KIDS COUNT: identifying and helping America's most vulnerable

Area of Science:

• Child development and public health
• Socioeconomic factors impacting youth
• Longitudinal studies of child welfare

Background:

• Child well-being is a critical indicator of societal health.
• Trends in child well-being can reveal disparities and areas needing intervention.
• The KIDS COUNT Data Book provides state-level data on child welfare indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess trends in child well-being across U.S. states from 1985 to 1996.
• To identify specific indicators of child well-being that improved or worsened.
• To highlight the population of "high-risk" children not benefiting from economic improvements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 1999 KIDS COUNT Data Book.
• Compared state-level data from 1985 and 1996 for 10 key child well-being indicators.
• Analyzed data from federal government statistical agencies.

Main Results:

• Seven child well-being indicators improved nationally, including infant mortality and poverty rates.
• Three indicators worsened: low birth weight babies, teen birth rates, and single-parent families.
• Millions of children identified as "high-risk" (four+ disadvantages) were not benefiting from the economic boom.

Conclusions:

• While overall child well-being saw improvements, significant challenges persist for vulnerable populations.
• Specific areas require targeted interventions, particularly concerning low birth weight, teen births, and family structure.
• Community-wide, multi-dimensional, family-centered strategies are recommended to address persistent child well-being disparities.