ERIC ED485934: KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2004: State Profiles of Child Well-Being

2004·4.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

State Profiles of Child Well-Being
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
2004
kids count
DATA BOOK
MOVING YOUTH FROM RISK TO OPPORTUNITY
This KIDS COUNT Data Book could not be Special thanks are also due Jeff Fabian,
produced and distributed without the help of Beverley Hunter, Katie Roland, and Jenny
numerous people. The publication was assem- Skillman of KINETIK Communication
bled and produced under the general direction Graphics, Inc., who were responsible for the
© 2004 Annie E. Casey Foundation of Dr. William P. O’Hare, KIDS COUNT design of the book; Jayson Hait of eye4detail
701 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 Coordinator at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, for proofreading and copyediting; Eugenie
www.aecf.org with help from Laura Beavers, Cindy Guy, and Thompson, Darcy Sawatzki, and Polly Dement
Permission to copy, disseminate, or otherwise use Connie Dykstra. at Hager Sharp for providing assistance in the
information from this Data Book is granted as long Most of the data presented in the Data promotion and dissemination of the Data
as appropriate acknowledgment is given.
Book were collected and organized by the staff Book; and all of the young people who were
Designed by KINETIK at the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). photographed for this year’s Data Book, with
www.kinetikcom.com
We owe a special debt of gratitude to Kelvin special recognition to Elizabeth Bruce and
Photography by Michael Cunningham, © 2004 Pollard and Kerri Rivers of PRB, who worked the students, staff, volunteers, and friends of
Data compiled by Population Reference Bureau tirelessly assembling, organizing, checking, the Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning
www.prb.org and re-checking the figures seen here. Center in Washington, DC.
A special thanks goes to Rowena Johnson Finally, we would like to thank the state
and her staff in the Office of Employment KIDS COUNT projects listed on page 202
Printed and bound in the United States of America
on recycled paper using soy-based inks. and Unemployment Statistics in the Bureau of and the dissemination partners listed on page
Labor Statistics for providing tabulations of the 211 for distributing the Data Book to national,
ISSN 1060–9814
Current Population Survey microdata files. state, and local leaders across the country.
We also owe a special thanks to Martye Permission to copy, disseminate, or oth-
T. Scobee of the Urban Studies Institute at erwise use information from this Data Book
the University of Louisville for providing data is granted as long as appropriate acknowledg-
on the number and percent of disconnected ment is given.
young adults; percent of 18- to 24-year-olds To obtain additional copies of this
in poverty; and percent of children living in publication, call 410.223.2890 or write to
families where no parent has full-time, year- the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Attn: KIDS
round employment. COUNT Data Book, 701 St. Paul Street,
Special thanks go to Richard Wertheimer, Baltimore, MD 21202.
s Megan Gallagher, Erum Ikramullah, and The 2004 KIDS COUNT Data Book
t
n Sharon Vandivere of Child Trends, who can be viewed, downloaded, or ordered on
e prepared data on number of persons in foster the Internet at www.kidscount.org.
m
care; number of teen mothers; and number of
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juveniles detained, incarcerated, or placed
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e in residential facilities.
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Table of Contents
4 Essay 166 Appendices
30 Summary and Findings 167 Appendix 1: KIDS COUNT Standard
Scores and Overall Ranks
49 National Profi les
168 Appendix 2: Multi-Year Trend
50 United States Profi le Data for KIDS COUNT Indicators
52 National Indicator Maps: State Rates 186 Appendix 3: Multi-Year Overall Ranks
63 State Profi les 188 Defi nitions and Data Sources
64 Profi les in alphabetical order for 50 201 Criteria for Selecting
states and the District of Columbia KIDS COUNT Indicators
202 Primary Contacts for State
KIDS COUNT Projects
211 Dissemination Partners
ESSAY
Essay
MOVING YOUTH FROM RISK TO OPPORTUNITY
For most American youth, the transition to adulthood inspires
a mix of excitement and high anxiety. There is excitement
about taking steps to realize emerging dreams, aspirations,
and possibilities. Yet there is anxiety about making the right
choices, seizing the right opportunities, and navigating the
predictable crises of confidence that are an inevitable part
of growing up. Most of us have lived through those anxieties
and spent time convincing our kids and other young adults
we know that they will survive the turmoil of this transition;
that things will, in fact, turn out okay. For the significant
majority of youth in this country, things do end up well.
They graduate, find employment, learn to handle new
independence, and make responsible decisions.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation www.kidscount.org kids count 2004 5
Nevertheless, the transition to adult- with a future; it is more likely that they will
hood is never an automatic or uncomplicated have diffi culty advancing beyond low-wage
process. All kids, no matter what their back- work. Their odds of being incarcerated will be
ground or financial status, need a set of basic greater, as will their chances of being victims
connections to help them navigate the shoals of crime. With fewer earning opportunities,
of young adulthood. They need the guidance, adequate housing will be more difficult to find,
the time, and often the financial help of a and they will be more likely to continue living
This group is made up of teens stable, secure family. They need connections in high-poverty, under-resourced communities.
to wider communities that provide access to Perhaps most discouraging, with diminished
in foster care; youth involved in
other mentoring adults and real-life options. ability to build economic security, they will be
the juvenile justice system; teens And they need access to education and experi- considerably less likely to become stable provid-
ences that provide them with a foundation of ers for their own kids. In sum, these discon-
who have children of their own;
learning, life skills, and credentials that can nected youth—as a whole—face a much greater
and youth who never finished help them gain the knowledge and confidence likelihood of bad outcomes, now and in the
they need to succeed. future, than their in-school or at-work peers.
high school. These are the young
Unfortunately, lots of young people,
adults who we believe deserve through no fault of their own, do not make Who Are America’s “Most
our most urgent attention. enough of these critical connections and do not Disconnected Youth”?
garner enough of the resources and supports
they need. By the time these kids reach their While this overall population faces a much
early 20s, they find themselves facing adulthood tougher road to successful adulthood, we know
unprepared, unsupported, and dispirited. Cur- that there is a sub-group of young people who
rently, it is estimated that there are 3.8 million face even worse odds. They are, in fact, the most
youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who are at-risk kids in the country—those most likely to
neither employed nor in school—roughly 15 consistently fail.
percent of all young adults.1 Since 2000 alone, This group is made up of teens in foster
the ranks of these non-engaged young adults care; youth involved in the juvenile justice sys-
grew by 700,000, a 19 percent increase over tem; teens who have children of their own; and
just 3 years.2 For many of these young people— youth who never finished high school.
America’s “disconnected youth”—the transition These are the young adults who we believe
to adulthood is not a time of anticipation and deserve our most urgent attention. Their risk is
possibility; it is a time of fear and frustration. greatest; their hardship is most profound; and
A signifi cant number of these 3.8 million kids their current and future costs to our communi-
have neither the skills, supports, experience, ties are the most significant. They often are the
education, nor confidence to successfully kids in whom we frequently invest intervention
transition to adulthood. dollars that yield disappointing results. They are
A disproportionately large share of these the kids most directly affected by our state and
y
a youth come from minority and low-income local public systems and public policies. In urban
s families.3 As a group, their lack of preparation and rural communities across the country, these
s
E will make it more difficult to secure good jobs are the kids who depend on:
6 kids count 2004 www.kidscount.org The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Essay
(cid:127) foster care systems to help them connect to than 40 percent of the foster care population,
strong families; even though they represent less than 20 percent
(cid:127) juvenile corrections systems to treat them fairly of the nation’s child population. By contrast,
and help them find a new beginning; white children comprise only 31 percent of
(cid:127) public schools to help them gain the knowledge the foster care population, but 64 percent of
and skills they will need to become productive the country’s children. As children move along
providers and citizens; and in age within the foster care system, African-
(cid:127) public health systems to provide the informa- American youngsters are more likely to be
tion and services that can help ensure their in residential or group care instead of family
physical and mental well-being. foster care. African-American children also stay
in care longer,6 and they are least likely to be
But the sad truth is that these systems reunified with their families.
have routinely and consistently failed them in The problems of adolescents in foster care
their young lives. are compounded by their considerable and
In this, our 15th annual KIDS COUNT overlapping health and mental health prob-
Data Book, we examine the issues surround- lems. An estimated 30 percent to 40 percent
ing America’s most at-risk young adults. We of foster children have physical or emotional
examine who they are, why it is so critical that difficulties.7 Those leaving care are at especially
we help them, and what they need to succeed. high medical risk and likely to have acute,
Just as important, we outline a number of ways chronic, and complex health needs result-
that we can alter the path of their lives and ing from past neglect or abuse.8 Yet a major
increase the odds that they, too, can become problem for this population is their lack of
successful adults. even minimal medical coverage.9 Without ap-
propriate medical coverage these young people
Teens in Foster Care run the risk of incurring high medical bills
For adolescents in our nation’s foster care if faced with an emergency, not receiving the
system, the transition to successful adulthood appropriate preventive medical treatment, and
is particularly rocky. In 2000, approximately being untreated for chronic conditions such as
16 percent of the roughly 550,000 children in asthma and depression.10 A 2001 longitudinal
publicly supported foster care were between study of youth leaving care found that 44 per-
the ages of 16 and 18. About one-third of these cent had problems obtaining health care “most
youth had been in care for at least 2 years, or all of the time.”11
and one-fourth had been in care for 5 years While many foster youth overcome the
or more.4 It is estimated that each year about obstacles and challenges of growing up apart
20,000 young people leave the foster care from their birth families, significant num-
system at age 18 (the age at which most states bers of foster teens and young adults do not.
relinquish legal responsibility for these youth) Research indicates that these foster youth are
without being adopted or returning to families.5 behind educationally and have disproportion-
African Americans are disproportionately ately high rates of special educational needs.
represented in foster care. They make up more Some studies report high school dropout rates
The Annie E. Casey Foundation www.kidscount.org kids count 2004 7
among foster youth as high as 55 percent.12 survey respondents felt that the average young
They also fare poorly on other predictors adult is not ready to be completely on their
of successful adult transition. For example, own until about age 23. A third didn’t con-
examinations of foster care alumni found that sider them ready until age 25 or older.14
2 to 4 years after leaving foster care, only half Yet, each year, approximately 20,000
were regularly employed, more than half of the teenagers “age out” of foster care by virtue of
young women had given birth, and a signifi - having reached the age at which their legal rights
cant number were dependent on welfare sup- to foster care end. Most entered foster care as
port. Nearly half of the population had been teenagers, and too few (given current practice
arrested, and a quarter had been homeless.13 and policy) are being reunited with their birth
A study of employment outcomes among families or adopted. For the most part, adequate
children exiting foster care near their 18th preparation for this critical transition is just not
birthday in California, Illinois, and South provided. Despite the fact that Congress passed
Carolina during the mid-1990s found that the Foster Care Independence Act—also known
these youth have mean earnings well below the as the Chafee Act—in 1999, which doubled
poverty level and earn significantly less than federal spending and expanded eligibility for ser-
youth in any of the comparison groups both vices to age 21, neither the funds appropriated
prior to and after their 18th birthday. (less than $1,000 per year, per eligible youth)
All of this is not surprising, given the nor the state and county systems charged with
trauma that many of these young people have addressing the needs of this population have so
experienced, and their lack of family con- far been up to the challenge.15
nections and support when they leave foster A state-by-state analysis of policies that
care. Most have been abused or neglected; promote successful transition indicates that
some have been abandoned by their families. the scope and quality of services provided
Many youth in foster care have been placed in to current and former foster youths, and
marginal group homes, rather than with good the eligibility requirements for these ser-
foster or relative families. Many have bounced vices, vary widely. In general, states provide
from placement to placement without any minimal and uneven assistance with educa-
real stability or ongoing family ties. These ne- tion, employment, and housing, and only a
glected kids have been underserved by the very few states provide essential health and mental
system that was designed to provide them with health services. For example, fewer than one-
the strong families they need. third of the states offer former foster youth
What is truly surprising is our apparent ages 18–21 access to Medicaid coverage. And
national expectation that upon reaching 18, although most states provide some mentor-
these high-risk adolescents will be capable of ing services, they generally do not utilize
functioning independently. Common sense other methods of enhancing youth support
dictates that in today’s world, most 18-year- networks.16 Perhaps most important, the
y
a olds, regardless of their economic or educa- inability of foster care systems to routinely
s tional status, are not fully capable of assuming place teenagers with strong foster, relative,
s
E adult responsibilities. In fact, in a nationwide and adoptive families puts them at great risk
8 kids count 2004 www.kidscount.org The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Essay
of not having a network of adults available (cid:127) One-half to three-fourths of incarcerated youth
as they transition to adulthood—a transition nationwide are estimated to suffer from a
that is challenging even for youth who have mental health disorder. Suicide within juvenile
families supporting them. detention and correctional facilities is more
than four times greater than in the general
Youth Involved in the population. At the same time, researchers and
Juvenile Justice System administrators alike decry the lack of appro-
No experience may be more predictive of future priate assessment and treatment services for The overall effects of confine-
adult difficulty than having been confined in confined youth with mental health problems.17
ment, combined with our dismal
a secure juvenile facility. Many youth are held (cid:127) It is estimated that more than half of all detained
in detention centers because they have been ar- youth have drug use problems that require sub- national record for providing
rested and are simply waiting for trial; others are stance abuse treatment, yet relatively few facilities
quality after-care services for
incarcerated in secure congregate care facilities provide such services. One survey found that
because they have been sentenced for a crime. treatment for adolescent substance offenders was youth once they are released,
However youth enter juvenile custody, almost all available in less than 40 percent of the nation’s
make adolescent incarceration
are at significant risk of failure when they exit. public and private youth facilities.18
For example, each year, there are more (cid:127) Academically, incarcerated youth function at a significant risk factor for
than 600,000 admissions to secure detention a significantly lower level than peers their age.
compromised adulthoods.
facilities. According to recent federal statis- Studies indicate that although 10 percent to 12
tics, there are approximately 27,000 youth in percent of the general population suffers from
these institutions on any given day, an increase learning disabilities, rates are as high as 42 percent
of almost 100 percent since 1985. Despite among the correctional population. Yet reviews
public stereotypes that these are very danger- of educational programs in these institutions con-
ous youth, fewer than one-third are charged sistently indicate that incarcerated youth receive
with offenses involving violence. More than markedly substandard and inadequate educational
one-third are detained for status offenses (non- services. Their educational progress is further
criminal offenses such as running away) and compromised because school districts are often
various technical violations of probation and averse to re-enrolling youth upon their release and
other rules. Approximately two-thirds of these often refuse to accept any academic credits that
kids are minority youth, and virtually all of the they may have earned while incarcerated.19
growth in detention over the past 15 years is
due to greatly increased rates of detention for Confined youth lose daily contact with their
African Americans and Latinos. About two- families, lose valuable school time, and are unlike-
thirds of all youth admitted to secure detention ly to have their health and mental health needs
facilities will enter institutions that are over- met. They are much more likely to be tutored in
crowded and unsafe. By professional standards, crime than they are in math, and their mentors
such places are unable to provide the kinds of are much more likely to be offenders than caring
custody or care that these youth require. The adults. The reality is that months in confinement
needs of detained and incarcerated youth are can increase the odds of negative adult outcomes
many and often severe: for a 16-year-old by jump-starting a spiral of
The Annie E. Casey Foundation www.kidscount.org kids count 2004 9