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This KIDS COUNT report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Tennessee's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of children's well-being in five broad areas: (1) healthy babies, including enrollment in the TennCare insurance program, prenatal care, infant mortality and child deaths, and immunizations; (2) healthy children, including teen deaths, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases; (3) healthy minds, including mental health, education, high school dropout rates, and child care and preschool education; (4) healthy families, including population demographics, unemployment, single-parent families, and income and poverty; and (5) healthy communities, including domestic violence, child abuse, juvenile justice, child welfare, and school safety. Following an executive summary highlighting major findings, the report provides findings, by county, for each of the indicators. Among the findings are the following: (1) nearly half of TennCare participants are under age 20; (2) African-American babies died nearly two and a half times more often than white babies; (3) in the 15-19 age group, white teens were 3 times more likely than African American teens to die in an automobile accident, whereas African American teens were 16 times more likely than white teens to die due to homicide; (4) the number of regulated child care agencies in Tennessee has increased; (5) high school dropout rates have decreased; (6) Tennessee ranked 41st among states in median income; (7) food stamp participation has decreased since 1994; (8) child abuse declined slightly between 1997 and 1998; and (9) between 1994-95 and 1998-99 the number of children committed to state custody declined by nearly one third. The report concludes with definitions and data sources. Contains 92 references. (HTH)

This KIDS COUNT report details trends in the well-being of children in the District of Columbia. Following an executive summary describing overall findings, the report presents the statistical portrait based on eight areas of children's well-being: (1) general population trends; (2) economic security; (3) family attachment and community support; (4) homeless children and families; (5) child health; (6) safety and personal security; (7) education; and (8) youth risk behaviors. The report then presents a prevention message based on findings, followed by strategies and recommendations for various stakeholders, including District of Columbia residents, religious and faith-based institutions, health providers, businesses and community groups, and the philanthropic community. The report concludes with information on data gathering, sources and definitions, and acknowledgements. Among the findings are a decline in population, particularly families with children; a loss of jobs; an increase in homeless families; improved overall adequacy of prenatal care; declining rate of deaths among children and teens; improved SAT and math scores, but reading scores still below national average; a decline in graduation rates; and a decline in number of students eligible for free or reduced price lunches. (HTH)

This KIDS COUNT factbook details statewide trends in the well-being of Wyoming's children. Following an overview of key indicators and data sources, the factbook documents trends by county for 23 indicators: (1) child and youth population; (2) births; (3) low birth-weight babies; (4) early prenatal care; (5) infants deaths; (6) child deaths; (7) births to unmarried mothers of all ages; (8) births to mothers who smokes during pregnancy; (9) teen births; (10) children affected by divorce; (11) juvenile crime arrests; (12) teen violent deaths; (13) teen motor vehicle related deaths; (14) teen suicide; (15) education; (16) average daily membership in schools; (17) drop out incidences; (18) 1999 youth risk behavior surveillance; (19) infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with developmental disabilities; (20) licensed child care facilities; (21) poverty; (22) welfare reform; and (23) child health care. The findings indicate declining trends in child population, high school dropouts, children in families receiving welfare, births, early prenatal care, teen birth rate, juvenile violent crime arrests, and the number of licensed day care facilities. Increasing trends are noted for the number of children in poverty, infant deaths and infant mortality, low birthweight babies, babies born to unwed mothers, mothers who smoked during pregnancy, overall juvenile crime arrests, and the number of children with developmental disabilities. (HTH)

This Kids Count data book examined trends in the well-being of Oregon's children, focusing on the well-being of preteens. This statistical portrait is based on 12 indicators of child well being: (1) juvenile arrests; (2) teen pregnancy; (3) suicide attempts for 10- to 17-year-olds; (4) high school dropout rate; (5) eighth grade reading proficiency; (6) eighth grade mathematics proficiency; (7) child abuse and neglect cases; (8) crimes against persons; (9) child deaths; (10) low birthweight infants; (11) infant mortality; and (12) child care supply. The report's introductory section discusses the preadolescent period as one of tremendous change marked by increased conflict at home, changing expectations at school and with peers, and greater exploration of the wider world. The section discusses the roots of adolescent problem behavior, focusing on violence in children's lives, substance abuse, mental health, and educational success. Proven strategies in each area are highlighted. The remainder of the report presents indicator data for the state and for each county. County data tables compare the current measure for each indicator to its 5-year average and with the state level. Overall, the report's findings indicate that 40 percent of Oregon middle school students reported being in a physical fight in the past year, 3 percent reported carrying a weapon to school in the past month, and 6 percent reported attempting suicide in the past month. Twenty-six percent of eighth graders reported drinking alcohol in the past month, 1 percent dropped out of school in the 1998-99 school year, and between 20 and 25 percent fewer students met state reading or mathematics standards in Grade 8 than in Grade 3. The report concludes with data notes, data sources, and definitions. (KB)

This report details the impact of the changing health environment on children's health and access to health care in New York state. The report links key measures of child health with recent policy changes, such as expansions in health insurance coverage, Medicaid managed care, and welfare reform. Data from 1997 are used as a baseline measure for future efforts to track the impact of public policy on child health. The report contains state and national data for indicators of child health in four areas: (1) economics, including poverty rates and public assistance receipt; (2) insurance status, including Medicaid and state health insurance program enrollment; (3) access and use of medical care services such as prenatal care and immunizations; and (4) health and behavioral indicators, including asthma hospitalizations, binge drinking, smoking, and infant mortality rates. Highlights are provided for some indicators comparing county, New York City, and state data. Included is the Web address for a Web-based component providing county and regional comparisons for selected indicators. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of South Carolina's children. The statistical portrait is based on 41 indicators in the areas of demographics, family, economic status, health, readiness and early school performance, scholastic achievement, and adolescent risk behaviors. The indicators are: (1) population; (2) births to teen mothers; (3) births to mothers not completing high school; (4) births to single mothers; (5) divorce rate; (6) single-parent family; (7) parents working; (8) abuse and neglect; (9) family violence; (10) out of home placements; (11) adult/child ratio; (12) poverty; (13) barriers to self-sufficiency; (14) income; (15) child support payments; (16) prenatal care; (17) low birth weight; (18) infant mortality; (19) childhood injuries and deaths; (20) immunization; (21) sexually transmitted diseases; (22) healthy lifestyles; (23) tobacco use; (24) disabilities; (25) emotional and behavioral disorders; (26) inadequate healthcare; (27) ambulatory care; (28) first-grade readiness; (29) first-grade failure rates; (30) overage for grade three; (31) special education; (32) achievement trends; (33) Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test; (34) dropout rates; (35) adolescents not in school or employed; (36) sexual activity and pregnancy; (37) alcohol use; (38) heavy drinking; (39) drugs; (40) juvenile delinquency; and (41) adolescent deaths. Statewide data and summary information are provided for each indicator. Fifteen tables are included and summarize specific indicator information. The report's findings indicate that too many children are at risk of not growing up to become self-supporting adults, with 25.1% in single-parent families, 21% in poverty, 30.9% not graduating from school, 37.4% of high school students using alcohol, and 12.8% using drugs each month. (SD)

This publication presents a broad array of data designed to illuminate the status of America's children and to assess trends in their well-being. By updating the assessment every year, this book provides ongoing benchmarks with which states can see how they have advanced or regressed since 1990. The book focuses on 10 indicators: percent low-birthweight babies; infant mortality rate; child death rate; rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; teen birth rate; percent of teens who are high school dropouts; percent of teens not attending school and not working; percent of children living with parents who do not have full-time, year-round employment; percent of children in poverty; and percent of families with children headed by a single parent. Data are provided for the nation and for each state on demographic change, economic characteristics, child health and education, and child care indicators. Three appendixes present KIDS COUNT standard scores and national rankings, multi-year trend data for KIDS COUNT indicators, and multi-year national composite ranks. The publication also includes definitions and data sources, criteria for selecting KIDS COUNT indicators, and primary contacts for state KIDS COUNT projects. (SM)

This KIDS COUNT Data Book provides state and county data on the well-being of Kansas' children. The statistical portrait is based on 22 indicators of well-being: (1) births to single teens; (2) children living in poverty; (3) children receiving free school meals; (4) children in families receiving economic assistance; (5) childhood deaths; (6) infant mortality; (7) births that received early prenatal care; (8) immunizations; (9) low birth weight babies; (10) Head Start participation; (11) child care availability; (12) post-secondary education; (13) high school graduates receiving post-secondary education; (14) births to mothers with less than a high school diploma; (15) students graduating high school; (16) foster care; (17) teen violent deaths; (18) reported child abuse and neglect; (19) substantiated child abuse and neglect; (20) juvenile court filings; (21) youth alcohol use; and (22) youth drug use. Following an overview, the first part of the data book discusses children at risk in Kansas and specific risk factors that measurably limit children's development and narrow their opportunity for succeed in life. The bulk of the data book presents statistics, by county, for each indicator. A state of Kansas profile and county-by-county statistics conclude the data book. Among the findings, infant mortality, Head Start participation, teen violent deaths, out-of-home placements and illicit drug use show improvement; childhood deaths, births that received early prenatal care, and measures of early childhood care and education remain relatively stable; and reports of child abuse and neglect, alcohol use and juvenile court filings, and binge drinking all show deterioration. (KB)

This KIDS COUNT databook is the sixth annual profile examining statewide trends in the well-being of Rhode Island's children. The statistical portrait is based on 37 indicators in 5 areas: (1) family and community (covering child population and children in single-parent families); (2) economic well-being (covering median household income, cost of rent, children receiving child support, children in poverty, children in the Family Independence Program, children in families receiving food stamps, and children receiving school breakfast); (3) health (covering children's health insurance; access to dental care; women and children receiving WIC; women with delayed prenatal care; low birth weight infants; infant mortality; children with lead poisoning; births to teens; alcohol, drug, and cigarette use by teens; children with asthma; and additional children's health issues); (4) safety (covering child deaths, teen deaths, homeless children, homeless youth, juveniles referred to family court, children and domestic violence, and child abuse and neglect); and (5) education (covering infant and preschool child care, children enrolled in Head Start, school-age child care, children receiving child care subsidies, full-day kindergarten, fourth-grade reading proficiency, children enrolled in special education, school attendance, suspensions, high school graduation rate, and teens not in school and not working). The report defines each indicator, describes its significance and trends, provides information on intervention programs, and presents relevant data for the state, each city and town, and an aggregate of the five cities with the highest child poverty rates. The report concludes with a description of the methodology and acknowledgements. (EV)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Utah's children. The statistical portrait is based on 22 indicators of children's well-being, including: (1) prenatal care; (2) low birth weight infants; (3) infant mortality; (4) child death rates; (5) child injury deaths; (6) child abuse; (7) injury hospital discharges; (8) child poverty rate; (9) school meals participation; (10) child care needs; (11) health insurance; (12) adjudication rates; (13) school enrollment; (14) pupil-teacher ratios; (15) per pupil expenditure; (16) dropouts; (17) academic achievement; (18) teen births; (19) teen smoking and alcohol use; (20) youth risk behavior; (21) teen chlamydia infection; and (22) teen abortion rates. Part 1 of the report introduces state goals for children, provides population estimates statewide and by county, and details findings on selected health status measures for Utah counties and for 61 small homogeneous areas within the state. This section also describes a simple strategy for child advocacy. Part 2 of the report provides county and statewide trend data for each of the indicators. The findings indicate that the percent of women receiving first trimester prenatal care has decreased and the percent of low birth weight infants has been increasing. There have been decreases in infant mortality since 1996. The number of child abuse or neglect cases have increased. There have been fluctuations in child death rates, child injury deaths, and dropout rates. The report concludes with suggestions for child advocacy. (KB)

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of Minnesota's children. The statistical portrait is based on 11 indicators of child well-being: (1) child poverty rate; (2) children receiving free or reduced-price school lunch; (3) children in families receiving food stamps; (4) births to teenage mothers; (5) low birth weight rates; (6) children transferring schools; (7) drop-out rates; (8) children arrested for serious crime; (9) child abuse and neglect rates; (10) children in out-of-home placements; and (11) children dying violently. Following an introduction detailing the major findings, the report provides regional and statewide statistical summaries for each indicator, discusses the importance of the indicator, describes potential improvement strategies, provides information on resources related to the indicators, and describes Minnesota trends. Four stories are interspersed throughout the data book to illustrate the results of Kids Count efforts in various counties. The bulk of the report provides statistical information on the indicators for each county. Findings indicate that 1 in 9 Minnesota children lived below the poverty line in 1996. The teen birth rate has declined by 20 percent from the 1993-95 rate. Almost every region of the state showed an increase in the rate of low birth weight infants. Arrests of children for serious crime has also increased from earlier in the decade. There has been a steady decline in child deaths due to injuries. The report concludes with definitions of the indicators and their sources. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county trends in the well-being of Colorado's children. The statistical portrait is based on 24 indicators of well-being: (1) children receiving AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent children); (2) children receiving TANF; (3) children qualifying for free lunch; (4) children in out-of-home placements; (5) births to single women; (6) mothers receiving early prenatal care; (7) low birth weight births; (8) children ages 0-3 with disabilities; (9) children with asthma; (10) children eligible for Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+); (11) CHP+ enrollment; (12) deaths of infants under age 1; (13) deaths of children under age 18; (14) confirmed incidents of abuse/neglect; (15) abuse/neglect referrals; (16) abuse/neglect referrals investigated; (17) child care facility closures; (18) new applications for child care facilities; (19) Child Care Pilot Communities; (20) teen birth rate; (21) three-risk-factor births; (22) teen suicide rate, 5-year average; (23) juvenile crime arrest rate; and (24) committed youth. County-level trends for data are indicated where appropriate, based on 1991, 1994, and 1998 data. The report's findings indicate that significant progress was made toward six Decade of the Child goals: infant mortality rate, immunizations, early prenatal care, deaths from child abuse, teen birth rate, paternity establishment, and teen suicide rate. Numerous strategies are presented to "put data into action." The report also contains a special section on education, which presents information on Colorado's 176 school districts, including student achievement, school enrollment, and ethnicity of students. (EV)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Nevada's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of children's well-being in six areas: (1) early care and education; (2) health; (3) economic well-being; (4) education; (5) child safety; and (6) juvenile justice. The report begins with a listing of preventive factors, an overview of the report, Nevada demographic profile, Nevada child demographics, key facts about Nevada's children, the state as compared to the nation, and trends. The next section, and bulk of the report, presents data for each of the six primary indicator areas of child well-being and includes tables of the most recent data for each of the selected areas studied. Important findings indicate that in 1999, compared to the rest of the states and the District of Columbia, Nevada ranked: 25th in low birth weight babies; 13th in infant mortality; 11th in children living in poverty; 29th in single-parent families; 42nd in teen births; 18th in unmarried teen births; 51st in high school dropouts and graduates; 39th in teens not in school and not working; 32nd in child deaths; 28th in teen accidental deaths; 35th in teen homicide deaths; and 49th in teen suicide. The report concludes with a listing of references, including endnotes and general information. (SD)

This Kids Count report presents statewide trends in the well-being of New Hampshire's children. The statistical report is based on 22 indicators of child well-being in 5 interrelated areas: (1) children and families (including child population, births, children living with single parent, and children experiencing parental divorce); (2) economic security (including child poverty, unemployment and wages, and children in families receiving public assistance); (3) health (including births to women lacking adequate prenatal care, low birthweight infants, births to teen mothers, substance abuse, and infant and child deaths); (4) safety (including abused and neglected children, youth violence, court-involved children, and out-of-home placements); and (5) education (including third- and tenth-grade academic proficiency, fourth-grade reading ability, high school dropout rate, and post-high school plans). Indicator data are analyzed at a level as local as possible. Each section includes discussion of needed information related to the area. The data indicate a dramatic correlation between child well-being and community economics. Rates were down for teen births, births with inadequate prenatal care, infant mortality, and mothers without high school degrees, with dramatic differences depending on the community economics. Rate of births to single mothers is climbing in all economic clusters. The number of people receiving public assistance has dropped, but there was a tremendous increase in child poverty. An unemployment equivalent index was calculated to capture the impact of very low wages on the community. Information on data sources completes the report. Appendix A delineates trends in the indicators from 1985 to 1996 and lists New Hampshire's national rank for 10 indicators. Appendix B provides a map of economic clusters with a list of towns in each cluster. Appendix C shows the grouping of high schools by economic cluster. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends and county data on the well-being of Nebraska's children. Section 1 contains a commentary on juvenile justice in Nebraska. Section 2, the bulk of this statistical report, presents findings on indicators of well-being in eight areas: (1) child abuse and neglect/domestic violence (investigated and substantiated cases, reporting, types of abuse, child abuse fatalities in 1999, domestic violence shelters, how domestic violence affects children); (2) early childhood care and education (early childhood development and programs, child care facilities and subsidies, research); (3) economic well-being (TANF, earned income tax credit, single parent families, divorce and child support); (4) education (high school graduates, school dropouts, expelled students, special education); (5) physical and behavioral health (births, prenatal care, low birth weight, births to teens, out-of-wedlock births, immunizations, infant mortality, child deaths, access to health care, blood lead levels, mental health and substance abuse treatment, regional centers, community-based services, youth risk behavior survey); (6) juvenile justice (juvenile arrests, probation, youth rehabilitation and treatment centers, victims of rape, adult jail and parole for juveniles); (7) nutrition (food stamps, USDA nutrition programs); and (8) out-of-home care and adoption (out-of-home care, state foster care review board, children in out-of-home care, licensed and approved foster homes, lack of foster care homes, multiple placements, race and ethnicity, adoption services). Section 3 presents county data notes. Section 4 presents specific county data in table form. Sections 5 through 7 present information concerning methodology, data sources, definitions, references, and Kids Count Team members. (SD)

This Kids Count Fact Book is combined with the Families Count Fact Book to provide information on statewide trends affecting children and families in Delaware. The Kids Count statistical profile is based on 11 main indicators of child well-being: (1) births to teens 15 to 17 years; (2) births to teens 15 to 19 years; (3) low birth weight babies; (3) infant mortality; (4) child deaths; (6) teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; (7) juvenile violent crime arrests; (8) high school dropouts; (9) teens not in school and not working; (10) children in poverty; and (11) children in one-parent households. Additional issues affecting children profiled in the report include: early care and education; children without health insurance; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; child abuse and neglect; and foster care. The report notes an improvement in births to teens and child mortality but notes increasing rates of low birth weight babies; teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; teens not attending school and not working, child poverty, and children in one-parent households. The report contains 75 data tables related to the indicators. The Families Count statistical profile details the conditions of families, children and individuals in Delaware communities. The five indicator categories are: (1) healthy children; (2) successful learners; (3) resourceful families; (4) nurturing families; and (5) strong and supportive communities. For each indicator, the recent trend in Delaware, and Delaware compared to the U.S. average, are posted. (KB)

Data from the 50 United States are listed for 1997 from Kids Count in an effort to track state-by-state the status of children in the United States and to secure better futures for all children. Data include percent low birth weight babies; infant mortality rate; child death rate; rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; teen birth rate; percent of teen high school dropouts; percent of teens not attending school and not working; percent of children living with parents who do not have full-time year-round employment; percent of children in poverty; percent of families with children headed by a single parent; and percent of children who live in a household without a phone or computer or Internet access. (SAH)

This WisKids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Wisconsin's children, revisiting indicators that have been followed since 1991. The statistical portrait is based on ten general areas: (1) county demographics; (2) county labor market; (3) housing; (4) maternal and child health; (5) early childhood program participation; (6) child and family welfare; (7) juvenile justice; (8) program participation; (9) W-2 related programs; and (10) subsidized child care (Wisconsin Shares). The report is divided into six sections. Section one contains introductory materials and specifically addresses three areas of concern for Wisconsin's children: (1) the affordable housing crisis and its impact on children; (2) red flags, which indicate changing trends in state program data; and (3) racial disparities in Wisconsin. Section two, the bulk of the report, presents statistical data for the state of Wisconsin as a whole and for each of its 72 counties. Section three presents county rankings in 1998 on various indictors such as median family income, children receiving Birth-to-Three services, juveniles in correctional facilities, births to mothers younger than 18, and Food Stamp recipients. Section four contains education data for the school year 1998-1999, including indicators such as attendance, instruction costs, various grade level testing results, and ACT scores. Section five highlights selected incidence numbers. Section six contains information on data sources and explanations. (SD)

Intended to inform policymaking in the public and private sectors, this booklet compiles secondary data for 59 health status indicators. The book provides both graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends where applicable. Data are presented for the target populations of Title V funding: infants, children, adolescents, children with special health care needs, and women of childbearing age. In addition to health status, the book addresses health services utilization and population characteristics. Following the introduction, which discusses trends and issues in children's health, the booklet has six sections: (1) "Population Characteristics," including children in poverty, maternal age, working mothers, and school dropouts; (2) "Health Status," discussing the health issues related to infants, children, and adolescents; (3) "Health Services and Utilization," including health care financing, vaccination coverage levels, physician visits, service utilization by children with chronic conditions, hospital utilization, and prenatal care; (4) "State-Specific Data," including data tables on infant and neonatal mortality, prenatal care, low birth weight, births to women under 18, Medicaid information, and health insurance; (5) "City Data," focusing on comparisons between cities with populations over 100,000 and national data on infant mortality, low birth weight, and prenatal care; and (6) "Healthy People 2010 Objectives." (Contains 34 references.) (EV)

This Kids Count data book for 2000 examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of Michigan's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of well-being in the areas of: (1) economic security; (2) child health; (3) child safety; (4) adolescence; and (5) education. Part 1 of the data book reviews Michigan's progress on a selected group of child well-being indicators included in the national Healthy People 2000, noting that the state is not close to achieving most of them. Most achievements have been made among the adolescent measures, particularly in reducing violence and pregnancies. Trends in maternal and child health have either been flat throughout the decade or show stalled improvement. Measures for children showed mixed results. Part 2 of the data book features an in-depth discussion of childhood asthma, its effects on children, risk factors for the disease, the scope of the problem in Michigan, initiatives to control and combat asthma, and recommendations for further action. Part 3 summarizes findings of children's well-being compared to other states and summarizes trends represented in the state profile. This part notes that in the past decade, Michigan has shown the most extensive improvements in education and in mortality rates. However, access to health care and economic security worsened between 1988 and 1998. Part 4, comprising the bulk of the data book, presents profiles of child well-being statewide and for each county. The report concludes with data notes and sources. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines state and countywide trends in the well-being of Florida's children. Demographic information is presented along with a statistical portrait for the state and for each county based on the following indicators: (1) births, including births to unwed mothers, teen births, early prenatal care, low birth weight, and infant mortality and deaths; (2) well-being, including child deaths, teen violent deaths, dissolutions of marriage with children affected, and child abuse and neglect; (3) youth and the law, including delinquency and transfers to adult court; and (4) education, including graduation rate, nonpromotions, dropouts, disciplinary actions, academic performance on standardized tests, and students eligible to participate in free/reduced lunches. The bulk of the report presents state and countywide data on demographics and the indicators for 1998-99. The report's 13 appendices list state- and countywide data, with some indicators listed by race or age categories. The report concludes with information on terminology and data sources. (SD)

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Connecticut's children. The report first examines how well children have faired during the past 100 years in terms of economics, education, health and safety, and race relations, and how they are doing at the start of the 21st century. This section also outlines the state's objectives or vision for children and the underlying principles of this vision. Following demographic information, the bulk of the report provides a statistical portrait of Connecticut's children based on 17 indicators of well-being: (1) family setting; (2) children in families receiving welfare benefits; (3) children receiving free or reduced-price school meals; (4) high school employment; (5) births to teen mothers; (6) low birthweight; (7) infant mortality; (8) late or no prenatal care; (9) physical fitness tests; (10) preschool experience; (11) performance on Connecticut Mastery Test; (12) performance on Connecticut Academic Performance Test; (13) high school dropout rates; (14) child abuse/neglect; (15) child deaths; (16) preventable teen deaths; and (17) juvenile violent crime arrests. Among the findings, the report indicates that the number of families receiving welfare benefits has decreased; the number of high school students working in excess of 16 hours per week has increased; births to teen mothers have decreased but the number still remains large; infant mortality has decreased as has the problem of late or no prenatal care; and the rate of high school dropouts has improved, as have child abuse/neglect rates. The number of juvenile violent crime arrests has increased. The remaining section of the report provides the child well-being information organized by region rather than indicator. Data sources and notes and a description of the methodology conclude the report. (HTH)

This Kids Count fact book examines statewide trends in well-being for South Dakota's children. The statistical portrait is based on 25 indicators in the areas of demographics, health, education, economic status, and safety. The indicators are: (1) population; (2) family profile; (3) poverty thresholds; (4) infant mortality rate; (5) low birth weight rate; (6) child death rate; (7) teen violent death rate; (8) births to single teens; (9) prenatal care; (10) immunization rates; (11) school enrollment; (12) dropout rates; (13) children with special needs; (14) poverty rates; (15) TANF and foodstamp use; (16) Medicaid participation; (17) child care availability; (18) per capita personal income; (19) women in the workforce; (20) median household income; (21) juvenile arrests; (22) youth related traffic accidents; (23) child abuse and neglect; (24) juvenile drug and alcohol treatment admissions; and (25) youth risk behaviors. The first part of the fact book presents sources and definitions of the indicators and state perspectives for each. The major portion of the report presents state and county data tables for each indicator. The report concludes with a section listing data resources, web sites of interest, and information on performing data calculations. (HTH)

This report is one in a series by the Food Research and Action Center celebrating the achievements of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in its 25-year history. The report documents the growth in WIC participation nationally and in each state during the program's history. Following a brief discussion of the program, its history, and some of its achievements in reducing rates of low birth weight and infant mortality, the report consists of three sets of data: (1) a one-page national WIC profile of participation over the history of the WIC program; (2) 51 state WIC profiles (for 50 states and the District of Columbia) of participation over the history of the WIC program; and (3) data tables (appended) providing the national and state data on a year-by-year basis. (EV)

Intended to inform policymaking in the public and private sectors, this booklet compiles secondary data for 54 health status indicators. The book provides both graphical and textual summaries of data, and addresses long-term trends where applicable. Data are presented for the target populations of Title V funding: infants, children, adolescents, and women of childbearing age. In addition to health status, the book addresses health services utilization and population characteristics. Following the introduction, which discusses trends and issues in children's health, the booklet has six sections: (1) "Population Characteristics," including children in poverty, maternal age, working mothers, and school dropouts; (2) "Health Status," discussing the health issues related to infants, children, and adolescents; (3) "Health Services and Utilization," including health care financing, vaccination coverage levels, physician visits, service utilization by children with chronic conditions, hospital utilization, and prenatal care; (4) "State-Specific Data," including data tables on infant and neonatal mortality, prenatal care, low birth weight, births to women under 18, Medicaid information, and health care financing; (5) "City Data," focusing on comparisons between cities with populations over 100,000 and national data on infant mortality, low birth weight, and prenatal care; and (6) "Progress towards Healthy People 2000," summarizing progress toward several prevention objectives. (Contains 32 references.) (HTH)

Minnesota Planning developed the Children's Report Card in 1994 to help the state and its 87 counties gauge the well-being of Minnesota's children and youth. The report was created as an extension of Minnesota Milestones, a long-range plan for the state and a tool to measure results which was developed by Minnesota Planning in 1992. For the first time, this 1999 report card is organized around 6 of the 19 Milestones goals. The new structure is intended to strengthen the state's ability to track trends. With a focus on county-level data on children and youth, the report card presents data on 6 new indicators and 5 revised indicators. The indicators are: (1) children in poverty; (2) children in families receiving welfare; (3) children from low-income families; (4) school transfers; (5) births by teens; (6) children placed out of home; (7) child abuse and neglect; (8) physical abuse; (9) sexual abuse; (10) family alcohol abuse; (11) prenatal care; (12) low birth-weight babies; (13) on-time immunization; (14) third-grade assessment; (15) basic standards; (16) high school graduation; (17) infant mortality; (18) exercise and physical activity; (19) suicide attempts; (20) smoking and tobacco use; (21) alcohol use; (22) sexual activity; (23) volunteering; (24) fighting; (25) driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and (26) juvenile apprehensions. The report card notes positive trends, specifically higher rates of on-time immunization, improved scores on elementary assessment tests, lower rates of infant mortality, fewer suicide attempts, reduced sexual activity, more volunteering, and less fighting. Negative trends noted are a greater proportion of low-income children, increased school transfers, increase in low birth-weight babies, and higher rates of juvenile apprehensions. (EV)

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Virginia's children. The statistical portrait is based on five general areas of children's well being: health, safety, education, families, and economic factors. Key indicators in these five areas include: (1) prenatal care rates; (2) low birthweight; (3) child deaths; (4) sexually transmitted disease rates; (5) psychiatric hospitalizations; (6) physical fitness; (7) child abuse and neglect; (8) teen violent deaths; (9) delinquency; (10) substance abuse rates; (11) weapons possession; (12) violent crime arrests; (13) standardized test results; (14) literacy rates; (15) school dropout rates; (16) per-pupil expenditures; (17) special education enrollment; (18) school suspension rates; (19) day care capacity; (20) Head Start enrollments; (21) number of births to teens; (22) number of births to single mothers; (23) out-of-home placements; (24) reduced lunch enrollees; (25) unemployment rates; and (26) average income. Following a brief profile of the state, special issues for Virginia's youth are addressed including homelessness, inadequate health coverage, single-parent families, immunization, motor vehicle injuries, and child poverty. The remainder and bulk of the report provides data, by county, of the key indicators for the years 1993 through 1997. (SD)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county trends in the well-being of Colorado's children. The statistical portrait is based on 12 indicators of well-being: (1) infant mortality; (2) low birth weight births; (3) immunizations; (4) child poverty; (5) early prenatal care; (6) child abuse deaths; (7) health insurance; (8) paternity establishment; (9) teen births; (10) teen suicide rate; (11) youth unemployment; and (12) high school graduations. The report begins with a discussion of progress toward the Decade of the Child goals set for the year 2000. The bulk of the report details county- and state-level demographic, economic, health, education, and safety data. County-level trends for data are indicated where appropriate, based on 1991, 1994, and 1997 data. The report's findings indicate that infant mortality, early prenatal care, percentage of young children who are fully immunized, paternity establishment, the number of children dying from abuse or neglect, teen birth rate, and teen suicide rate have all shown improvement since 1990. Low birth weight births and high school graduation rates have worsened during the 1990s. (KB)

This WisKids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Wisconsin's children, revisiting indicators that have been followed since the inception of the WisKids Count series. The statistical portrait is based on nine general areas: (1) county demographics; (2) county labor market; (3) family formation; (4) child health/family well-being; (5) child and family welfare; (6) juvenile justice; (7) public program participation; (8) early childhood program participation; and (9) Wisconsin Works (W-2) and related programs. The report is divided into five sections. Section 1 contains introductory materials and specifically addresses seven areas of concern for Wisconsin's children at the end of the decade: (1) economic growth and child well-being; (2) brain development: the first 3 years; (3) family formation; (4) child health; (5) child welfare; (6) public program participation; and (7) adolescence. Section 2, the bulk of the report, contains statistical data for the state of Wisconsin as a whole and for its 72 counties. Section 3 contains a 3 year average of county rankings and trends in the areas of annual wage in goods-producing sectors, incidents of domestic violence, children receiving WIC services, and births to mothers with less than a high school education. Section 4 contains education data by county for standardized tests and selected incidence numbers. numbers. The final section contains information on data sources and explanations. (SD)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Minnesota's children. The statistical portrait is based on 12 indicators of well-being: (1) child poverty rate; (2) children in families receiving food stamps; (3) children eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch; (4) births to teenage mothers; (5) low birth weight rates; (6) children not immunized by age 2; (7) school readiness problems; (8) drop out rates; (9) children arrested for serious crime; (10) child abuse and neglect rates; (11) children in out-of-home placements; (12) children dying violently. Following an introduction detailing the major findings, the report provides regional and statewide statistical summaries for each indicator, discusses the importance of the indicator, describes potential improvement strategies, provides information on resources related to the indicator, and describes Minnesota trends. Minnesota data are compared to national findings for each indicator. The bulk of the report provides statistical information on the indicators for each county. Findings indicated that 1 in 8 Minnesota children continue to live in poverty, with child poverty rates related to ethnicity, family structure, residence location, and parent education. Although the teen birth rate has been declining, the school dropout and school completion rates continue to worsen, and sizable numbers of children are not ready to learn when they enter school. The report concludes with definitions of the indicators and their sources. (KB)

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Utah's children. The statistical portrait is based on four general areas of children's well-being: (1) health; (2) education; (3) safety; and (4) economic security. Key indicators in these areas include: (1) prenatal care; (2) infant mortality; (3) low birth weight babies; (4) teen births; (5) immunizations; (6) health insurance; (7) school enrollment; (8) per pupil expenditure; (9) dropouts; (10) pupil/teacher ratios; (11) school meals; (12) standardized test scores; (13) children with disabilities; (14) incidence of delinquent activity in schools or school-related activities; (15) child abuse; (16) juvenile offenses; (17) injury hospital discharges; (18) child death rates; (19) child violent death; (20) divorce; (21) poverty; (22) median household income; (23) working parents; and (24) welfare measures. Statewide information and discussion of terms comprise the first section of the report. The second section of the report presents a county by county analysis of data. Comparative data for 1996 and 1997 and definitions of data elements are also included. (LBT)

This Kids Count data book examined trends in the well-being of Oregon's children, focusing on the well-being of children under 8 years. This statistical portrait is based on indicators of child well being in four areas: (1) health, including immunizations, health insurance, and health risk factors; (2) family well-being, including divorce and child abuse or neglect; (3) child care and early education, including percent in paid child care arrangements, number of child care slots, and prekindergarten enrollment; and (4) community investments, including access to free public libraries, and percent of children screened in the Healthy Start program. The report's introductory section defines and discusses the indicators, providing statewide trend information. An additional 12 measures of child well-being are included in the profiles: (1) juvenile arrests; (2) teen pregnancy; (3) teen suicide attempts; (4) high school dropout; (5) eighth grade reading proficiency; (6) eighth grade mathematics proficiency; (7) child abuse and neglect; (8) crimes against persons; (9) child deaths; (10) low birthweight infants; (11) infant mortality; and (12) and child care supply. Data sources and notes complete the introductory section. The remainder of the report is comprised of statistical profiles for the state and individual counties. Overall, the report's findings indicate that 36 percent of children under age 13 are in paid child care arrangements for an average of 27 hours weekly. In 1997, an estimated 58 percent of Oregon kindergartners were ready to learn in all areas. In 1998, 7,613 divorces affected households with children. Sixteen percent of children were living in poverty. Over 80 percent of Oregon 2-year-olds were current on their immunizations in 1998. Eight percent of children under age 8 lacked health insurance. The Healthy Start programs screened 79 percent of first birth children in program counties in 1998-99. (KB)

This Kids Count data book provides statistics on the well-being of children in Louisiana. Data are provided for the state as a whole and for each of Louisiana's 64 parishes. An introduction summarizes findings for 1999, and a final section summarizes trends in the data over the past several years. Indicators used in the report to measure child well-being are: (1) population; (2) poverty; (3) employment and income (median family income, percent and number unemployed); (4) children receiving aid from Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Medicaid, food stamps, Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, child care assistance, and FINDWORK child care; (5) maternal and child health (percent births to teens, percent low birth weight, percent women receiving adequate prenatal care, infant mortality rate, immunization rates); (6) children in trouble (children in custody/under supervision of Office of Youth Development, crimes against property, crimes against persons); (7) child abuse and neglect (physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, children in foster care); and (8) public education (registration, per pupil expenditure, teacher salary, exceptional children program, dropout rates). (EV)

This Kids Count report examines national and statewide trends in the well-being of the nation's children. The statistical portrait is based on 10 indicators of well-being: (1) low birthweight infants; (2) infant mortality; (3) child death; (4) teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; (5) teen birth rate; (6) number of teens who are high school dropouts; (7) teens not attending school and not working; (8) children living with parents who lack full-time, year-round employment; (9) children in poverty; and (10) families headed by a single parent. The report's overview includes descriptions of risk factors and exemplary models and strategies. The report indicates that between the mid 1980s and 1990s, there were increases in the percent of low birthweight infants, teen birth rate, percent of children living in poverty, and percent of families headed by a single parent. There were declines in infant and child mortality rates; percent of teens not attending school and not working; and percent of children living with parents who lack full-time, year-round employment. There was little change in the rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide and the percent of teens who are high school dropouts. The bulk of the report is comprised of national and state profiles. National profiles include information on child health and social and economic characteristics; juvenile justice; family risk index; and trends for indicators. State rankings are provided for indicators. Three appendices provide standard scores and multi-year trend data and national composite ranks. Definitions, data sources, and criteria for selecting indicators are included. (KB)

This Kids Count report highlights state and countywide findings on key indicators affecting the educational and life success of Ohio's children. The statistical portrait is based on five indicators: (1) fourth graders' performance on the Ohio fourth grade reading proficiency test; (2) number of children receiving child care assistance or participating in Head Start programs; (3) children's health status; (4) participation in programs that alleviate poverty and promote self-sufficiency; and (5) family movement from welfare to work. Findings indicated that 68 percent of the fourth graders taking the reading proficiency test in 1998 passed; under new 1999 proficiency standards, only 47 percent would have passed. More than $277 million was available in fiscal year 1999 for child care assistance, with a monthly participation of 62,618 children. Head Start participation was 57,159 children in 1998. About 40 percent of Ohio infants born in 1997 had at least one risk factor. In 1997 almost 8 percent of infants were born at low birthweight. The number of children enrolled in Medicaid in December, 1998 was 560,731 and was expected to increase by approximately 104,000. Over 670,000 Ohio families received the federal Earned Income Credit in 1997. Thirty-four percent of families owed child support received at least one cash payment in 1997, up from 21 percent in 1990. Ohio public assistance caseloads dropped by 46 percent from September 1995 to September 1998. However, more than 26,077 Ohio adults may use up their time limit by October, 2000. The report concludes with data definitions, data sources, and calculations. (KB

This Kids Count report provides information on state and countywide trends in the well-being of New Jersey's children between 1990 and 1998. The statistical portrait is based on 19 social indicators: (1) children receiving AFDC/TANF; (2) children receiving food stamps; (3) children receiving Medicaid; (4) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program enrollees; (5) number of births; (6) percent of births with low birth weight; (7) percent of births receiving no prenatal care; (8) infant mortality rates; (9) number of births to teens; (10) child death rates; (11) teen death rates; (12) juvenile arrest rates; (13) juvenile commitment rates; (14) child abuse; (15) family problems; (16) out of home placements; (17) percent of students scoring level 3 (not proficient) on the reading, writing, and mathematics sections of the Early Warning Test; (18) percentage of 11th grade students passing the state's high school proficiency test; and (19) percent of students taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and their average math and reading scores. Following the state profile, the report presents profiles for each county, then presents the data by indicator for each county. The remainder of the report presents profiles for selected New Jersey cities. A glossary is included. The report shows improvement since 1990 in indicators of economic well being and of child health, but the rate of teen deaths has increased, as have the number of juvenile arrests and commitments. Child welfare indicators also show improvement since 1993. (HTH)

This Kids Count report provides statistical data on several indicators of child well-being in Newark, New Jersey. Indicators are grouped into six categories: (1) Demographics (including population, number of registered voters, income level, people living below poverty level); (2) Family Well-Being (including average number of children receiving public assistance, number of residents served by WIC, average number of children receiving food stamps, number of substantiated child abuse, family problem cases, and out-of-home placements); (3) Child Health (including number of births, percent low birth weight, percent receiving no prenatal care, percent unmarried mothers, number of births to women under 15, number of births to women 15-19, infant mortality rate per 1,000, number of child and teen deaths, number of children under 18 with AIDS and HIV, vaccination of 2-year-olds, and number of sexually transmitted diseases for children under 19; (4) Environmental Health (including lead poisoning cases, number of reported toxic and diseased waste sites, lead levels in drinking water, vacant lots converted into active community or school gardens); (5) Education (including number of students enrolled in public schools, student ethnicity, number of students receiving reduced or free breakfast/lunch, number of homeless students, attendance rate, student suspensions, criminal/violent incidents, number of students in after-school youth development programs, number of gifted and talented students, standardized test scores, dropout rate, post-graduation plans); and (6) Juvenile Justice (number of juvenile arrests for 1994 through 1998, including serious offenses). (EV)

This Kids Count factbook is the fifth to examine statewide and county trends in the well-being of Maryland's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators in the domains of economic well-being, good health, safety, and preparing for adulthood. The 16 indicators are: (1) child poverty; (2) child support; (3) births to teens; (4) low birth weight infants; (5) infant mortality; (6) early prenatal care; (7) binge drinking; (8) child abuse and neglect; (9) child death rate; (10) teen violent death; (11) school violence; (12) juvenile violent crime arrests; (13) nonviolent juvenile criminal arrests; (14) third grade reading; (15) on-time graduation; and (16) high school completion. The report presents key findings about Maryland's children and describes how Maryland counties rank and how the state ranks nationwide. The bulk of the report presents state and county level data on demographic information and the above indicators from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s. Key findings indicated that there were improvements in percentage of babies born to teenage mothers, percentage of paying child support cases, infant mortality rate, percentage of third grade students performing satisfactorily or above on the reading portion of the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program, teen violent death rate, nonviolent juvenile crime arrests, and the percentage of women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester. There was an increase in child poverty, violence-related arrests, and binge drinking. The report concludes with an appendix presenting data by county on the indicators and information on methodology and data sources. (KB)

This Kids Count data book for 1999 examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of Michigan's children, featuring available data on young adolescents, ages 10 to 14. The statistical portrait is based on 15 indicators of well-being: (1) child poverty; (2) free and reduced price lunch; (3) inadequate prenatal care; (4) low birthweight infants; (5) infant mortality; (6) child deaths; (7) children in families investigated for abuse or neglect; (8) substantiated victims of abuse or neglect; (9) children in out-of-home care; (10) births to teens, ages 15 to 17; (11) teen deaths by accident, homicide, or suicide; (12) index crime arrests; (13) high school dropouts; (14) students enrolled in special education; and (15) students with inadequate mathematics skills. Section 1 of the report discusses young adolescent well-being with regard to community connections, health, and education, and notes that many communities have adopted a proactive approach to youth development. Section 2 summarizes the latest state trends and includes a state map with county child poverty estimates. Section 3 reviews the background indicators of child population, childcare and early education, family support programs, childhood lead poisoning, and immunization. Section 4 analyzes each trend indicator. Section 5, the bulk of the report, presents state and county profiles. Data indicate that there have been improvements in indicators related to adolescents. However, economic security indicators have shown declines, and there have been mixed results in child health, child safety, and education. (KB)

This KIDS COUNT databook is the fifth annual profile examining statewide trends in the well-being of Rhode Island's children. The statistical portrait is based on 30 indicators in 5 areas: (1) family and community (covering child population and children in single-parent families); (2) economic well-being (covering median household income, cost of rent, children in poverty, children in the Family Independence Program, children in families receiving food stamps, and children receiving school breakfast); (3) health (covering children's health insurance; women and children receiving WIC; women with delayed prenatal care; low birth weight infants; infant mortality; children with lead poisoning; births to teens; alcohol, drug, and cigarette use by teens; children with asthma; and additional children's health issues); (4) safety (covering child deaths, teen deaths, homeless children, homeless youth, juveniles referred to family court, and child abuse and neglect); and (5) education (covering infant and preschool child care, children enrolled in Head Start, school-age child care, fourth-grade reading proficiency, children enrolled in special education, high school graduation rate, and teens not in school and not working). The report defines each indicator, describes its significance and trends, provides information on intervention programs, and presents relevant data for the state, each city and town, and an aggregate of the five cities with the highest child poverty rates. The report concludes with a description of the methodology and acknowledgements. (EV)

The Kids Count Data Book examines trends in the well-being of Kansas children. This statistical portrait is based on trends in 22 indicators of child well-being, grouped into 5 areas: (1) economic well-being--births to single teens, child poverty rates, free school meals, and family economic assistance; (2) physical health and safety--childhood deaths, infant mortality, early prenatal care, immunization rates, and low birth-weight infants; (3) childhood care and education--Head Start participation, child care availability, high school graduates pursuing post-secondary education and training, births to mothers with less than a high school degree, and high school graduation rates; (4) emotional well-being--out-of-home placement, teen violent deaths, and reported and substantiated child abuse and neglect; and (5) social behavior and social control--juvenile court filings, youth alcohol use and binge drinking, and youth who have ever used drugs other than alcohol. Following an executive summary, Section 1 of the report discusses welfare reform in Kansas and makes recommendations for strengthening the safety net for families no longer receiving welfare services. Section 2 consists of tables detailing findings for each indicator by county and statewide. Section 3, the bulk of the report, presents statistics for each county, a graphic and narrative description of trends, and demographic information. Among the findings, the data book shows significant improvement in immunization rates, infant mortality, childhood death, teen violent death rates, youth drug use, and Head Start participation. Concerns were evident in reports and substantiations of child abuse or neglect, juvenile court filings, childhood poverty rates, and low birth-weight infants. Information on data sources is appended. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Pennsylvania's children. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 17 indicators of child well being: (1) birth weight; (2) early prenatal care; (3) infant mortality; (4) substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect; (5) out-of-home placements; (6) delinquent children placed out-of-home; (7) Head Start enrollments; (8) regulated child care capacity; (9) public school dropouts; (10) child mortality; (11) child enrollment in Medicaid; (12) enrollment in Children's Health Insurance Program; (13) children receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/Aid to Families with Dependent Children; (14) births to single mothers under age 20; (15) child poverty; (16) children in single-parent families; and (17) unemployment and income. The report is presented in six sections. Section 1 summarizes the findings. Section 2 provides statewide indicator information, including graphic multi-year profiles of the state as a whole; urban, rural, and mixed counties as groups; and Pennsylvania's racial and ethnic minority populations. Section 3 presents information organized by indicator. For each indicator, a two-page map and table show how each county fares on the indicator and how it compares to other counties. The table also compares each county with others in its population category. Section 4 provides profiles of each county, with graphs of multi-year trends, usually from 1983. There are also county-level racial/ethnic breakdowns and municipality breakouts. Section 5 charts performance, resources, and student statistics for all public school districts. Section 6, the report's appendix, defines indicators and lists data sources. Among the findings, the report indicates progress in the areas of regulated child care capacity, enrollment in Head Start, and substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect. The report also indicates negative progress in the areas of children living in poverty, child death rate, children in single parent homes, and children in foster care. (KB)

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Indiana's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators in ten general areas: (1) child and family demographics; (2) economic well-being; (3) poverty; (4) child safety; (5) education; (6) health and well-being; (7) mental health and additions; (8) mortality; (9) teen high-risk behaviors; and (10) juvenile justice. The first part of the data book summarizes findings in the areas listed above. Findings include the following: child poverty in the state continues to decline; teen birth rates also continue to decline; and the number of juvenile delinquency cases has dropped for the first time in 7 years. However, in the previous year, Indiana suffered its highest number of child abuse deaths in the last decade, and the number of low birth weight babies continued to rise. The data book then highlights the Indiana Youth Worker Study, which examined the characteristics and compensation of those working in youth agencies, and the Search Institute Survey, which assessed developmental assets of Indiana youth. The bulk of the data book contains state and county profiles for the indicators, as well as definitions and data sources. County Data Tables are appended. The data book concludes with a list of 12 building blocks for building a firm foundation for Indiana's young people, which include a healthy body, support from family and community, commitment to learning, positive values, and constructive use of time. (HTH)

This Kids Count factbook details statewide trends in the well-being of Wyoming's children. Following an overview of key indicators and data sources, the factbook documents trends by county for 20 indicators, including the following: (1) poverty and population; (2) welfare reform; (3) certified day care facilities; (4) births; (5) infant deaths; (6) early prenatal care; (7) percent of low birth weight babies; (8) children with developmental disabilities; (9) births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy; (10) births to teens; (11) births to unmarried mothers; (12) teenage motor vehicle deaths; (13) teenage suicides; (14) teen violent deaths; (15) juvenile arrests; and (16) dropout rates. The remainder of the factbook presents state and county profiles based on the above listed indicators. The statistical findings show the following: a decrease in the trends of child population, teenage birth rate, the number of children receiving economic assistance, teen violent deaths, and infant mortality; an increase in the trends in the number of dropouts, poverty, percent of low birth weight babies, and babies born to unwed mothers. The factbook concludes with information on Wyoming Children's Action Alliance Partnership, how adults can advocate for children, and members of Wyoming's 55th legislature. (HTH)

This is the fourth edition of an annual report on trends in the well-being of America's children and youth. Part 1 of the report describes national trends for over 90 indicators of child and youth well-being based on data collected by the federal government. The information provided for each indicator includes one or more tables documenting recent historical trends and important population subgroup differences, graphics to highlight key trends and group contrasts, and accompanying text that describes the importance of each indicator and highlights the most salient features of the data. The indicators are grouped into five substantive areas: (1) population, family, and neighborhood; (2) economic security; (3) health conditions and health care; (4) social development, behavioral health, and teen fertility; and (5) education and achievement. Part 2 of the report examines changes in risk-taking among high school students from 1991-1997, while part 3 documents the co-occurrence of teen health risk behaviors. (HTH)

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county trends in the well-being of West Virginia's children. Following a summary which describes overall findings, the bulk of the report presents the statistical portrait, based on 12 indicators of well-being: (1) percent low birth weight babies; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) percent of eligible children served by Head Start; (5) percent children approved for free and reduced school meals; (6) child abuse/neglect rate; (7) teen birth rate; (8) percent births to unmarried teens; (9) percent high school dropouts; (10) juvenile delinquency case rate; (11) teen violent death rate; and (12) percent births to mothers with less than a twelfth-grade education. Trends for data are indicated where appropriate, based on 1990 and 1997 data. Statewide, several indicators show improvement, while the rates of low birth weight babies, children approved for free and reduced school meals, births to unmarried teens, and juvenile delinquency have increased. The report includes a special section on day care in West Virginia. (EV)

This Kids Count report details trends in the well-being of the District of Columbia's children. Following an executive summary, which describes overall findings, the bulk of the report presents the statistical portrait-based on eight areas of children's well-being: (1) general population trends; (2) economic security; (3) family attachment and community support; (4) homeless children and families; (5) child health; (6) safety and personal security; (7) education; and (8) selected indicators by ward. The third section addresses children and youth with special needs, including special education, early childhood special needs populations, building a safety net for children at risk for disabilities, and health care availability and quality for children with special needs. The fourth section offers several D.C. Kids Count strategies and recommendations for improving the well-being of the District's children and youth. The final two sections provide further information on data gathering and acknowledgments. The report finds that, although many indicators show improvement this year, much remains to be done. (EV)

This Kids Count Data Book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors influencing young children. This statistical portrait is based on trends in 19 indicators of child well-being in four areas: (1) family economics, including child poverty rate, children receiving TANF, children receiving WIC, fair market rent, infants born to mothers with less than 12 years of education, child care, and child support; (2) health, including prenatal care, low birthweight, infant mortality, teen births, and mothers initiating exclusive breastfeeding; (3) education, including classrooms, student proficiency, and public libraries; (4) safety, including foster care, child abuse, gun injuries and deaths, and motor vehicle injuries and deaths. The data book's introduction details key findings, discusses data interpretation, and makes recommendations. Part 1, the bulk of the report, contains fact sheets for each county and the state, including information on demographics, overall state findings, county rankings, and trends in the above indicators, with data presented by racial/ethnic group. Data explanations and sources follow. Part 2 contains summary tables organized by indicator detailing state and county findings for five additional indicators median yearly income, unemployment, low income children, high school dropout rates, and graduates prepared for college. The data book's findings indicate that 13 California counties have young child poverty rates of 30 percent or higher. Infant mortality has dropped, with continued racial differences. Statewide teen birth rates continue to drop, with significant ethnic group differences. In the most populous counties, at least 40 percent of Head Start-eligible children are not enrolled. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Hawaii's children. The bulk of this statistical report is comprised of indicator findings and is divided into four major sections: (1) family composition and resources, including children in poverty, family formation, births to teens, children in single-parent families, children with health insurance, and cost of shelter; (2) infancy and preschool years, including early prenatal care, low birth weight infants, infant mortality, fully immunized 2-year-olds, children at-risk for developmental problems, preparing for school, and child abuse and neglect; (3) early school years, including child deaths, children of working parents in after-school programs, academic progress of third graders, children with special needs, other educational measures in elementary years, and child abuse and neglect; and (4) adolescence and youth, including academic progress of eighth graders, other educational measures in secondary school years, high school graduation, healthy lifestyle, juvenile arrests for violent crimes, substance use, teenage pregnancy, abuse and neglect, idle teens, and teen violent deaths. Findings indicate that conditions have worsened in the percent of children in poverty, cost of shelter, low birth weight, children of working parents in after-school programs, child abuse and neglect (ages 6-11), academic progress of intermediate students, substance use, juvenile arrests for violent crimes, and idle teens. The report profiles demographics of Hawaiian children, outlines a vision for Hawaiian children's future, compares Hawaiian data to national data, and describes the methodology and data sources. (SD)