KIDS COUNT

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.