Georgia remains among the bottom 10 states for children's health, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Despite showing overall improvement in child well-being over the past decade, with a current ranking of 37th, health continues to be a significant issue. The annual report assessed four key areas: economic well-being, education, health, and community and family. While Georgia shows progress in some areas, it sits at 43rd for children's health.
Jacquan Jordan, Kids Count data manager for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, underscored the critical areas needing attention.
"Our low birth weight continues to be at a high 10.6%, which is compared to the national rate, which is already 8.6%," Jordan outlined. "Which is already higher than some developing or less wealthy countries."
He pointed out the state's child and teen death rate skyrocketed by 21% from 2019 to 2022. The Data Book also highlighted Georgia's persistently high child poverty rate, surpassing the national average.
Despite some concerning trends, the state is making strides in other areas. In 2022, 31,000 more children had health insurance than in 2019. And when it comes to education, more students are graduating from high school on time. Jordan acknowledged while the progress is promising, one thing the state is paying attention to is the rate of absenteeism in schools.
"Chronic absenteeism is an issue that's facing the entire nation, and Georgia is no stranger to it," Jordan emphasized. "Our rating of absenteeism or chronic absenteeism was 27%, which is lower than the 30% for the nation."
He added one way to help address the problem is through continued investments in education supports and wraparound services to target the needs of each community.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said many of the challenges states are facing stem from the pandemic. However, she stressed the report encouraged states and communities to examine a number of approaches to help improve kids' well-being and address some of the pandemic's negative effects.
"We know some of the things that work," Boissiere explained. "Both in remediating or providing additional supports for kids who may have fallen behind such as high dosage tutoring, creating environments within schools where all kids feel like they can belong, and looking at evidence-based curriculum approaches."
Advocates also suggested states take advantage of all their allocated pandemic relief funding to prioritize the social, emotional, academic and physical well-being of students. They also called on policymakers to invest in community schools and wraparound services.
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Kentucky's Appalachian counties are expanding efforts to help ensure kids are off to the right start educationally.
Research shows attending a high-quality preschool before kindergarten can boost well-being and economic outcomes later in life but most rural children lack access to centers or programs such as Head Start
Alissa Taylor, Kentucky state director for Save the Children, said eastern Kentucky communities are thinking outside the box, pointing to efforts in Whitley County to establish a reading room at a local shelter, where kids whose families do not have permanent housing still have access to a quiet space for learning.
"A nice place for the individuals and children staying there to relax, read a book, work on their homework, their education, in an environment that is similar to a home setting, where they may be missing that in other aspects of their life," Taylor outlined.
According to the National Rural Education Association, nearly one in seven rural students experiences poverty, one in 15 lacks health insurance, and one in 10 has changed their residence in the previous 12 months.
In Perry County, Taylor noted a community steering committee began a rapid response after flooding in the summer of 2022, which helped kids get back into classrooms sooner than in neighboring counties.
"They attributed the community impact approach and that steering committee being formed already before the flood, enabling them to act faster," Taylor explained.
Nick Carrington, managing director of community impact for Save the Children, pointed out rural children across the nation face systemic barriers to receiving a good education, especially very young children.
"Rural areas themselves have been under-resourced historically," Carrington stressed. "With just 7% of philanthropic dollars going to rural places that represent more than 20% of the national population."
Federal data show more than half of rural families with kids under 5 years old live in a child care desert.
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As Black History Month continues, advocacy groups in Ohio are pushing for policies that benefit children from all backgrounds. They emphasize the importance of leadership in shaping public health and social programs that impact millions of young people.
The Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund, said recent executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion won't deter children's education and health-care access advocates.
"There is an arc of history that is longer than a four-year presidential cycle," he said, "and there is a vision for our children that is bigger than the White House."
After-school and summer programs known as "Freedom Schools" around the country use CDF's uniquely designed inclusive curriculum and storytelling to ensure scholars of diverse backgrounds are affirmed that their impact on the world is profound.
The Rev. Dr. Eva Marie Wolfe, executive director of CDF Freedom Schools of Licking County, said that even as they begin gearing up for their summer program, some families have already shown interest in enrollment. She explained the program's impact.
"We welcome, of course, all scholars, all children, into the program, no matter what their background is, their academic competency is, no matter their ethnicity," she said. "They see their differences as an asset, not as a detriment. Each one of them is valuable."
Wolfe said fostering inclusion and diversity education is just as important in suburban and rural areas of Ohio as it is in the cities.
In preparation for the summer program, they are hiring for various roles. People can go to RCFreedomSchool.org to apply or check out the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools site to find programs around the country.
Disclosure: Children's Defense Fund-OH Chapter/KIDS COUNT contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Education, Health Issues, Hunger/Food/Nutrition. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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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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