The Children in Custody series, published by the U.S. Children's Bureau, provides biennial resident and admission counts, demographic characteristics, and average length of stay by facility type. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Inventory of Mental Health Organizations surveys traditional hospital inpatient facilities, non-hospital type residential organizations, and specialty mental health organizations. Child welfare statistics are processed and analyzed through three groups: the American Public Welfare Association; the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services; and Maximum, Inc. Finally, the National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Unit Surveys report on the age of persons receiving residential and nonresidential treatment services. Unfortunately, these systems for counting youth are 3 to 5 years behind usage and yield insufficient data. An investment of political leadership and fiscal resources would result in more timely reporting, fuller coverage of facilities, and improved demographic data. 32 references (Author abstract modified)