KIDS COUNT: Children’s Defense Fund Study

There was both good news and bad news mixed in the most recent study of children’s welfare in the state of Minnesota. First the good news:

• Students dropping out of school has declined 57 percent since 2000.
• 6,277 children were abused and neglected, a 33 percent decrease from 2002.
• 10,895 children were arrested for a serious crime, down from 15,398 in 2000.

The bad news:

• 11 percent of Minnesota’s children lived in poverty in 2008.
• 24 percent of Asian children in Minnesota live below the poverty level in 2007, the worst among all 32 states participating in KIDS COUNT with enough Asian children to produce reliable estimates.
• 88,000 Minnesota children did not have health care coverage in 2008, an increase from 2007.
• 270,247 (33 percent) Minnesota children received free/reduced price lunch during the 2008-2009 school year.

Among other concerning statistics, the study noted single parent households have risen 27% from 2000-07. We know that these families are more likely to struggle financially and less likley to afford adequate child care, safe housing, and proper health care.

The Children's Defense Fund estimates the annual costs to the state of Minnesota resulting from children growing up in poverty is 5.7 billion dollars.

The full report "The Building Blocks for Successful Children: Minnesota Kids Count Databook 2009" is available for download in a PDF format.