In 2000, the federal government spent $21,122 per adult over age 65-and only $2,106 per child in the same year. Clearly, children do not form a vocal constituency, and their needs are going unmet. This second edition of a 1997 book updates the ways that communities big and small can promote healthy growth for their children and teens. We need to shift cultural norms, says Benson, president of the nonprofit Search Institute, so that all residents understand their responsibilities to the young. Put more simply and popularly, this is a reiteration of the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child." The book targets community organizers and agencies, such as YMCAs, churches and synagogues, libraries, and block associations. Benson cites hundreds of examples where community groups have effected change, including a coffee company in Iowa and a Lutheran church teen group in Pennsylvania. These are not programs aimed solely at reducing drug use or crime but strengthening kids to deal with school, home life, and jobs. An excellent resource for communities.
—Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA (Library Journal, November 1, 2006)

"A practical, concrete blueprint for helping young people succeed because of supportive communities."
—Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president and CEO, National 4-H Council

"For two decades, Peter Benson has been America's most eloquent and persuasive voice for a new, positive approach to enhancing the lives of our nation's youth. If policy makers, practitioners, and researchers read only one book about how to act in support of our nation's youth, then this is it!"
—Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science and director, Institute forApplied Research in Youth Development, Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University

"Peter Benson continues to remind us of how far short of the mark we have fallen in meeting the needs of our youngest generation. But then he provides a gift: a unifying vision that we can all rally around: parents, neighbors, youth-serving organizations, and ultimately whole communities committed to the healthy development of all our kids."
—Judy Vredenburgh, president and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

"Benson's approach is the best formula we have for building communities to meet the developmental needs of young people. Anyone who is concerned about the future of our society should read this book."
—William Damon, professor of education, Stanford University, and director, Stanford Center on Adolescence