KIDS COUNT

Texas ranks 44th among the states in overall child health and well-being, according to data released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book.

Click here to the full presentation on the KIDS Count Data Book.

Click here to access our webinar recording on the KIDS COUNT Data Book (audio and visual).

The 2012 data book explores how our kids have fared during the last decadeâ€"some outcomes are positive, some negative. But positive or negative outcomes for kids don’t just happen. They are the inevitable results of effective or failed policy choices. The State of Texas Children 2012 combines data and policy to tell the story of Texas kids. It’s time we learn from our past choices, positive and negative, so that we can shape a different story for our future.

In its first data snapshot of the year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT explores the increased number of children living in America's high-poverty communities. Texas has the 4th highest number of children living in areas with 30 percent of residents or more living below the poverty line at 17 percent. And of the 20 cities with the highest rate of concentrated poverty, three are located here in Texas: El Paso, Dallas, and Houston.

Texas once again ranks in the bottom third of states in a state-by-state study of our children's well-being, according to the 2011 National Kids Count Data Book, released August 17, 2011, by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

This year’s data book, "America's Children, America's Challenge: Promoting Opportunity for the Next Generation," examines how children and families are faring in the wake of the recession and proposes a two-generation strategy: strengthening families in order to support children now and create opportunities for the future.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts every man, woman, and child to track the growth of our national, state, and local populations. Between 2000 and 2010, Texas’ total population grew at twice the national rate to more than 25 million people. A large part of Texas’ growth is due our child population, which grew by 16 percent to 6.9 million children. This report examines the newest census data and describes how Texas’ child population changes are as varied as the state itself, differing depending on whether they live in urban or rural areas and their race/ethnicity. These changes are discussed in the context of our ongoing revenue struggle to find enough money to fund our basic needs now and plan for our future.

On February 4, the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) released the 18th annual Texas KIDS COUNT data book, The State of Texas Children 2011.

The annual data book and free data warehouse provide the latest look at more than 80 different measures of child well-being in Texas and every county in the state. A new mobile site, www.tkcmobile.org, provides easy access to county-level KIDS COUNT data on the go.

(AUSTIN, Texas) â€" A new report and analysis released today by the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) shows in the wake of a massive revenue shortfall the proposed state budget will invest $10 billion less in Texas kids over the next two years, even while more of the state's children live in poverty, have no health insurance, and are born too early and too small. The state is approximately $27 billion short of what it needs to write a budget that funds all essential services at current levels.

Texas ranks in the bottom third of statesâ€"34th nationallyâ€"in a state-by-state study of our children’s well-being, according to the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The study reveals that Texas has the third highest teen birth rate in the nation, and a child poverty rate well above the rest of the U.S.

The Honorable Mark Strama, his wife Crystal Cotti, and Texas KIDS COUNT Director Dr. Frances Deviney take an honest look at the well-being of Texas children at a briefing on Tuesday, July 27 from 10-11 a.m. Dr. Deviney will highlight new national KIDS COUNT data comparing Texas kids to children across the nation. This data comes at a critical time when Texans are just beginning to discover the devastating effects of the recession on child well-being, and state lawmakers are grappling with one of the largest budget shortfalls in our state's history.

The presentation delivered by CPPP KIDS COUNT Director Dr. Frances Deviney during our Harris County KIDS COUNT briefing to honor outgoing CPPP board members Deacon Joe Rubio and Sherea McKenzie is now available online, as well a slideshow featuring photos and audio recorded at the event.

The CPPP is pleased to join the Annie E. Casey Foundation as a 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report Outreach Partner.

The special report, "Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters," makes the case that reading proficiently by grade three is a fundamental benchmark in developmental success and overall childhood well-being. Please visit the online Data Center, where you can download the report and create maps, graphs, and charts of education data at national and local levels.

On February 12, the Center for Public Policy Priorities released The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book 2009-2010, a resource that offers an updated look at the well-being of children in Texas, as well as complete online data snapshots for every county in Texas. In addition to hard copies of the book, which can be purchased online for $12, pdf copies of the book are now available for free on our website.

Much of the health care reform reporting these past few weeks has focused on political winners and losers. But parents are more concerned with their own families than with political score-keeping. And let's be clear: The reform plan passed by Congress is a major victory for Texas’ children and families.

Last month, CPPP KIDS COUNT director Dr. Frances Deviney debuted "The State of Texas Children 2009-10" factbook with a presentation on child well-being at the University of Texas-San Antonio's downtown campus.

Texas Public Radio producer Ernie Villarreal was there, and his reportâ€"The March 19, 2010 edition of KSTX's The Newsmaker Hourâ€"is now available online.

Once every ten years, every man, woman, and child in America is counted. Families with young children are the most at risk of being undercounted in the Census because these families either don’t understand the importance of the Census or fear what can happen if they do complete it. This can result in the state getting less funding and resources for vital service programs in the communities such as yours. To learn more, click here to view and listen to our webinar.

Did you miss the release of The State of Texas Children 2009-10 data book in San Antonio on February 12, 2010? Want some great state and Bexar County graphics for a presentation or report? Download our PowerPoint presentation to learn more about child poverty, hunger, health care, and state and federal funding that supports the children who are in greatest need.

On February 12, the Center for Public Policy Priorities released The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book 2009-2010, a resource that offers an updated look at the well-being of children in Texas, as well as complete online data snapshots for every county in Texas. This year’s data book chronicles how decades of state fiscal belt-tightening have squeezed off investment in child well-being in Texas, noting that even though federal stimulus dollars filled the gaps in the 2010-2011 state budget, resulting in a slight increase in state spending on services to children, Texas still ranks among the 10 states with the highest rate of child poverty in the nation, as it has for every year since 2000. Furthermore, the most current data available does not yet reflect the effects of the economic recession which hit Texas children and families much later than the rest of the country.

Join Dr. Harriett Romo, Director, UTSA CAPRI/Mexico Center, and Frances Deviney, Ph.D., Texas Kids Count Director, for a breakfast briefing on the well-being of children in San Antonio, Bexar County, and across Texas.

New Census Bureau data shows that for the 10th year in a row, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the country, with one of every six kids uninsured. Nearly one of every four Texas kids lived in poverty in 2008 (e.g., $17,600 for a family of three).

Texas ranks in the bottom third of states (34th of 50) on child well-being in a study released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The national 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book reveals that compared to 2000, in 2007 more Texas children lived in economically insecure families and key indicators of infant health worsened. These data are particularly troubling because, while they represent most updated information available, they were gathered prior to the current economic recessionâ€"meaning these indicators of child well-being will likely continue to worsen as the data catches up with our recent harsh economic realities.

McAllen, Texas--Texas KIDS COUNT, a project of the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, today released two reports detailing the well-being of Hidalgo County and border-area children and comparing them to other Texas children. Texas KIDS COUNT Director Dr. Frances Deviney unveiled the reports at a lunch event at South Texas College.

“Texas border counties show the state’s promise, but also the eventual cost of current policy choices. If historic inequities persist, we can expect a less-healthy, less-educated, poor population in greater need of social services but with fewer resources to provide them. On the other hand, implementing the right policies now will fortify the physical, social, emotional and educational development of border children, yielding better-prepared, more competitive workers, increased private and public resources, and a better life for all Texans.” Deviney said.

El Paso, Texas--Texas KIDS COUNT, a project of the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, today released two reports detailing the well-being of El Paso and border-area children and comparing them to other Texas children. Texas KIDS COUNT Director Dr. Frances Deviney unveiled two reports, collectively titled Texas KIDS COUNT: Our Border, Our Future, at a breakfast event at La Fe Cultural & Technology Center.

“Texas border counties show the state’s promise, but also the eventual cost of current policy choices. If historic inequities persist, we can expect a less-healthy, less-educated, poor population in greater need of social services but with fewer resources to provide them. On the other hand, implementing the right policies now will fortify the physical, social, emotional and educational development of border children, yielding better-prepared, more competitive workers, increased private and public resources, and a better life for all Texans.” Deviney said.

The Center for Public Policy Priorities and the Annie E. Casey Foundation share the belief that to secure positive futures for children, we must help their families and communities provide the needed resources and supportive environments. This paper analyzes the data collected by Making Connections-San Antonio about the debt, credit, and assets of low-income families living in the West Side of San Antonio, Texas. Based on these data, we recommend policies to increase savings rates and provide low-income, urban families in Texas access to short-term capital to meet unexpected needs while creating a regulatory environment for credit services, including payday loans and automobile title loans.

The Center for Public Policy Priorities today released The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book 2008-09, a resource that provides the latest look at the well-being of children in Texas and for every county in the state. This year's data book includes a special essay on “Closing the Educational Gaps,” revealing that community and statewide factors play a pivotal role in a child's academic achievement.

A Child Alone and Without Papers, released today by the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP), reveals what happens to more than 43,000 undocumented, unaccompanied children removed annually from the United States and repatriated to their home countries. Policy analysis and interviews with adults and children in the system revealed the U.S. often compromises children’s rights, safety, and well-being, contrary to international law and U.S. child welfare standards.

For more information, including a two-page summary, backgrounders and appendices, visit www.cppp.org/repatriation.