Alabama improved in all health measures and in three out of four education measures in an annual nationwide examination that looks at the well-being of children.
Nearly 300,000 children live in poverty in Alabama, a 5 percent increase since 2008, according to the 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released this month by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The data book is an annual publication that examines child well-being across the country. This year, the focus was on key trends in child well-being in the post-recession years, measuring child well-being in four domains — economic well-being, education, health and family and community. Key findings shows that economic recovery in the form of increasing employment and concentrated wealth has bypassed many low-income, struggling communities and families, where a child’s future is anchored in scarcity and hardship.
Overall, the state ranked 45th — down from 44th in overall child well-being. In the area it improved the most — health — it ranked 40th. The lowest it ranked was 45th in education.
The state also ranked 41st in economic well-being and 44th in family and community.
Alabama has traditionally been ranked in the bottom 10 and has experienced one of the highest poverty rates nationally for a number of years, according to the report.
Alabama improved in three out of four education measures and all health measures (included in the report), but economic well-being for Alabama children deteriorated, including an increase in the number of children living in poverty. The report said this is significant given the current General Fund Budget crisis and as lawmakers consider solutions to address this crisis.
“The state’s economic crisis has deeply affected the lives of Alabama’s children and at a time when our state is seeing progress on some indicators of child well-being, we can’t help but be discouraged that the number of children living in poverty has increased since 2008,” said Melanie R. Bridgeforth, VOICES for Alabama’s Children’s executive director.
“Poverty does not determine the fate of a child, but it can impede their optimum development. Children cannot alter their family’s economic circumstances which is why it is imperative for our state leaders to make meaningful investments and do no harm to programs and services that provide opportunities for working poor families.”
Although parents are working, they still often struggle to provide health care and child care — both of which are essential to child well-being and keeping parents employed. State and federal investments in health and education can create lasting positive changes for children. Investments in critical services, such as the subsidized child care program, for example, helps low-income families pay their child care fees. This critical work support program aids working poor families in overcoming extraordinary challenges.
The 2015 Data Book also shows that poverty affects children of color at a higher rate than their white peers. There are several contributing factors to wealth disparities that are difficult to overcome including generational poverty and limited access to higher-paying jobs. Limited access to quality early learning opportunities can perpetuate poverty by widening the academic achievement gap between children of color and their white peers.
Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program has been instrumental in reducing the achievement gap for low-income children and children of color. As the state’s voluntary Pre-K program, it provides effective, high-quality early childhood experiences that prepare Alabama’s children for school success and lifelong learning. The program has been championed by a mix of sectors in Alabama including business leaders, lawmakers and child advocates because it effectively prepares children to be successful in school and later in life as they enter the workforce.
Similar programs with successful track records such as child day care subsidies, mental health services, and Medicaid are left in limbo since lawmakers failed to produce a General Fund budget for 2016. These services and the working poor families that need them must wait for their fate to be decided by lawmakers later this summer during a special legislative session.
“This is a pivotal time for child well-being in Alabama and state leaders must stay the course on investing in children and families. We cannot maintain these investments without addressing the state’s budget challenges including passing a General Fund Budget that includes revenue enhancing measures. Without this step, Alabama will lose ground on improving child well-being and our children and families will suffer,” said Bridgeforth.
View the original content and more from this author here: http://ift.tt/1SMrNfY
from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/1JuDtDt
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment