Study puts state at 39 in child and family well-being
Georgia ranks 39th in the nation for overall child and family well-being in the latest KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
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While this overall ranking cannot be directly compared to previous years because methodology has changed over time, the report shows that more stuGHQWV LQ *HRUJLD DUH SUR¿FLHQW LQ UHDGLQJ and math, fewer children are living in poverty, and more children are living in families where the head of the household has a high-school diploma. And though Georgia’s children and families still face challenges, there are some promising trends for the state.
“Healthy children are our state’s most valuable resource, and Georgia is committed to providing each child with a strong foundation for growth and development,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “As we continue our work to make Georgia a leader in all industries, we are making VLJQL¿FDQW LQYHVWPHQWV LQ . HGXFDtion, as well as early care and learning through the Quality Rated program, to ensure students are reading on gradeOHYHO DQG H[SHULHQFLQJ VLJQL¿FDQW DFDdemic achievement. By cultivating safe and supportive environments conducive to success both in the classroom and the workforce, we are better preparing our students to meet the challenges of today, tomorrow, and beyond.”
The investments Georgia has made in its children and families over the past decade are poised to pay dividends. The state’s commitment to increasing high-quality early care and learning through Quality Rated and Get Georgia Reading—Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, and the emphasis on creating a Georgia where all children can read on grade level by the end of third grade, are examples of these investments.
“A continued commitment to serving children and families will position the state to improve further in the opportunities for our children to become successful Georgians,” said Georgia Family Connection Partnership Executive Director Gaye Smith. “If we stay the course with these types of strategic investments, all Georgians will benH¿W IURP WKH UHVXOWLQJ SURJUHVV DQG positive community outcomes. But it’s not enough to work hard for our children and families. We must continue to work for them together in both the public and private sectors.”
The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains—health, education, economic well-being, and family and community—to assess child wellbeing. The report uses data from 2016, the most recent available.
More Economic Stability for Georgia’s Families
Georgia ranks 37th in Economic Wellbeing. Families and children are experiencing more economic stability than in previous years, with Georgia’s economic domain rank improving by seven spots over last year, and all four indicators showing progress both year-toyear and compared to 2010. Georgia’s child poverty rate continued to drop, decreasing to 23 percent, down from 24 percent in 2015, and 25 percent in 2010. (The national average is 19 percent.) Georgia’s percentage of teens not in school and not working also improved to 8 percent, down from 9 percent in 2015 and 12 percent in 2010. Finally, the percentages of children whose parents lack secure employment and children living in households with a high housing cost burden, both dropped one percentage point from last year, and several percentage points from 2010.
Continued Positive Education Trends Key to a Robust Workforce
Georgia ranks 34th in education. Mostly positive education trends continue, with fewer eighth-graders scoring EHORZ SUR¿FLHQW LQ PDWK DQG IHZHU IRXUWK JUDGHUV VFRULQJ EHORZ SUR¿FLHQW in reading. The 2015 data showed that 72 percent of eighth-graders were below SUR¿FLHQW LQ PDWK DQG LQ WKDW percentage fell to 69 percent, compared with a national average of 67 percent. The percentage of high school students not graduating on time remained the same as in the previous report at 21 percent, but that number represents D VLJQL¿FDQW LPSURYHPHQW IURP when 33 percent of Georgia high school students failed to graduate on time. A strong educational pipeline, from birth through early adulthood, is key to ensuring that Georgia builds a capable, robust workforce and continues to be a place people want to call home.
Teen Birth Rate at an AllTime Low
Georgia ranks 40th in family and community, improving in that domain by one spot over last year’s rank, based on improvements in teen births, children living in high-poverty areas, and adult educational attainment. At 13 percent, this is the lowest ever percentage of Georgia children growing up in a family where the head of the household lacks a high school diploma. Georgia’s teen birth rate continues to fall, reaching an all-time low at 24 per 1,000, compared to the national average of 20 per 1,000.
Low Birthweight on the Rise
Georgia ranks 39th in health this year, but the domain rank cannot be compared to previous years because the methodology for calculating drug and alcohol abuse has changed. This domain saw mixed results that included an increase in low birthweight babies and child and teen deaths. After improving its low birthweight rate between 2010 and last year’s data, Georgia’s rate rose to its highest rate in the Data Book’s 29-year history at 9.8 percent. The national low birthweight rate rose as well between
DQG EXW UHPDLQV VLJQL¿cantly lower than Georgia’s rate at 8.2 percent. Georgia did improve on the percentage of children without health insurance, going from 7 percent last year to 6 percent this year, and down from 10 percent in 2010.
“Georgia’s economic vitality depends upon our ability to improve the quality of life for all Georgians,” said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. “With over 29 percent of rural children living in poverty we must be proactive in our efforts to provide adequate healthcare, transportation, education, and employment to end the cycle of generational poverty. As we seek to invest in our next generation, it is critical that we create solutions that advance sustainable economic mobility for Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens.”