Kids Count improves in Daviess County

However, Daviess County improved from a county rank of 82 in 2008 to a rank of 47 in 2009. The county rank is based on a composite of eight out of 10 total indicators of child well-being. All 114 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis are compared.

Kids Count is a compilation of statistics of child well-being published annually by Citizens for Missouri’s Children. The organization relies on data from more than 30 federal, state and local sources to produce Kids Count.

Daviess County improved in five areas: infant mortality; child deaths, ages 1-14; child abuse and neglect; births to teens, ages 15 to 19; and violent deaths of teenagers, ages 15-19.

The county declined in five other areas: students enrolled in free or reduced lunches; births to mothers without high school diplomas; low birth-weight infants; out-of-home placement; and annual high school dropouts.

The 2009 report also covers the latest statistics in areas such as economic security, early education, health, child protection, and juvenile justice —

Demographic:

child population 2,114; children as percent of total population 26.7%; minority children 3.8%; children with limited English proficiency 2; Economic: children in poverty 27.6%; children under six in poverty 26.7%; children in single parent families 17.1%; average annual wage/salary $22,764; adult unemployment 5.3%; Family Supports: parents paying child support in state system 81.5%; children receiving subsidized child care 12; licensed child care capacity 50; accredited child care facilities 0; children receiving cash assistance 3%; children receiving food stamps 29.9%; Health/Mental Health: children enrolled in MO HealthNet for Kids 34.6%; children with elevated blood lead levels .6%; children receiving public SED mental health services 16; juvenile law violation referrals, ages 10-17 (per 1,000) 21.