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This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of North Carolina's children. The statistical portrait is based on 22 selected key indicators representing background demographics, economic, educational, health, and social well-being: (1) children poverty rate; (2) TANF recipients; (3) children in families receiving food stamps; (4) children enrolled in free/reduced price school meals; (5) children in publicly subsidized child care; (6) Medicaid child enrollment; (7) infant mortality; (8) low birthweight; (9) births to teens; (10) births to mothers with inadequate prenatal care; (11) child deaths; (12) child care enrollment; (13) third grade math and reading proficiency; (14) eighth grade reading and math proficiency; (15) SAT scores and percent of graduating seniors taking test; (16) public high school completion rate; (17) public high school dropout rate; (18) public high school per pupil expenditures; (19) reported child abuse and neglect; (20) substantiated child abuse and neglect; (21) foster care; and (22) youth in the juvenile justice system. Part 1 of the report explains the new indicators and charts in the report and provides an overview of the statewide findings. Appended to Part 1 is information on data sources and a discussion of the Leandro decision, a landmark court case concerning public education in North Carolina. Part 2, the bulk of the report, offers specific findings and trends over the past 10 years for all 100 counties and statewide information related to the Leandro decision. Part 3 of the report presents additional data notes and sources. (KB)

This seventh annual report card is produced to heighten awareness of the health of the children of North Carolina by summarizing important child health indicators. The report is intended to assist health administrators, legislators, and family advocates in their efforts to improve the health and safety of children statewide. Data are presented for the most current year available and a comparative year (usually 1995) as a benchmark. The following indicators are used: (1) insurance coverage; (2) infant mortality; (3) low birth-weight infants; (4) immunization rates; (5) communicable diseases; (6) environmental health; (7) dental health; (8) early intervention; (9) child abuse and neglect; (10) deaths due to injury; (11) alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse; (12) physical fitness; (13) obesity; and (14) teen pregnancy. Grades are assigned for each indicator based either on the percentage change in an indicator's current data in relation to the same indicator in a prior year, or on a general consensus among the sponsoring organizations. The report notes that for several indicators--including infant and child death rates, uninsured rates, the immunization rate--the data are the best ever reported. However, for several other indicators--including child abuse and neglect, child abuse homicides, asthma, obesity in low-income children, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances--the data remain extremely worrisome. The report concludes with data notes and definitions. (HTH)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of North Carolina's children. The statistical portrait is based on 20 key indicators of child well-being: (1) infant mortality; (2) low birth weight infants; (3) births to teens; (4) births to mothers with early prenatal care; (5) child deaths; (6) regulated child care enrollment; (7) fourth grade math and reading proficiency; (8) seventh-graders writing at or above grade level; (9) SAT scores and percent of graduating seniors taking test; (10) public school drop outs; (11) per pupil expenditure; (12) reported child abuse and neglect; (13) substantiated child abuse and neglect; (14) children in foster care; (15) admissions to training schools and detention centers; (16) child poverty rate; (17) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients; (18) food stamp recipients; (19) children receiving free/reduced price school meals; and (20) children in publicly subsidized child care. Part 1 of the report explains some of the primary issues surrounding the indicator topics, provides an overview of the statewide findings, and details recommendations related to background health, educational, social, and economic indicators. Part 2, the bulk of the report, offers specific findings for all 100 counties with both tables and special issues highlighted. For each county, one indicator is featured as a "celebration" of its progress and another indicator is identified as a "concern," in which the county needs to make more progress. Population statistics and trend data (typically from 1990 to 1998) are included for each county. Part 3 of the report presents data notes and sources. (KB)

This report is the inaugural edition of a triennial profile of the condition of North Carolina's youngest population (age birth through 5 years), the target population for the state's "Smart Start" program. Part 1 of the report details the needs of young children in the state by means of state and county-by-county data. Part 2 presents resources such as a history and description of the Smart Start program, a list of Smart Start Partnerships by year, and county resources. The final section defines and explains the data presented. The data are presented in three areas--early education, health, and economics and family structure--with key indicators in each. The indicators are: (1) child care arrangements; (2) enrollment of child care centers; (3) services for children with developmental disabilities; (4) publicly subsidized child care; (5) Head Start; (6) early education program accreditation; (7) child care provider training; (8) healthy birth and early childhood; (9) access to health care; (10) safety; (11) family income; (12) family poverty and assistance; (13) family structure; (14) general demographic data; (15) child care provider statistics; (16) family income distribution; (17) immunizations; (18) child deaths; and (19) leading causes of death for children over 1 year old. (LBT)

This Kids Count report examines county and statewide trends in the well-being of North Carolina's children from the 1970s through the 1990s. The statistical portrait is based on 40 indicators of well-being in five categories: (1) demographics; (2) physical well-being, including infant mortality rate and percent low birth weight; (3) intellectual well-being, including dropout rate and children in subsidized child care; (4) social well-being, including divorce rate and teen birth rate; and (5) economic well-being, including median family income and child poverty rate. Multiple comparisons are provided to allow examination of state and county data from several perspectives. The state-level mean, median, highest, and lowest numbers are also provided for each indicator for the latest year available. Following a section on using this data guide, the bulk of the report is comprised of data tables for each county, delineating indicator information for the 1970s, 1980s, 1990, and the latest available. Additional county data are provided for seven indicators for which trend information is not available. State- and national-level trend information is provided in tabular and graphic format. State-level findings indicate that infant mortality has decreased by 68 percent over the last 25 years. Teen suicide has increased 150 percent over the last 25 years. There have been substantial increases in the child abuse and neglect rate and foster care placement. The percent of children in poverty is currently 20 percent. The report concludes with data definitions and sources as well as a county index. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of North Carolina's children. The statistical portrait is based on 16 indicators of well-being: (1) infant mortality rate; (2) infants born with low birth weight; (3) births to single teens; (4) children without insurance; (5) high school dropout rate; (6) SAT scores; (7) high school retention rate; (8) child abuse and neglect; (9) children in out-of-home placements; (10) training school commitments; (11) juvenile arrests; (12) training school commitments; (13) child deaths; (14) child support collections; (15) children living in poverty; and (16) children receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The bulk of the report is comprised of summaries of the indicators in the health, education, safety, and security areas; a statement of the state vision for the areas, and a list of the counties scoring the best and worst on each indicator. The findings indicate that based on 1992 data, the well-being of North Carolina's children deteriorated between 1985 and 1992 in 5 areas. More than 18 percent of children live in household with no adult male present. The rate of unmarried teen births rose 61 percent. The juvenile violent arrest rate is increasing much faster than the nation as a whole. Infant mortality declined by 15 percent, but the state still ranks 43rd. Although the high school dropout rate fell by 9 percent between 1985 and 1992, North Carolina still ranked 46th on this indicator. The report concludes with a county-by-county listing for each indicator and information on data definitions and sources. (KB)

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of North Carolina's children. The statistical portrait is based on 16 indicators of well-being: (1) infant mortality rate; (2) infants born with low birth weight; (3) births to single teens; (4) children without insurance; (5) ninth graders who graduate; (6) high school dropout rate; (7) SAT scores; (8) child abuse and neglect; (9) children in out-of-home placements; (10) juvenile arrest rate; (11) training school commitments; (12) child deaths; (13) children living in poverty; (14) median family income; (15) children receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; and (16) child support collections. The bulk of the report is comprised of statewide summaries of findings. Findings indicate that the infant mortality rate dropped in 1992 to 9.9, the lowest in state history. Births to single teens decreased slightly in 1992 and had been level over the preceding 5 years. The proportion of infants born at low birth weight had not declined in the last 15 years, and remained at eight percent. The school dropout rate worsened by 10 percent after several years of progress. The high school graduation rate dropped seven percent since 1986. Child abuse report have nearly doubled since 1989. The number of child support cases increased and the number of children living in poverty increased. The report also tabulates county data on 14 of the indicators. The report concludes with information on data definitions and sources and 5-year trend information on the indicators. (KB)