[UA] math is hard

[Tim Groth]

Two ideas leap to mind.

The first is to use adult stats and skill totals, for street level
(assuming these aren't clued in kids).  However, you make them take
kid skills.  School Yard Fighting instead of Fighting.  Self-Conscious
Liar for Lie.  Etc.  In addition to an obsession skill give them one
adult skill, something they can already do on an adult level.  Kid
skills have narrower penumbras, work against appropriate adult skills
as a general skill vs a specific one, and require major tests for most
situations.  In general have skills be Significant instead of Minor
and Major instead of Significant.  If already Major let the kids have
a shot, maybe with a bit of a down shift.  Anyone aiming to be an
adept or Avatar takes the soul skill Weirdo at the desired value of
the future skill.  I'd toss the kids a bone and let them use kid
skills against inappropriate adult skills (or appropriate ones for
adults with minimal interaction with children) as specific ones
against general ones.

The other option is capping skills at like 35% or so.  Adjust the
skill points down based on how many skills you want the characters to
have.  I'd let them take one at 40% or so.  These skills form the
seeds for the future ones.  Only Body really poses a problem at high
levels, in the form of lots of wound points.  However, that can be
chalked up to the kid being hardy.  Its easy enough to describe things
that way given the nature of injury in UA.

In either case I recommend you think of the chance of the kids getting
help if they scream for it in any situation they find themselves in.
I'd be tempted to put it on the character sheets as Cry or something
similar.  Even on a deserted street in the middle of the night there's
a chance a cop car is cruising by.