The White House Conference on Teenagers brought together parents, teenagers, and professionals to share their concerns about "Raising Responsible and Resourceful Youth." As First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton reminds us, "America's teenagers need—and want—guidance and support from their families." A number of initiatives have come out of the conference, including some designed to help parents spend critical time with their teens.

Families are, of course, the first point of social contact for children and thus play a key role in their development, as Rose Alvarado and Karol Kumpfer note in describing effective programs and best practices in "Strengthening America's Families." Improving parenting practices is an effective and enduring strategy in preventing and addressing juvenile delinquency.

The challenges families face are considerable, and one of the most difficult occurs when a child is reported missing—as takes place in the United States more than 2,000 times each day. "Team H.O.P.E." helps parents of missing children by linking them with experienced and trained volunteers who have also undergone the crisis of having a missing child, as Michelle Jezycki reports.

This issue also describes the publication "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," which reports statistical indicators that reflect America's progress in taking care of its children.

It is my hope that the information in this important issue of our Journal will help ensure that the future of our children is the brightest possible.

John J. Wilson Acting Administrator Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention