The Americas Social Security Report 2011

During the last decades the aging of society has been discussed widely, but much less is known about the conditions of the children in the Americas and the way social security supports them. The Americas Social Security Report 2011 does not need more of a justifier, it evaluates the way in which social security is supporting children and their families, with the aim of closing the gap in the knowledge of programs for children by identifying positive results and best administrative and policy practices, and researching new options to improve programs and administration. This Report also analyzes the issue of children and their transition to adulthood: many children entering the labor market are at a disadvantage because they are too young, they are not receiving an adequate offer from the educational system, and, more often than not, lack social security protection because they are neither studying nor working. The main objective of this Report is to answer the following questions: Under what conditions are small children living, in terms of poverty, health, and social security coverage? What has been the answer of social security to protect children? What can be done to protect children in families facing special risks (for example, those with a disabled parent, or single mothers? What public policies are needed to secure that children are raised in an environment that fosters their cognitive and non-cognitive development? What is the condition of teenagers and youths with respect to social insurance? What is being done to facilitate the transition from childhood to adulthood, from school to work? The Americas Social Security Report 2011 is available online at: http://www.ciss.org.mx/index_en.php?mod=report .