Massachusetts Citizens for Children is calling on the Patrick Administration to establish a plan and timetable to reduce and eventually end child poverty in Massachusetts.

In its 60-page Kids Count report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, MCC urges the Commonwealth to join with 16 other states that have established formal Child Poverty Reduction Initiatives, including Connecticut, Maine and Vermont and large states such as California, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

The report cites polling data showing strong bi-partisan support among voters for providing greater economic security to help lift children and families out of poverty.

Click here to view the report online.
Click here to read the Press Release.

According to the 2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book released June 12, 2008 by Massachusetts Citizens for Children and the Annie E. Casey Foundation Massachusetts now ranks:

• 2nd lowest in child death rate
• 2nd lowest in high school drop out rate
• 2nd lowest in % of teens not attending school and not working
• 3rd lowest in teen death rate
• 3rd lowest in teen birth rate
• 4th lowest in infant mortality rate
• Youth in custody rate lower than the national average

For more information, click on:
Massachusetts 2008 Kids Count Fact Sheet

Click here for the
Kids Count 2008 National Press Release

2007 Massachusetts Kids Count Fact Sheet

 

Child Poverty Is Still Unacceptably High
Despite Massachusetts’ high per capita income, there are still 178,000 or 12% of its children living in poverty, with 82,000 living in extreme poverty.   A Kids Count report on child poverty in the state to be released this fall by Massachusetts Citizens for Children will describe the Massachusetts “Poverty Paradox”, and will present recommendations for policy makers which address this serious problem.

More Low-Birthweight Babies In Massachusetts
The percentage of low-birthweight babies in Massachusetts increased by 11%, from 7.1% in 2000 to 7.9% in 2005.  Massachusetts ranks 20th in the nation on this indicator.

 

This years Essay discusses youth who are involved in state juvenile justice systems and highlights new approaches to detention reform, such as the Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI), one of which is operating in Massachusetts.  The essay challenges local and state level institutions to develop a starting point to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate detention and incarceration.

2008 Kids Count Essay Summary: A Road Map for Juvenile Justice
2008 Kids Count Data Book                                        

Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, Kids Count seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.

Massachusetts Citizens for Children is the state’s Kids Count Grantee. Kids Count publishes reports of data measuring the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of children. We also conduct public opinion polls to measure the awareness and concern of our state's citizens regarding children's well-being.

Kids Count – Annie E. Casey Foundation