by Marian Wright Edelman
Last month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2025 edition of the ‘Kids Count Data Book,’ an annual resource that measures national and state data on economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors.
Summing up their latest findings: “This year’s trends paint a complex picture—steady progress in some areas, setbacks in others and persistent opportunities to do better for kids and their families. Since 2019, seven of the 16 key indicators have improved, six have worsened and three have not changed.”
Among the troubling results, include: “The number of teenagers disconnected from school or work has risen sharply, academic outcomes are still worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and most concerning, more young people are dying.”
As members of Congress continue to debate their spending (and slashing) priorities for the federal budget, and as the Children’s Defense Fund continues to urge senators to reject proposed cuts to critical health, nutrition, and financial stability programs, this is among the many kinds of data that could help Congress determine what choices children, young people, and families in their states need them to make.
Our nation should embrace every opportunity to lift up what is working and what remains necessary in order for children and families to thrive.
One of the report’s features is its breakdown of indicators by state, ultimately giving each state a ranking: “Where a child lives continues to matter deeply, with stark geographic disparities shaped by local and state policies, economic conditions, community investment and infrastructure. This year’s ‘Data Book’ highlights these patterns clearly: States facing the biggest challenges are largely in the South and Southwest (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia). In contrast, many Northeast and Midwest states rank near the top (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Vermont). Utah also stands out as a strong performer.”
This year, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts ranked first, second and third for overall child well-being, and Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico ranked 48th, 49th and 50th.
Where does your own state fall in studies like this, and where do your state’s elected officials stand right now on the budget choices that matter most to children and families in your community?
Strategic investments in basic needs programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Child Tax Credit and the Social Services Block Grant are more than optional line items on a spreadsheet. They are essential, proven tools that help families stay afloat and help children and young people thrive as they grow into healthy, productive adults.
There are many ways to tally the facts on how much ‘kids count’ in our nation. Choosing children over corporations should be a test too simple to flunk.(Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.)
