The First Eight Years: Giving Kids a Foundation for Lifetime Success, a new policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, details how investing in a child's early development is essential for effective transitions into elementary school and for long-term academic success. New data show that 36 percent of children are on track in math, reading and science; 56 percent in their physical well-being; 70 percent in their social and emotional growth; and 74 percent in their level of school engagement. Children in low-income families and black and Latino children had worse outcomes in nearly all areas. As associate director for policy reform and advocacy, Laura Speer is responsible for KIDS COUNT, a Casey Foundation initiative launched in 1990 to track the well-being of children at the national and state level. Speer oversees the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book and related reports. She also serves as liaison to a national network of state advocacy organizations that produce their own KIDS COUNT reports and promote data-based policies and communication strategies.