September 15, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
2005 Kids Count Data Book, shows that child well-being slipped from 2000 to 2003, as measured by factors such as income, education, and health. In 2003, four million children lived with parents who face persistent unemployment, compared with three million in 2000, the report says, while child poverty, infant mortality, teenage death rates, and the number of low-birthweight babies have also increased. It noted good news in just 3 of 10 indicators: the rate of high-school dropouts fell significantly, the birth rate among teenagers continued to drop, and the percentage of children in single-parent households stabilized. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Minnesota were the best states for children’s well-being, the report says, while Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi were the worst. The report contrasts sharply with last year’s study, which showed improvements in 8 of 10 indicators from 1996 to 2001, a time of economic growth and expanded public programs.
Publisher: Annie E. Casey Foundation, 701 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Md. 21202; (410) 547-6600; http://www.aecf.org; 197 pages; available free by contacting the publisher or for download on the publisher’s Web site.
