The complexity of the funding landscape supporting children’s services makes it difficult for leaders to understand how much is being invested, in what services, with what effect.  Answering these questions is a starting point for making the best use of existing resources and investing new resources wisely. 

Many national, state, and local efforts are underway to get a better handle on how well we are investing our resources in children and families.  This clearinghouse links you to data, tools, and examples of work focused on addressing two key issues:

• How much are we investing? Tools and information in this section of the clearinghouse focus on tracking trends in public and private investments in children and family services.  It includes links to publications and Web sites that provide:
  
  
• Guidance on how to track and compile information on investments in children and youth
  
  
• Data sources on federal and state investments in children and youth
  
  
• Examples of state and local documents that track investments in children’s services

• How effective are our investments? Tools and information in this section of the clearinghouse focus on tracking the effectiveness of investments.  They help leaders to identify and track progress toward desired results, determine how effective existing programs and services are in achieving desired results, and use that information to guide investments. This section contains links to publications and Web sites that provide:
  
  
• Guidance on how to identify and track desired results
  
  
• National data sources on the well-being of children and families
  
  
• Examples of state and local documents, such as children's report cards, that track progress toward identified indicators