Children slighted in U.S. federal spending, says report

Children are being slighted in U.S. federal spending, says a recent report titled Children's Budget 2008, prepared by First Focus. Here are a few key facts from the report.

* Over the past five years, federal spending on children increased by about 1.4%. Total federal non-defense spending grew at nearly ten times that rate.

* Children’s share of the federal non-defense budget declined from 11% in 2004 to 10% in 2008. This drop continues a 45-year trend in which children’s share of the budget has declined 23% since 1960.

* As a nation we spend only 10 cents of every discretionary dollar on children.

For further information, access the full report.