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The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Annie E. Casey Foundation Presenters 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book

Why a new index?

OLD

• Ranked states on 10 indicators of

child well-being

• Dominated by health indicators

• Minimized education and family

and community influences

NEW

• Ranks states on 4 domains with

16 indicators of child well-being

• Leverages new data availability

• Allows for more comprehensive

and nuanced views of child well-

being

The New Domains

Economic

Well-Being

Education Family and

Community Health

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Trends in Economic Well-Being

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Child Poverty Rate Children without Securely

Employed Parents

Key Economic Well-Being Findings

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Trends in Education

Key Education Findings

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Not Reading

Proficiently

Not Graduating from

High School

Trends in Health

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10

Child and Teen

Death Rate

Lack Health

Insurance

Key Health Findings

Trends in Family and Community

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Live in

High-Poverty Areas

Live with Heads of

Households without Diploma

Key Family and Community Findings

2012 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK

State Rankings of

Child Well-Being

• Overall Child Well-Being

ranked using all 16

indicators weighted

equally

• New state ranking by

each of the four

domains

KIDS COUNT State Rankings

State Overall Rank for Child Well-Being

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Top Rankings

• New Hampshire

• Massachusetts

• Vermont

Bottom Rankings

• Nevada

• New Mexico

• Mississippi

State Rankings by Domain

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1. North Dakota

2. Nebraska

3. Iowa

48. New Mexico

49. Nevada

50. Mississippi

1. Vermont

2. Massachusetts

3. Maine

48. Mississippi

49. New Mexico

50. Montana

1. New Hampshire

2. Vermont

3. Utah

48. Louisiana

49. New Mexico

50. Mississippi

Economic

Well-Being

1. Massachusetts

2. New Jersey

3. Vermont

48. Mississippi

49. New Mexico

50. Nevada

Education

Health Family and

Community

2012 Key Findings

National Level

• Education and Health

improving

• Economic Well Being

worsening

• Family and Community

mixed

State Level

• Some regional overtones

– Northeast and upper Midwest

continue to do well

– Southeast and Southwest

struggle

• 8 of 10 largest states in the

bottom half of overall rankings

(CA #41)

• Domain rankings vary across

states

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Racial and Ethnic Disparities Exist

Children in

Poverty by Race

and Hispanic

Origin: 2010

Visit the Data Center Online

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Influences on Child Well-Being

family economic opportunity and security • strong, nurturing two-

parent families • flourishing communities

21 datacenter.kidscount.org

Additional copies of the 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book can be ordered by

going to www.aecf.org or contacting Sue Lin Chong, (410) 223-2836,

media@aecf.org with any requests or questions.