The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Missouri as 30th out of 50 states for child well-being, which is a decline from the last two KIDS COUNT Data Books. The latest data in this report does not show the COVID-19 impact because it is an analysis of children's well being in 2018, but it will become more evident over time. The newly released data reflects generally positive results, however, fallout from the pandemic is likely and the 2020 KIDS COUNT release will serve as a baseline for tracking how new policies impact our state's children. The 31st edition of the Data Book — a comprehensive annual report on child well-being for the United States and every state – examines change in how the nation’s kids are doing since the first Data Book was published in 1990 by measuring indicators over time in four areas research consistently shows are important in children’s lives: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.
In 2018 — the latest year of data available — more parents were economically secure and lived without a high housing cost burden. In addition, more teens graduated from high school and delayed childbearing and children’s health insurance coverage continued to be something to celebrate.
“Working to keep kids healthy and safe has never been more essential,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation. “Having consistent, reliable data to guide our decisions will be critical as we continue seeking to ensure the wellbeing of children, families and communities throughout this challenging time and beyond.”
The 2020 Data Book shows improvement nationally on 11 indicators in the KIDS COUNT Index; three indicators stayed the same and two worsened. In Missouri 7 of 8 statewide outcomes improved in 2018 compared to 2010. All economic well-being indicators, except for child homelessness, improved over time. While children from most racial groups experienced positive changes on outcome measures over time, significant disparities continue to exist, especially between Black/African American and white children and youth. With the combination of COVID-19 and the renewed national attention on racial equality, data impacts are likely.
Click here to read the 2020 KIDS COUNT Data Book.
