2012_Redwoods Group Presentation

KIDSCOUNT

NC

CHILD WELL-BEING ACROSS THE STATE AND IN WAKE COUNTY

Laila A. Bell, MPA | laila@ncchild.orgDirector of Research and Data

ABOUT ACTION FOR CHILDREN NORTH CAROLINA

WHAT ACTION FOR CHILDREN DOES

MEASURING CHILD WELL-BEING

KEY CHILD WELL-BEING TRENDS IN NORTH CAROLINA

A GLIMPSE AT CHILD WELL-BEING IN WAKE COUNTY

TODAY’SAGENDA

POLICY STRATEGIES/LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

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04

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01ABOUTACTION FOR CHILDRENNORTH CAROLINA

Working to make North Carolina the best place to BE and RAISE a child

02WHATACTION FOR CHILDRENDOES

APPLIED RESEARCH AND DATA

COMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA ADVOCACY

OUTREACH

CONVENING, ORGANIZING AND FACILITATING

PUBLIC EDUCATION

02 OURSTRATEGIES

TECHNOLOGY

WHEN OUR CHILDREN DO WELL, WE ALL DO WELL

Childhood is a critical period in the developmental process that prepares children for future success in life.

Adverse experiences during childhood create a lifetime of damage:

• Reduced labor market participation and earnings

• Lower academic achievement• Poor health• Greater risk of criminal justice system

involvements

03HOWACTION FOR CHILDRENMEASURES CHILDWELL-BEING

A whole child approach to examining well-being.

All children have economic security.

All children are safe in their homes, schools and

communities.

All children are healthy.

All children are provided the opportunity and

resources to succeed in their education

CHILD WELL-BEING

04KEYTRENDS INNORTH CAROLINACHILD WELL-BEING

A NATIONAL STUDY RANKED NORTH CAROLINA 38TH IN OVERALL CHILD WELL-BEING

2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book

KIDS COUNT Data Book measures child well-being using 10 indicators

Between 2003 and 2009 the state rank improved from a low 45 to 37 in the nation for overall child well-being

After a period of improvement, NC’s state rank increased in 2011

This ranking does not capture the impact of recent budget cuts to children’s programs

North Carolina’s child population is larger and more diverse than ever before

Still, with the exception of Latino children, most groups experienced no change or a slight decline in child population over the past decade

1 in 4 North Carolina residents is a child under the age of 18

NC ranks 11th in the country in child population

Median household income fell from $44,772 in 2007 to $43,417 in 2010

The recession eroded economic security for families across the state

Children living in families that are economically secure have the best opportunity to thrive, succeed in school, find employment and become contributing members of society,

Income below $23, 050 for a family of two adults and two children in 2012

25% increase since the start of the economic downturn

NC ranks 38th in the country for the percent of children living in poverty

1 in 4 children in North Carolina live in poverty

Non-Hisp

anic

White

Black or A

frica

n American

Asian and Pac

ific Isla

nder

Hispanic

or Latino

14%

40%

17%

43%

U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey

African American and Latino children in North Carolina are 1.6 times more likely to live in poverty than average.

StateAverage

Income below $11,500 for a family of two adults and two children

38% increase since start of the economic downturn

NC ranks 35th in the country for the percent of children living in extreme poverty

Number of children living in households earning less than half the FPL is rising

A measure of the number of children who do not live to see their first birthday

Improvement has been made, but there is still much work to be done

Once the highest in the nation, North Carolina’s infant mortality rate is improving

NC ranks 45th in the country for infant mortality

A measure of the percentage of children born weighing less than 2,500 g or 5 lbs. 5 ozs.

The leading cause of infant mortality among African American children in the state

The percent of low-birthweight births remains a cause for concern

NC ranks a low 42nd in the country for low-birthweight births

05 A GLIMPSEAT CHILD WELL-BEING IN WAKECOUNTY

Wake County is the second most populous county in the state

234,613 children reside in Wake County.

1 in 10 children in North Carolina live in Wake County

If the Wake County child population were its own city, it would be the 8th largest city in the state of North Carolina

The median household income represents the data point that splits the income distribution into two equal halves

Median household income in Wake is $61,594

Household Income in Wake is at pre-recession levels

A measure of the percentage of the civilian labor force that does not have a job, but is available and looking for work

Unemployment in Wake County has more than doubled since the start of the downturn

Wake has a lower unemployment rate than average, but experienced faster growth since the start of the economic downturn

Wake has the 3rd lowest child poverty rate in the state (15.2%) behind Union and Camden Counties

More than 35,000 children in Wake live in poverty

8 in 10 Wake students graduate high school on time with their peers

Wake has the highest cohort graduation rate in the state (82.6%) followed by Alleghany

A measure of the percentage of an incoming freshman class who graduate from high school within four years

1 in 9 children in Wake are uninsured

More than 27,000 children in Wake lack access to healthcare

Healthy children have the best opportunity for success in school and in lifeAll children need access to quality affordable health insurance, preventive health care, a medical home, and specialized services when necessary

06 SUPPORTINGIMPROVEDWELL-BEINGFOR NC CHILDREN

Support children in working families by strengthening the state Earned Income Tax Credit.

• The federal EITC lifts an estimated 3.3 million children out of poverty annually.

• The state EITC pumped nearly $100 million back into local economies across the state.

Preserve public health insurance programs for North Carolina children.

• More than 250,000 children across the state lack access to health insurance.

• Despite looming cuts to Medicaid, it is imperative that public health coverage for children is not diminished.

THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAS BEEN A MIXED BAG FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH• Earned Income Tax Credit• Programs to support children’s health• Bills to increase child safety• Budget

Get involved in efforts to improve child well-being in your community• Contact your legislators• Stay informed• Connect with others

For more information visit Action for Children

online:

www.ncchild.org datacenter.kidscount.org/nc

www.facebook.com/ActionforChildrenNorthCarolinawww.twitter.com/nckidscount