New Kids Count 2020 data released

Currently, COVID-19 is affecting Missouri’s families in extraordinary ways. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will become more evident over time in all aspects of the lives of Missouri’s children.
Missouri KIDS COUNT (MKC), an annual snapshot on the well-being of the state’s children first released in 1993, includes indicators tracked longitudinally and collected and analyzed prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
While the newly released data on the well-being of Missouri’s children shows a generally positive trajectory, in light of the pandemic, the 2020 MKC release will serve as a baseline for tracking the fallout of the infection and the policies implemented to manage its spread.
According to KIDS COUNT data, Daviess County’s composite ranking comparing it to other counties across the state, dropped from 50 to 43.
Economic Well-Being
Before the outbreak, data indicated that from an economic perspective Daviess County improved in most areas: fewer Daviess County children were living in poverty in 2018 as compared to 2014. Food insecurity also decreased by about 5% over that same time period. The number of family households with children under 18 at 185% of poverty level, and children in families receiving SNAP both decreased. The medium income went up by $10,000 and adult unemployment went down.
Health
As for the physical well-being of children, there were more infants born with low birthweight, and there were more preventable hospitalizations for all causes for children under 18. Other indicators that worsened include child deaths age one to 17, which increased by 20%; and child deaths age 15 to 17, which nearly doubled. Mental/behavioral hospitalizations (not substance abuse) for ages 1-19 increased. However, some indicators of health improved between 2014 and 2018: infant mortality decreased, as did the number of uninsured children.
Family & Commuity
Family and Community indicates births to teens decreased by about 10%. The annual high school dropout rate and children entering or re-entering state custody decreased. Unintentional deaths among teens from homicides/suicides decreased noticeably from 70.8 to 38.2. Single parent head-of-household with children under 18 decreased. Substantiated child abuse/neglect cases increased slightly. Juvenile law violation referrals for ages 10-17 more than tripled.
Education
As to Education indicators: The number of high school students graduating increased. School attendance for grades k-12 stayed about the same. Licensed child care capacity increased.
Support during the outbreak
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and teens are among those most likely to react more strongly to stress during an infectious disease outbreak. Parents and caregivers may notice some of the following:
–Fear and worry about their health or the health of their loved ones
–Changes in sleep or eating patterns
–Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
–Worsening of chronic health problems
In order to support the physical and mental well-being of children during the outbreak, parents and caregivers are encouraged to talk with their children often, providing reassurance and answering any questions they may have. Share suggestions for how they can deal with their emotions and concerns. Try and keep a consistent routine in place for them and avoid overstimulating them with too much news or social media. And be open to using community resources to assist if they find themselves out of work or in need of food assistance.
“Down the road, we anticipate the economic impact on Missouri families [from COVID-19] will be substantial for many. The primary goal of Missouri KIDS COUNT is to provide trustworthy, accurate information to support the unprecedented challenges faced by our local and state policymakers and providers,” said Tracy Greever-Rice, FACT’s KIDS COUNT Program Director.