Yesterday, the Annie E Casey Foundation released its 21st annual Kids Count Data Book which measures the well-being of children throughout the country.
The Data Book ranks states on ten areas of well-being. They are
- Child Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1–14)
- Infant Mortality Rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
- Percent Low–Birthweight Babies
- Percent of Children in Poverty (income below $21,834 for a family of two adults and two children in 2008)
- Percent of Children in Single-Parent Families
- Percent of Children Living in Families Where No Parent Has Full–Time, Year–Round Employment
- Percent of Teens Not Attending School and Not Working (ages 16–19)
- Percent of Teens Not in School and Not High School Graduates (ages 16–19)
- Teen Birth Rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15–19)
- Teen Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15–19)
South Carolina, true to form, ranked number 45 overall, and is considered one of the top ten worst states for child well-being.
There are numerous facts and figures listed in this document.
- South Carolina has 228,277 (21.7%) children living in households with incomes below the poverty level.
- 47.2% of births are to single mothers, and 23% of births are to mothers with less than a high school education.
- 35.4% of children born in South Carolina are born to mothers who had less than adequate prenatal care, and the rate of births to teens (15-19 years old) has increased to 53.
How do we get out of this spiral? How do we as a state come together to help those who need us the most- our children?
Take Action: Explore the online Kids Count Data Book and share the statistic that you find most troubling or that you’d like to see changed.
