The Touchstones framework is organized by six major life areas:

• Economic Security,
• Physical and Emotional Health,
• Education,
• Citizenship,
• Family, and
• Community.

Each life area has a set of goals and objectives–representing expectations about the future, and a set of indicators–reflecting the status of children and families. The goals and objectives are integrally related to each other and call for comprehensive strategies to address any single aspect of children and family well-being. The indicators are presented by life area rather than by specific objectives. This was done, in part, because some indicators are associated with more than one objective and some objectives do not have an indicator currently available.