2006 KIDS COUNT Briefing

1. 2006 KIDS COUNT Briefing Introduced by William Valladares Presented by Taifa Butler and Julie Sharpe Family Connection Partnership www.gafcp.org/kidscount

2. KIDS COUNT • A national and state-by-state effort funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. • Tracks the status of child well-being in the U.S. through reporting current and credible data. • Ranks states using 10 key indicators.

3. KIDS COUNT • Seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. • Publishes an annual Data Book, issues annual state rankings of child well-being, and provides an interactive database atwww.gafcp.org/kidscount

4. Georgia KIDS COUNT • Measures how children and families are faring in the state. • Includes national, state, and county-level data, as well as Census data by legislative districts. • Represents the largest compilation of the most current and reliable available data from a variety of sources in Georgia.

5. Georgia KIDS COUNT • Tracks progress across five result areas: • Healthy Children • School Readiness • School Success • Stable Self-Sufficient Families • Strong Communities

6. National Findings for 2006 • Nationally, three out of 10 child well-being indicators have worsened since 2000. • In Georgia, three national indicators are worse, one indicator is stagnant, and there were improvements in six indicators since 2000. • Georgia mirrored national trends with poverty, low birthweight babies, and children in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment worsening since 2000. • Georgia’s national ranking is 44th.

7. National Findings • The 2006 report highlights the critical role that early childhood development plays in preparing children for success in school and life. • Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care is discussed in detail. Nationally, more than 6.5 million children under age 6 spend all or part of their time in home-based or family-based settings. • More than 200,000 Georgia children under age 6 spent all or part of their time in family-based child care in 2003.

8. Percent National Ranking: 41st

9. National Ranking: 43rd Per 1,000

10. National Ranking: 29th Per100,000

11. National Ranking: 30th Per100,000

12. National Ranking: 41st Per1,000

14. Teen Births • Teen birth rate still declining; down to 53.3/1000 in 2004 • Hispanic mothers: Birth rate slightly increased to 153.1/1000 in 2004 • Georgia: 41st out of 50 states for teen birth rate ages 15-19

15. High School Graduation • National rankings use status high school dropout rate because it is the only consistent measure across states and over time. • The KIDS COUNT dropout rate includes those with a GED as high school graduates (consistent with U.S. Census Bureau). • The Georgia Department of Education measures the percentage of students who entered ninth grade in a given year and were in the graduating class with a regular diploma four years later. • Both the status dropout rate and the cohort graduation rate show improvement since 2000. • Percent of teens who are high school dropouts (ages 16-19) for 2004 • 12% in Georgia • 8% nationally • Georgia high school graduation rate • 65.4% for 2003-2004 • 69.4% for 2004-2005

16. National Ranking: 48th

18. National Ranking: 36th

19. Poverty level was $17,050 for family of two adults and two children.

20. Poverty level was $18,400 for family of two adults and two children.

21. Other Key Findings • Black children continue to be born into circumstances that place them at risk. They have lower birthweight and higher infant mortality rate. • Teens in Georgia lag behind national averages in graduating from school and being employed. • Economic status of children and families has declined since 2000. • While long-term trends show improvement, Georgia continues to lag behind national averages.

22. National 2006 KIDS COUNT: • Data Book • 2006 Wall Chart • 2006 Data Wheel • Essay on Family, Friend and Neighbor care • Pocket Guide • Online databases

24. Georgia 2006 KIDS COUNT: • County, state, and national data online • County profiles • Pocket Guide • 10% Improvement in Key Indicators • Snapshots of Georgia’s Children • Children in Georgia: By the Numbers

25. KIDS COUNT Online Database www.gafcp.org/kidscount/ • Compare data between states, regions, counties, congressional, and state legislative districts. • Create custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and profiles. • Download data.

26. Georgia KIDS COUNT County Factsheets

27. Georgia KIDS COUNT County Profiles

28. Georgia KIDS COUNT Graphs

29. Family Connection Partnership, Inc. For more information contact: William Valladares, Communications Coordinator 235 Peachtree Street, Suite 1600 Atlanta, GA 30303 Phone: 404-527-7394 Fax: 404-527-7443 E-mail: william@gafcp.org Web site: www.gafcp.org