Youth in the western United States are increasing in number, but increased numbers will not necessarily translate into increased expenditures for youth programs. In the future, children in the west are more likely to have a nonWhite racial background, especially Hispanic and Asian, and they may be first-generation Americans whose parents' native language is not English. Young people are more likely to live in urban or suburban areas, so programs attractive to urban based youth are essential. Over half of the young people will spend some time in a single-parent family, usually headed by the mother and often under serious financial strain. Programs must be devised to meet the unmet emotional and physical needs of these children, many of whom will be alone a great deal of the time, since the majority of mothers will be in the labor force. Seven tables and seven figures provide information on ethnicity, family structure, poverty, and area of residence for children aged 5 to 14 years in 14 western states (1980-2000). The changes described all point to the heightened need for youth programs, since the proportion of the young who will require additional support systems outside of the home will continue to increase. (SKW)