According to the 36th annual Kids Count Data Book published on Monday (Feb. 17), the overall well-being of children in Alabama has remained stagnant when compared to the previous year, with child poverty remaining a top contributor to the state’s comparatively low ranking nationwide.
“The state has improved in some child well-being data points, yet child poverty has remained unchanged for the last 20 years,” said Apreill Hartsfield, Alabama Kids Count director for VOICES. “While poverty doesn’t define a child, it can create huge obstacles that make escaping poverty extremely challenging. Our latest Alabama Kids Count Data Book provides context for some key factors contributing to the state’s persistently high child poverty rate.”
The annual Kids Count Data Book is produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and ranks all 50 states using 16 metrics such as reading proficiency and child poverty. Alabama was ranked 39th in overall child well-being in the latest report and last year’s report, but in 2023 was ranked 45th, and in 2022, 46th.
In the report, which uses data from 2018–2022, VOICES notes that about one in five Alabama children live in poverty, and one in 10 live in extreme poverty, living with families making 50% or less of the federal poverty level, which in 2022 would be $13,875 a year. Furthermore, extreme disparities existed along racial lines, with 12.7% of white children living in poverty compared to 38.1% of Black children.
Other metrics analyzed
Children living in poverty was also a contributor to several other metrics analyzed in the report, particularly in health and wellness. The state’s infant mortality rate, for instance, currently sits at 7.8 infant deaths per 1,000 births, the highest rate in the state since 2016. Infant mortality is measured by infants who die before reaching their first birthday.
“Looking at the infant mortality rate, that really tells us the health of a child as they’re entering the world, and if they can’t make it past the first year of life, then we have to look at what’s going on in the community, with that family,” Hartsfield said, speaking at a press conference. “What we found (was) institutional issues that need to be addressed, really the gaps in our health care coverage, but also access to health care.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alexander Willis and originally published by Alabama Daily News. It is reprinted with permission.
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