ABSTRACT
In the effort to monitor the improvement or deterioration of child well-being over time, there is a tension between researchers and policymakers with respect to the nature of the measure that is desired. If one were to generalize, advocates and policymakers tend to prefer a measure that is simple and readily accessible by the public, in the hope that such a measure can help them achieve their goals. In contrast, researchers often balk at simple measures, believing that the quest for simplicity comes at too great a cost and simple unfortunately translates into simplistic. The creation of a single index, they might argue, has the potential of misleading those whom they hope to inform. It is a difficult challenge to satisfy both constituencies without having either one feel that they have sacrificed too much.
