NEWS

Kids Count report: Miss. on bottom of list again

Emily Le Coz
The Clarion-Ledger
2014 Mississippi Kds Count

Mississippi youth suffer worse odds than those anywhere else in the nation, ranking dead last once again in the annual Kids Count report measuring the well-being of children and families.

It's the 24th time in the 25 years the Annie E. Casey Foundation has issued the report that Mississippi claimed last place overall, slipping back down from its spot at No. 49 the previous year. That's based on its performance in four key areas: health, education, economic well-being and family and community.

Mississippi ranked 48th in the first two areas and 50th in the last two.

"Although Mississippi saw no change in any of the four focus areas," the report noted, "the overall ranking fell due to improvements in other states."

Among the areas in which the state scored worse was its child poverty rate, with more than one-third of all youth living below the federal poverty line — the highest in the country. That rate has continued to climb here despite falling nationally as most states begin recovering from the recession.

Also troubling for Mississippi is the number of children living in single-parent homes — 49 percent, the report found.

"That's directly tied to the child poverty rate," said Laura Speer, associate director of policy reform for the Annie E Casey Foundation. "That also continued to go up in Mississippi whereas at the national level the rates have been pretty stable over the last 10 years or so."

Bright spots for Mississippi include the reduction in its teen birth rate, which fell 43 percent since the foundation released its first report a quarter century ago.

The state's youth death rate also dropped 42 percent since 1990, as has the percent of children whose parents both lack a high school diploma, from 35 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2012.

"The gains that have been made in Mississippi shouldn't be overlooked," Speer said.

"There has been investment in preschool, more kids have health insurance now than ever, and there's been a dramatic decline in the teen birth rate."

But Mississippi still lags behind the rest of the nation in nearly every other indicator.

The results come as little surprise to policy advocates who call Mississippi's challenges both daunting and intertwined.

It's hard to move the needle on low birth weight — one of the factors measured in the report — without curbing teen pregnancy first, which itself requires better education that relies in part on improved economic standards.

"That's why we've had such a hard time in Mississippi, because these are all linked," said Jamie Bardwell, deputy director of the Women's Fund of Mississippi.

The Women's Fund is a Jackson-based nonprofit advocacy organization that focuses on the well-being of women and children.

Bardwell cited the $233 million Mississippi approved this past fiscal year in tax incentives for five malls, which create mostly low-wage jobs, while underfunding education.

She called it a short-sighted strategy that ignores the long-term gains of a more educated workforce and urged state leaders to invest in children.

Some communities have taken such initiatives on their own, said Linda Southward, Mississippi Kids Count director. Petal, for example, implemented a pre-kindergarten program years ago and already has noticed positive results.

And last year the Legislature agreed to fund a pre-K program that will serve some 2,000 children in 11 districts. Supporters hope it eventually will expand statewide.

Contact Emily Le Coz at elecoz@jackson.gannett.com or (601) 961-7249. Follow @emily_lecoz on Twitter.

2014 KIDS COUNT MISSISSIPPI HIGHLIGHTS

CATEGORY 1 – ECONOMIC

WELL-BEING

• Children in poverty: 35% in Mississippi; 23% USA

• Children whose parents lack secure employment: 40% in Mississippi; 31% USA

• Children living in households with a high housing cost burden: 35% in Mississippi; 38% USA

• Teens not in school and not working: 12% in Mississippi; 8% USA

CATEGORY 2 – EDUCATION

• Children not attending preschool: 50% in Mississippi; 54% USA

• Fourth-graders not proficient in reading: 79% in Mississippi; 66% USA

• Eighth graders not proficient in math: 79% in Mississippi; 66% USA

• High school students not graduating on time: 32% in Mississippi; 19% USA

CATEGORY 3 – HEALTH

• Low-birthweight babies: 11.6% in Mississippi; 8.0% USA

• Children without health insurance: 7% in Mississippi; 7% USA

• Children and teen deaths per 100,000: 38 in Mississippi; 26 USA

• Teens who abuse alcohol or drugs: 6% in Mississippi; 6% USA

CATEGORY 4 – FAMILY

AND COMMUNITY

• Children in single-parent families: 49% in Mississippi; 35% USA

• Children in families where the household head lacks a high-school diploma: 14% in Mississippi; 15% USA

• Children living in high-poverty areas: 28% in Mississippi; 13% USA

Teen births per 1,000: 46 in Mississippi; 29 USA

SOURCE: 2014 Kids Count Profile, Annie E. Casey Foundation