Over the last decade, California leaders have made tremendous progress on supporting kids in some crucial areas. They have vastly increased the percentage of children enrolled in health insurance and made paid family leave available for most workers. They have also invested in free school meals, committed to universal transitional kindergarten,…

The Administration's January proposal for the 2015-16 state budget does not do enough for California's top priority--the children. The failure to fund new preschool slots breaks last year's commitment to provide access to quality preschool for every low-income 4-year-old. The proposal also misses opportunities to fully support and improve access…

The 2019-20 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California is the comprehensive roadmap at the state level to ensure that all children have the necessary supports to reach their full potential. California has an obligation to end systemic injustices that create barriers to kids of color, as well as kids living in poverty and undocumented kids, from growing…

Lack of progress for improving the lives of kids is unacceptable. All children need stability and a path to opportunity. This is true for nearly half of California's children who live in low-income families, where caregivers struggle to afford the quality support and services they need for their kids. This is also true for the approximately…

"The 2021 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California" is the comprehensive state-level roadmap to ensure that all children have the necessary supports to reach their full potential. California has an obligation to end systemic injustices that create barriers to kids of color, as well as kids living in poverty and undocumented kids, from…

Each year, New Jersey Kids Count provides a statewide view of how New Jersey's children are faring, with the goal of providing comprehensive information to assist local, county, and state leaders--and the broader public--in setting priorities for the state's limited resources. This annual snapshot of child well-being is intended to inform…

There is strong consensus in California and in the country around the notions of equal opportunity for all children, and giving kids a chance of having it better than their parents. The reality in California is that most families lack the means and resources to provide their children with the basic building blocks of a productive life in the 21st…

The "Colorado Children's Budget" presents and analyzes investments and spending trends during the past five state fiscal years on services that benefit children. The "Children's Budget" focuses mainly on state investment and spending, with some analysis of federal investments and spending to provide broader context of state…

Developed by Voices for Illinois Children, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group that addresses problems faced by Illinois children and their families, this booklet evaluates in a report card format the condition of Illinois children in the areas of education, health, special needs, and economic level. Sections of the booklet describing each of…

This article examines foster care and adoption, health, and education of poor Indian children. The paper first explains the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, gives a historical overview of injustices done to American Indians, and reviews recent court rulings and federal and state action in regard to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The paper then has…

The 1989 census data for the state of Kentucky reveals that African American children are more than twice as likely to be poor as White children, three times more likely to grow up in a single parent family than White children, and twice as likely as White children to live in a home that is rented as opposed to owned. The data also show that the…

This booklet presents statistics concerning the well-being of Illinois' 3.3 million children between 1980 and 1990. Statistics are compared county by county for each of the state's 102 counties, and statewide statistics are compared with those of the entire nation. A statewide analysis focuses on spending per pupil on education, the percentage of…

This Kids Count publication is the first to examine statewide trends in the well-being of Montana's children. The statistical portrait is based on 13 indicators of well-being: (1) low birthweight rate; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) teen violent death rate; (5) percent of public school enrollment in Chapter 1 programs; (6)…

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…

This Kids Count report examined statewide trends in the well-being of Rhode Island's children. Five chapters addressed the areas of: family and community; economic well-being; child health; safety; and education. The statistical portrait is based on 26 indicators of well-being: (1) children in single parent families; (2) median household income;…