Dawn Rochelle only got a quick glimpse at the 2012 Kids Count Data Book released Wednesday but in one respect she said the report and others like it play a valuable role in monitoring advances and challenges in the health and education of children.
“North Carolina can be proud that we pay attention to children’s issues and that trickles down to our own county of Onslow,” said Rochelle, executive director of Onslow County Partnership for Children. “Our community is invested in ensuring that our children are nurtured and health, all families are supported and thriving, and our community is prosperous for generations to come. We have to make sure that the investment we make is continually monitored and checked for successes and any changes needed. While reports like this are not the sole indicator of whether are investments are working, it is an indicator that we still have more work to do.”
The Kids Count analysis was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and this year made changes in its format, with an index of 16 indicators grouped into four domains: health, economic well-being, education and family and community.
The national analysis includes reports for each state and North Carolina showed mixed results.
North Carolina ranks 34th out of 50 states in overall child well-being, 26th in health, 25th in education and 36th in the family and community category.
“We see in North Carolina we rank in the middle of the pack in health and education but we are lagging behind in child well-being and family and community,” said Laila Bell of Action for Children North Carolina.
Poverty remains a significant factor in child well-being, with one in four children in North Carolina living in poverty.
Several indicators show declining family economic security.
The percent of children living in a family where no parent has full-time, year-around employment jumped from 28 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in 2010.
While numbers show the number of children without insurance has declined since the start of the recession, Action for Children notes that as unemployment has increased or employer participation has decreased, access to health insurance has come through state children’s health insurance programs such as Medicaid and N.C. Health Choice.
On the flip side, North Carolina was in the top 20 states in indicators including fourth grade reading proficiency and eighth graders proficient in math.
To view the report online go to http://datacenter.kidscount.org.