The latest Annie E. Casey Foundation report on national data on American children’s well-being, known as the Kids Count report, reveals varied outcomes across the country, with improvements in some areas offset by declines in others.
Among 16 indicators measuring child welfare, seven showed improvement, six worsened, and three remained stable. Gains include reduced child poverty, fewer children in high-poverty neighborhoods, increased health insurance coverage, and higher high school graduation rates. More parents achieved stable employment and educational milestones, while teen birth rates declined.
However, education broadly remains a challenge. Three of four education metrics declined: preschool participation remains below pre-pandemic levels, reading and math scores dropped, and chronic absenteeism increased significantly. High school graduation rates continued to rise, though, the only nationwide bright spot.
The report indicates that Native (10%), Black (9%), Latino (8%) and multiracial (7%) teens ages 16 to 19 had higher rates of neither been in school nor working. Just 6% of white teens and 3% of Asian teens have similar experiences.
Health indicators showed progress, with uninsured children dropping from 6% to 5% between 2019 and 2023. Family and community metrics also improved, including higher parental education levels and fewer children in concentrated poverty areas.
Geographic patterns remain as pronounced as they have been historically. States in the South and Southwest — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia — face the greatest challenges. Northeast and Midwest states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont typically rank higher, along with Utah.
Poverty remains a persistent issue. Sixteen percent of children live in poverty, and nearly one-third of families struggle with high housing costs. The report notes that disparities exist between states and between neighborhoods and zip codes within the same areas.
The data suggest that targeted, sustained policy investments can produce measurable improvements in children’s outcomes, though significant work remains to address ongoing inequities across different communities and regions.
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