By Nayda Rivera-Hernandez, Senior Research Analyst, NCLR
Version en español, oprima aquí.
Credit downgrades, tumbling stock prices, and political gridlock have dominated the public discourse in this country lately. These issues are important, to be sure, but they are not our only concerns. One of the largely unexplored stories is the plight of children in this particularly harsh economic climate. Children—among the most vulnerable members of society—rely on us to provide stability, healthy living, and a good education. In the 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book, the Annie E. Casey Foundation examines how children and families are faring during the economic crisis and ties together research on family economic success and the importance of investing in early childhood programs that allow the next generation to succeed.
For kids in Puerto Rico, the outlook is especially grim. The report shows that Puerto Rico’s children rank far below mainland U.S. children in the top indicators of child well-being. Check out the relevant indicators here. The report also shows that the economic and social gains for children that occurred during the 1990s stalled, even before the economic downturn began.
The report finds that:
- On nine out of the ten essential measures for child well-being, children in Puerto Rico are at greater overall risk than the average U.S. child.
- The child poverty rate for Puerto Rico (57%) is nearly three times higher than the mainland U.S. level (20%).
- Compared to all U.S. states, Puerto Rico has the highest rates of low-birth weight babies (12.5%), teens not attending school and not working (15%), children without securely employed parents (52%), and children in single-parent families (54%).
- The infant mortality rate in Puerto Rico—8.4 deaths per 1,000 live births—has improved since 2000.
- Babies born to teen mothers in Puerto Rico—57 births per 1,000 females between the ages of 15 to 19—decreased 24% between 2000 and 2008.
This year’s Data Book reports an 18 % increase in the U.S. child poverty rate between 2000 and 2009. Overall, this increase translates to 2.5 million more American children living below the federal poverty line—defined as $21,756 for a family of two adults and two children.
Share this Information and Join NCLR for a Live Twitter Chat!
Use the KIDS COUNT Data Book widget to below to find out more about the contents of the report. The widget allows you to select a state and an indicator of child well-being and see the results instantly. If you’re on your smartphone, check out the KIDS COUNT Data Book mobile site or scan the QR code to the right.
Of course, no blog post can tell you everything about this report! We know you have more questions and want to take action to change the situation.
So, next Thursday—August 25, at 1:00 p.m. EDT—I will hold an online Twitter chat to answer all of your questions about the report. You can send your questions in advance to dcastillo@nclr.org, or just use the #KCDATA11 hashtag on the day of the chat to join the conversation. You can submit your questions in English or Spanish, too!