KidCount 2003 rankings of poverty, families

A survey of child health and welfare released today showed a mixed bag of results for Alaska families. The Kids Count survey is sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is released annually based on prior-year information.

Alaska scored well nationally in areas of child poverty (6th) and high school dropout rate (13th,) but poorly in percentage of children in single-parent families (38th), and children in families with neither parent working (47th).

The survey covered the following areas of child health:

  • Percent low-birthweight babies
  • Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
  • Child death rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-14)
  • Rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide (deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15-19)
  • Teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15-17)
  • Percent of teens who are high school dropouts (ages 16-19)
  • Percent of teens not attending school and not working (ages 16-19)
  • Percent of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
  • Percent of children in poverty (data reflect poverty in the previous year)
  • Percent of families with children headed by a single parent

View the full rankings by visiting:

http://www.aecf.org/cgi-bin/kc.cgi?action=newranking