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Summary
“The 34th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how the country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care negatively affects children, families and U.S. businesses. This year’s publication continues to present national and state data across four domains — economic well-being, education, health and family and community — and ranks states in overall child well-being. The report includes pre-pandemic figures as well as more recent statistics, and shares the latest information of its kind available.
America’s child care system is broken. Safe, reliable child care has largely been inaccessible and unaffordable for too many Americans. Disparities between who can and can’t afford child care reflect long-standing structural inequities in the United States. Shift workers, single parents, student parents and families of color are particularly affected by the failings of the child care system. Children are deprived of nurturing care, and caregivers are prevented from earning money to meet basic needs…
In terms of overall child well-being, the top-performing states have shifted slightly since last year. New Hampshire now holds the top spot. Utah rose to second, and Massachusetts has slightly fallen, rounding out the top three. The lowest-ranked states remained the same: Mississippi (48), Louisiana (49) and New Mexico (50).”
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a funder of Youth Today. Read our editorial independence policy.
