Tag: KIDS Count
2023 Kids Count Highlights Hurdles to Child Well-Being in Alabama
Alabama ranks 45th in the country overall for child well-being, according to the 2023 Kids Count Data Book issued this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. That’s one slot higher than last year. But the “improvement” says less about progress in Alabama than it does about losses in other states, according to the report. Read more.
Child Advocacy Group Meets With State Leaders as Economic Security Worsens for Alabama Kids
MONTGOMERY — The nonprofit organization Voices for Alabama’s Children is asking state leaders to expand social services for children who are faring worse economically when compared to over a decade ago.
Meeting with several state department heads – including Barbara Cooper, secretary for the state Department of Early Childhood Education, Eric Mackey, state superintendent and others – Voices is advocating for a number of policy proposals, including Medicaid expansion, increased funding for mental health services and the state’s First Class Pre-K Program, and more. Read more.
Kids Count: Alabama 46th in Child Well-Being
Alabama leads the nation in graduating high school students on time, but middle school students’ math and reading scores are near last in the country, according to a new report.
Alabama ranked 46th in the nation in overall child well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2022 Kids Count Data Book released today. That ranking is up from 47th in 2021.
The annual report looks at 16 indicators of child well-being related to education, health care, economic factors and community and family. Data points come from 2016 through 2020.
Alabama did improve in 10 of the indicators but in four of them the state fell behind the rest of the nation, according to a written statement today. Read more.
New Report Shows Math Proficiency Continues to Lag in Alabama
This week, officials released an update to the annual Kids Count Data Book that measures the well-being of kids in Alabama. Advocates are hopeful spending on children’s healthcare and education recently approved by state lawmakers will improve indicators. Read more.
Children’s Well-Being in Alabama Improves but Still Lags Behind the Country
More of Alabama’s children have health insurance and are graduating high school on time, but many of them need more support in key areas such as math skills.
Alabama ranks 47th in the nation for children’s well-being, according to the 2021 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Each year, the report tracks challenges facing kids and their families in all 50 states. It uses 16 indicators ranked across four areas, including health, education, economic well-being and family and community.
Alabama has generally improved over the last couple evaluations, making the top five in 2019 for children graduating on time and children with health insurance. The state has also improved or stayed the same in 14 of 16 indicators, but is still falling behind the rest of the country.
Alabama ranked lowest in the country for eighth-grade math proficiency, and the state performed worse on several health indicators. It saw more babies born with low birth-weights, and child and teen deaths increased from 37 in 2018 to 41 in 2019. Read more.
Report: State Improved in Several Child Health Indicators but Still Struggles With Poverty, Racial Disparity
Updated — Alabama has made significant progress in infant mortality rates, teen pregnancies and child safety, but poverty and a racial disparity in indicators of wellbeing remain a problem for children in the state, according to a report released today.
The report, called the Alabama Kids Count Data Book, explores 70 key indicators across four issue areas: health, safety, education and economic security. The Montgomery-based nonprofit group Voices for Alabama’s Children has produced the data book every year since 1994.
Angela Thomas, communications manager for Voices, said that while the state’s child population has decreased, it has also become more ethnically diverse. And that trend follows national demographics.
Despite the diversity, African American children track below their white peers in every indicator covered in the data book, she said.
“Alabamians of color are overrepresented in measures of disadvantage,” she said. Read more.
Report: Well-Being of Alabama Children Still Lags Nationwide
Overall on children’s well-being, Alabama came in 44th nationwide, down from last year’s ranking of 42nd in the country. That’s according to the latest KIDS Count Data Book, released annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The report ranks the well-being of kids across the U.S. The publication includes indicators of health, education, economic well-being and family and community. This year’s report is based on data from 2017 from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Education.
Despite that decline in rank, the state progressed in several areas. For example, from 2010 to 2017, there was a big drop in the percentage of high schoolers not graduating on time. Read more.
