This document summarizes a statistical profile that focuses on the needs and problems of poor young children and their families and suggests steps to improve their lives. Information was drawn from primary and secondary analyses of statistical data from 1987. The following findings are included: (1) nearly one out of every four children under 6 years of age lives in poverty; (2) young minority group children under 6 years of age are much more likely to be poor than white children; (3) child poverty rates are highest in central cities; (4) many children are homeless because of the lack of affordable housing; (5) young children under 6 living with single mothers are much more likely to be poor than those living with two parents; (6) the parents' educational attainment is closely related to child poverty; (7) full-time employment does not guarantee that families will not be poor; (8) fewer than one-third of all poor children live in families that rely exclusively on welfare; and (9) poor young children are at risk of impaired health, school failure, dropout, delinquency, early childbearing, and adult poverty. Poor families need the following: (1) access to health and nutrition services, early childhood care and education, and affordable housing; (2) economic supports to help prevent them from becoming poor; (3) help for poor young parents to assume parenting responsibilities and prepare for employment in today's demanding labor force; and (4) welfare reform initiatives that include work with adequate pay. A four-item bibliography is appended. (FMW)