2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: Counting What Counts
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, a national and state-by-state report that includes key measures and statistical trends on the condition of America’s children and families. Nationally, improvements have been made in six of the key indicators and declines have occurred in four indicators.
The 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay, Counting What Counts, looks at how improving the volume and accessibility of strong and easily understood data can lead to better-informed policies, more focused programming, and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. The essay also challenges federal and local government officials to: support initiatives to fully count everyone residing in the U.S. in the 2010 Census; revise the poverty standard to include costs related to work, child care, taxes, medical expenses, and regional differences in costs of living; increase data collection on children and families through the National Survey of Children’s Health; and address the problems in the National Vital Statistics System.
(Information above prepared by National KIDS COUNT and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.)