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the independent voice for Kentucky's children

National KIDS COUNT

Kentucky ranks 41st in overall child well-being in the 2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book

Cover of 2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book
The 2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book, released on June 12th by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates, provides a national and state-by-state look at the conditions of America’s children and families. The book ranks states on ten key indicators of child well-being and also provides an overall ranking. Kentucky slipped one spot below its 2007 ranking to 41st in the nation.

This year’s essay calls for urgently needed reforms to juvenile justice systems nationwide. Over the past twenty years, scholars have developed a large body of research about the causes of juvenile delinquency and approaches to juvenile reform that hurt rather than help. The essay highlights promising new approaches to detention reform that increase opportunities for positive youth development.

Highlights from the 2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book:

  • Kentucky posted improvements on 4 of 10 key indicators;
  • Kentucky continues to outpace the nation on improvement on the infant mortality rate, ranking 21st among states;
  • The Commonwealth's child death rate increased while the national rate decreased.
  • Kentucky's teen birth rate continued a steady downward trend;
  • Kentucky's percent of teens who are high school dropouts and percent of teens not attending school and not working both decreased, however the Commonwealth still ranks in the bottom ten on these indicators.
  • The Commonwealth continues to rank poorly on economic indicators, including 41st for child poverty and 45th for children in families without secure employment; and
  • Kentucky saw an increase in the percent of children in single-parent families, dropping to 32nd from 26th.

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