KIDS COUNT

According to the newly released State of Texas Children 2007, statewide, more women are receiving prenatal care and teen births are continuing to decline, while babies born at low birthweight and infant mortality rates are worsening. The report, released by the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP), provides the latest look at the well-being of children in Texas and for every county in the state. “The report finds that when it comes to maternal and child health, Texas has much to be thankful for,” said Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT Director. “At the same time, work remains in other areas. Statewide, low birthweight and infant mortality rates have increased, child poverty is up for the fifth straight year, unemployment has increased, and Texas continues to have the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation.”

CPPP has released The State of Texas Children 2007, our annual KIDS COUNT data book on the well-being of children in every county in Texas. Among this year’s findings, statewide, maternal and infant health are improving, as more women are receiving prenatal care and teen births are continuing to decline. At the same time, child poverty is up for the fifth straight year, unemployment has increased, and Texas continues to have the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation. The full report is not available online. To buy a hard copy, visit http://www.cppp.org/factbook07/data_book.php

The University of Texas football team is gearing up for the 2007-08 season. One preliminary poll ranks the team as high as third in the nation, much to the delight of Longhorns fans across the state. Another set of rankings, released earlier this week, paints a much more dismal portrait of Texas�"Texas kids, that is. According to the 2007 KIDS COUNT Databook, Texas ranks 37th�"just 13 from the bottom�"in overall child well being.

Texas has the highest teen birth rate in the nation (63 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19) according to the KIDS COUNT Data Book, a national state-by-state report released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This report is a precursor to the fall release of The State of Texas Children 2007, which will provide child well-being data for every county in Texas. Despite improving by 9 percent between 2000 and 2004, Texas has the nation’s worst birth rate, with more than 51,000 births to Texas teens (or 63 births per 1,000 teens). Nationally, there are 41 births for every 1,000 teens.

This month hundreds of thousands of Texas teens will graduate from high school. Some will go on to four-year colleges. Some will enroll in community colleges or vocational schools. Others will enter the job market. Often overlooked are the tens of thousands of teens who will drop out before earning their diplomas.

KIDS COUNT Director, Frances Deviney, Ph.D. briefed legislative staff on the costs of the Texas dropout crisis. This presentation was part of a larger panel discussion and included presentations from Children at Risk, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), Texas Center for Educational Policy at the University of Texas, Texas Appleseed, and the Center for Education at Rice University. All presentations are included in the link below.