How California Ranks For Overall Child Well-Being

ACROSS CALIFORNIA — Nearly 12 million children in California and other states were living in poverty before the pandemic. Their overall well-being has improved over the years, but the pandemic could potentially wipe out more than a decade of progress, a new report said.

California families with kids were among those that have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 2021 Kids Count Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The foundation that works to improve child well-being across the United States is now calling on state governments to take “bold action” to help parents care for their children.

If they don’t, nearly a decade of progress since the Great Recession could be erased, researchers concluded.

How California Fared

To determine the overall well-being of children in California, the foundation analyzed the latest federal data for 16 different indicators across four categories: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

This year’s assessment was compiled using mostly pre-pandemic data, researchers said.

California ranked among the worst for overall child well-being this year. Our state ranked 33 out of the 50 on this year’s list.

The foundation found that 14 percent of households in the state had children that oftentimes did not have enough food to eat, tying it for the sixth-worst state in the country. Fore Black households, 28 percent of children were likely to go hungry, and 22 percent of children in Latino homes.

While families are still recovering from the pandemic, the Data Book found that returning to pre-COVID-19 levels would do nothing to address persistent racial and ethnic disparities.

“California’s policymakers must act now to make stronger investments in the programs that serve kids, especially Black, Latino and other children of color who have historically been underserved and continue to be disproportionately impacted by the devastating effects of the pandemic,” Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, said in a statement.

Here’s a look at how children in California fared in other areas.

Economic Well-Being

• 16 percent: The number of children in poverty.
• 27 percent: The number of children whose parents lack secure employment.
• 41 percent: Children living in households with a high housing burden.
• 6 percent: Teens not in school and not working.

Education

• 50 percent: Young children not in school.
• 68 percent: Fourth graders not proficient in reading.
• 71 percent: Eighth graders not proficient in math.
• 16 percent: High school students not graduating on time.

Health

• 7.1 percent: Low birth weight babies.
• 18 percent: Children without health insurance.
• 18: Child and teen deaths per 100,000.
• 31 percent: Children and teens who are overweight or obese.

Family And Communities

• 33 percent: Children in single-parent families.
• 20 percent: Children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma.
• 9 percent: Children living in high-poverty areas.
• 12: Teen births per 1,000.

Overall, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont and Utah ranked the highest for child well-being.

Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi were in the bottom five.

What Can Be Done

Encouraging trends in child well-being have emerged over the past decade. Nationwide, improvements were made in 11 out of 16 indicators. More parents were economically secure and lived without a high housing cost burden, and more teens graduated from high school and delayed having children.

The pandemic is likely to disrupt that momentum, researchers said.

In a December report, the foundation examined how adults with children fared during COVID-19. Researchers also looked at how federal and state governments supported families and children during the pandemic.

Researchers learned the pandemic affected everything from food to housing insecurity to health concerns.

At the time, the foundation called on lawmakers to do more to help families with children achieve financial stability. The 2021 Kids Count Data Book echoed that call.

“The COVID-19 crisis has brought many families to the breaking point, especially parents and caregivers who have lost jobs and income,” Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said in the report.

To remedy some of the growing disparities caused by the pandemic, the foundation called on lawmakers to make permanent the newly expanded child tax credit, which would provide advance monthly payments to most families of $250 to $300 per child. Starting in July and continuing through December, most parents with children under 18 will receive these payments through direct deposit

“Making the expanded child tax credit permanent will continue providing critical financial support for families who are struggling to make ends meet and help reduce long-standing disparities that affect millions of families of color,” Hamilton said.

Read or download the full 2021 Kids Count Data Book.