In order to study the persistence of poverty across generations with a view to developing or monitoring cross-generational poverty-reduction policies, social indicators to track dependency and deprivation of children are needed. Available data on the dependency and deprivation of children primarily describe the following characteristics of the situation of adults and their households: (1) net family income; (2) wealth; (3) health; (4) household composition; and (5) employment characteristics. In order to measure deprivation and dependency for children, factors important in shaping a child's social, emotions, cognitive, and educational development must be understood. A list of those factors goes beyond that which is the focus of current government data collection efforts. However, a modest program containing many of the necessary elements is now in operation, namely, the National Longitudinal Survey, a longitudinal data collection effort which allows a look at three generations. Data from this study have shown the importance of such factors as level of the mother's education, high school environment, household and community factors, father presence, the local crime rate, and early parenthood. These types of indicators provide effective assessment of the factors that assist children to exit poverty. However, recent cutbacks in data collection have reduced the ability to provide a complete view of all factors. Included are 16 bar graphs and 4 tables. (JB)