," said Ken Bryson, author of the brief. "Many children face these risk factors and go on to successful lives. But the more risk factors they face make the transition from childhood to adulthood more difficult." Bryson said that only about 1 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds with no risk factors are out of school and out of work. "For those with three or more risk factors," he said, "more than 15 percent have already experienced this adverse outcome. The chances of teen motherhood follow a similar pattern." The brief, entitled "America's Children at Risk" (CENBR/97-2), cites new findings from the March 1996 Current Population Survey dealing with the outcomes of children who face any of six risk factors: poverty, welfare dependence, absent parents, one-parent families, unwed mothers and parents who did not graduate from high school. As in all surveys, the data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. The two-page brief is available from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office and on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html#cenbrief A faxed copy of the brief may be obtained by calling the Public Information Office's 24-hour Fax-On-Demand service on 1-888-206-6463 and request document No. 1251.-X-The Census Bureau -- pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries and institutions.
