State of the family
Kids Count releases annual report monitoring conditions of Delaware's families
2:57 p.m., May 21, 2013--The Kids Count in Delaware 2013 Fact Book was released on Monday, May 20, at an event held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.
Kids Count in Delaware reports on the needs and conditions of Delaware’s children and families, as well as statistical trends. This year’s edition has a special focus on the importance of place and its role in determining outcomes of child well-being.
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The fact book is a collaborative project between the state of Delaware and Kids Count and is housed in the Center for Community Research and Service at the University of Delaware.
In an introduction to the fact book, Gov. Jack Markell emphasized his administration’s dedication to education and commitment to improving life for Delaware’s children moving forward.
“We should use the information in this book to ensure we are taking the right steps to help the youth of Delaware live safe, healthy and productive lives,” he wrote. “Doing so will not only fulfill our obligation to our children, but will ensure we keep Delaware moving forward.”
The Kids Count in Delaware Fact Book reports that the newest trend data on the well-bring of Delaware’s children has remained steady or shown improvement in multiple indicators.
For example, Delaware’s percentage of births to teens age 15-17 has decreased to 19.6 per 1,000 and is now below the U.S. rate. In addition, unemployment and foreclosure rates are decreasing and there is a reduction of youth in detention and rehabilitative facilities, falling from a rate of 5.2 per 1,000 in 2000, to 2.3 per 1,000 in 2012.
While the 2013 Fact Book uses data to illustrate encouraging data changes, it also highlights areas of concern for the state’s children. Lingering effects of the recession compounded by a slow recovery have increased the percentage of Delaware children living in poverty to 19.9 percent in the 2010-12 time period.
The number of kids living in one-parent families as well as those with parents without full-time employment also continued to increase over the same time period.
To see more statistics and trends in the full Kids Count in Delaware 2013 Fact Book, visit the website.
About Kids Count
As one of 53 similar projects throughout the United States and the U.S. territories funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count in Delaware is housed in the Center for Community Research and Service at the University of Delaware and is led by a board of committed and concerned child and family advocates from the public and private sectors.
Since 1995, Kids Count in Delaware has reported on the status of children in Delaware and, in partnership with the state of Delaware since 1998, has been monitoring the health and well-being of children and their families.
Photos by Ambre Alexander