Idaho ranks highest in the nation on economic well-being, family and community factors, but rates of anxiety and depression among children are rising, and education scores are down, according to new national data. also shown to be low.
The 2022 Kids Count data is published annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to measure the health and well-being of children and families in all 50 states. The rankings are compiled primarily from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and data from the US Department of Education.
Kids Count’s partner in Idaho is Idaho Voices for Children. Director girlfriend Christine Tiddens said databooks are typically released in early June, but delays associated with the 2020 Census have also delayed the databook release.
The Kids Count report includes 16 metrics across four categories: financial well-being, education, health and community. Of the 16, 11 Idaho metrics have improved since 2020.
“What this means is that our advocacy is working,” Tidens said. “It also shows that Idaho has weathered COVID and the recession fairly well, especially compared to other states.”
Idaho ranks 14th in the nation for financial well-being, with 14% of Idaho children living in households with incomes below the poverty line, down from 26% in 2008. That’s just her 2% of children living in single-parent households, and those living in high-poverty areas, compared with her 34% nationally. In 2008, 5% of children in Idaho lived in high-poverty areas compared to 9% of children nationwide.
The number of children living with caregivers without a high school diploma has also fallen from 12% in 2008 to 9% in 2020, and Idaho’s teenage birth rate is more than half what it was in 2010. I’m here. , from 33% to 15%.
Idaho ranks highest in the nation on economic well-being, family and community factors, but rates of anxiety and depression among children are rising, and education scores are down, according to new national data. also shown to be low.
Data: Nearly 13% of Idaho Latino High School Students Attempted Suicide in 2019
Children’s mental health data is one of the most worrying aspects of the report, Tiddens said, with the national number of children experiencing anxiety and depression dropping to 26 between 2016 and 2020. % is rapidly increasing. According to the report, in 2020, his 3-year-old and her 17-year-old were experiencing anxiety and depression, up from her 11.4% in 2016. Nearly 10 percent of Idaho high school students attempted suicide in 2019, and her 13 percent of Latino high school students attempted suicide, according to the report.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will release recommendations on youth mental health in December 2021, stating that the COVID pandemic will impact existing mental health outcomes for children whose daily lives have been disrupted by school closures and social isolation. He said it has accelerated and exacerbated the struggle.
Tiddens says young people in Idaho are similarly affected.
“Young people in Idaho have struggled with mental health for years. It should be a red flag for
Idaho Voices for Children’s policy recommendations to combat these numbers will provide financial security for children growing up in poverty, ensure access to mental health care for children, and ensure that all experiences Children who grow up in poverty are two to three times more likely to develop mental health problems, according to Idaho Voices for Children. schools are often not staffed with enough mental health professionals to serve all students.
Lisa Hamilton, President and CEO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, said in a press release: “As our country continues to weather the effects from the COVID crisis, policymakers are working to ensure that every child has access to the care and support they need to cope and live full lives. And we have to do more.”
Idaho Voice for Children director says state should use surplus funds to invest in children
In terms of health indicators, Idaho ranks 19th nationally, with a slight increase in low birth weight infants and an increase in child and teenage mortality and obesity rates. Since 2010, the rate of low birth weight infants has increased from her 6.8% to 6.9%, and the number of child and her teenage deaths per 100,000 has increased from her 28 to 30. Data show that obesity rates have increased from 24% to 29% since 2016, still just below the national average of 32%.
The only positive indicator of health trends was children without health insurance, which decreased from 11% in 2008 to 5% in 2020. Tiddens sees it as a victory tied to the expansion of Medicaid in Idaho. for children.
Idaho ranked lowest in terms of education indicators at 36th. Since 2008, the number of preschool children has decreased from 66% for her to 64% for him. This means that just under two-thirds of her children in Idaho are not in preschool. This compares with 53% of children aged 3 and 4 nationwide in preschool.
The number of fourth graders in Idaho who are illiterate decreased from 68% in 2009 to 63% in 2019 (compared to 66% nationally). But his 8th graders in math-poor Idaho have increased slightly from his 62% to 63%, and the number of students failing to graduate from high school in Idaho on time is 14% nationally. 19% compared to
Tiddens said those metrics could be improved by capitalizing on Idaho’s record surplus.
“We know what it takes to raise healthy, strong children, and our state has the economic capacity to invest heavily in the next generation,” said Tiddens. increase.
