NCJ Number
203764
Date Published
2001
Length
184 pages
Annotation
This report presents a nationwide and State-by-State account of the status of children in terms of their educational, social, economic, and physical well-being.
Abstract
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count project is a national and State-by-State effort to track the status of the Nation’s children and to provide benchmarks of child well-being to policymakers and citizens. In addition to offering data on child well-being particular to each State, a national profile is offered, as well as multi-year trend data for each State for the years 1990 through 1998 and multi-year national composite ranks. The 10 indicators used to rank national and State levels of child well-being include percent of low birth weight babies; infant mortality rate; child death rate; rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; teen birth rate; percent of teens who are high school drop-outs; percent of teens not attending school and not working; percent of children living with parents who do not have full-time, year-round employment; percent of children in poverty; and the percent of families with children headed by a single parent. Following a summary of the findings on child well-being pertaining to each indicator, the report offers tables illustrating the national profile of child well-being. Tables offer data on State rates of the indicators, as well as national trend data and 2000 Census background information. The next section offers a State-by-State analysis of the status of children; each State’s trend data is presented, as well as their national rank in terms of the 10 indicators. Data from the 2000 Census are also offered for each State in order to provide background information pertinent to the analysis. Definitions and data sources, including the criteria for selecting Kids Counts indicators are offered, as well as the primary contacts for Kids Count projects. Overall national summary data indicate that on seven of the indicators of child well-being, conditions improved between 1990 and 1998, while two other indicators, percent low birth weight babies and percent of families with children headed by a single parent, worsened over this time period. Yet another indicator, percent of children in poverty, remained unchanged. Finally, the report offers a special note on race and Hispanic origin status of the 2000 Census. Tables