California County Data Book 1999

California County Data Book 1999
This 167-page companion to the California Report Card includes data not available in individual county profiles.
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Introduction
Recent neurological research complements what many parents and early interventionists have known for years: children undergo tremendous emotional, social, cognitive and physical growth during their first years of life and their genetic make-up only partially determines the course of their development.

In addition, their relationships and their environments have a profound impact on their well-being, offering opportunities to maximize children's potential--or cause harm. While no one should infer that older children and adults are somehow "beyond" help, it is often true that intervening early in the lives of children and families is the most effective and least costly. Children Now has focused this year's California County Data Book on the status of children from birth to age five and their families to provide information for those developing policies that seek to capitalize on these special years.