In new findings released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it seems more families with children in Georgia require more affordable housing than ever before.

The 2023 Kids Count Data Book said one in five Georgia children lives in poverty, a rate of 20%, compared to the national average of 17%.

Rebekah Hudgins, director of the evaluations and results accountability team for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, pointed out many families struggle with rising housing costs.

"The number of children who live in households spending more than 30% of their income on housing increased by about 30,000 children from 2019 to 2021," Hudgins reported. "Which really is indicating for us a need for greater access to affordable housing."

The average housing cost in Georgia is between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars per month. The Kids Count Data Book ranks Georgia 35th among the states for the economic well-being of its children.

Another major issue examined in the report is health. It's the area where Georgia receives its worst ranking, of 43rd among states.

Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said while more kids have access to health care -- in large part due to policies put in place across the states -- deaths among children and teens are climbing nationwide.

"It's very concerning that we've seen an increase in the number of deaths of children and young people," Boissiere observed. "The primary cause, unfortunately, is suicide and gunshot wounds."

She added it emphasizes the need for increased focus on kids' mental health. The number of children and teens killed by gunfire in the United States increased 50% between 2019 and 2021, according to the Pew Research Center.

Legislation in Olympia would make school meals free for every student.

Senate Bill 5352 would ensure every student has access to free breakfast and lunch starting in the 2026 school year. Washington state has already made strides in this effort, with 70% of students having access to free meals.

Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, said 70% is a "C-minus" grade and he wants schools to be an "A-plus" on the issue.

"We know they'll learn and they can grow and play, and they'll do it in a healthy way," Riccelli explained. "And, by the way, there will be less disruptions in the classroom. We don't have lunch shaming that goes on, and also there's a significant reduction in administrative burden when every kid has access to universal meals."

Riccelli pointed out school meals for all is essentially a tax cut for working families, noting the student of a single mother making $19 an hour currently does not qualify for free school meals. Organizations such as the American Heart Association are supporting the measure. Critics said the program is too costly, especially while the state faces a budget crunch.

Hannah LaMont, a fifth grade teacher in the Edmonds School District, said students cannot focus when they're hungry. LaMont noted this is the first year all students in her class have received free meals.

"This is also the first year that I haven't heard a student say, 'No, I'm not going to eat lunch today because I don't have money in my account and my parents can't afford to,'" LaMont recounted. "This is the first year that I haven't given a student my own lunch to make sure that they have eaten, or had to keep snacks in my classroom to make sure that my students are fed."

Riccelli argued while the state is dealing with a tight budget, it still needs to make investments in schools. He stressed he is tired of hearing about test scores and graduation rates while kids are hungry at school.

"It's just not attainable for a lot of kids," Riccelli contended. "They're going to be sicker, they're going to be distracted if they don't have appropriate nutrition, and that seems like a basic need and we need to be about first meeting the basic needs of our kids in school."


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The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services are working together to find homes for foster-care children who are at risk of aging out of the system.

The collaboration recently facilitated its 500th adoption. Megan Ranson, interim CEO of the TACFS, said the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program focuses on helping children who have been waiting the longest.

"We help identify community-based organizations throughout the state of Texas that then hire Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiters," said Ranson. "And the model itself focuses on older children, teens, sibling groups, and children with special needs."

Recruiters are working in seven of Texas' 11 regions that manage its foster-care adoption process.

Adrian and Shane Potter adopted their three children through the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. Adrian Potter said the recruiters played a huge role in making the process run smoothly.

"Checking in on them constantly," said Potter. "Our kiddos knew them by their first name. They knew their interests they helped us get them in contact with therapists. Just lots of different people - just to kind of keep the kids happy and successful."

Ransom said having a family or support system is crucial for the success of all children when they enter adulthood.

"Anyone who has children knows that your child is not fully grown, and isn't going to just fly the coop and never come back once they're 18," said Ranson. "So, there's a whole host of issues they may encounter, aging out and not having a supportive or loving home to come back to."





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As Alabama's legislative session kicks off, one advocacy group is calling for urgent action to protect children's health and safety.

VOICES for Alabama's Children has outlined 10 key policy priorities for 2025, with a focus on reducing preventable deaths and expanding access to health care. The group's data show more children are losing their lives to car accidents and firearms.

Apreill Hartsfield, policy and data analyst and director of Alabama Kids Count for Voices for Alabama Children, said lawmakers could strengthen child passenger safety laws and implement firearm safety measures to help save lives.

"Hopefully, a child does not come across a firearm but if they do, that there are devices on those firearms that will keep them from being accidentally discharged," Hartsfield urged. "Because this is a reason why children in our state are dying."

Lawmakers have already prefiled about a dozen firearm-related bills. Among them is House Bill 26, which would ban pistols modified to function as machine guns, and House Bill 103, which would require secure firearm storage, making it a crime if a minor gains access due to negligence, with some exceptions.

Hartsfield thinks expanding health care access should also be at the top of lawmakers' agenda. While most Alabama children are covered by Medicaid or ALL Kids, nearly 200,000 working adults remain uninsured, creating challenges for families trying to stay healthy. She stressed when parents have health coverage, their children also reap the benefits.

"The children are more likely to be covered by insurance and are more likely to get regular medical care, to do those 'well baby checks' and just to try to stay ahead of any kind of illness, or any kind of developmental delay," Hartsfield explained.

She added other priorities include expanding mental health services, strengthening tobacco and vaping laws to reduce underage use, and increasing funding for nutrition programs like Summer EBT. The group also wants to see stronger data-driven juvenile justice reforms and updates to the state's public school funding formula to better meet students' needs.


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