Arizona Ranks 37 for Kids Overall

Arizona ranks 37th in the nation on 10 indicators of child well-being according to the 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore. Last year, Arizona ranked 41st.

Arizona made the most progress in the percentage of children living in poverty. This improvement likely results from the state’s faster economic recovery from the recession than the nation as a whole.

"Arizona's improved ranking reflects the benefit to families of a strong economy & job growth,” said Carol Kamin, President & CEO of Children’s Action Alliance. “It’s wonderful to see that this economic growth pulled Arizona out of the bottom 10 states in the KIDS COUNT rankings. Now it’s up to us to build on this progress & help improve other conditions for Arizona kids.”

Arizona's full economic health depends on working parents having access to safe & affordable child care that gives young children both the stability & the stimulation they need to be successful in school. The 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book focuses on children cared for by family, friends, & neighbors while their parents are at work & highlights the need to strengthen training, resources, & quality practices for caregivers in all types of child care settings. Twenty-three percent of Arizona children younger than 6 participate in this type of child care (120,000 children), while 20% attend child care centers.

Douglas Nelson, President of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, points out in the report that “a large body of research underscores how quality child care enables young children to build the cognitive & social skills that will help them learn, build positive social relationships, & experience academic success once they enter school.”

With nearly half of all Arizona 4th grade students scoring below basic reading levels in 2005, it’s clear we need to strengthen children’s experience in the earliest years to lay the foundation for their success & a healthy future state economy & workforce.

Arizona voters will have the chance to push Arizona further ahead with 2 key initiatives anticipated to be on the November ballot. First Things First will target $150 million each year from increased tobacco taxes to give many more Arizona children the opportunity for quality early learning & care while their parents are at work. The funds will support community-based efforts for young children & parents, such as parenting coaching, high quality child care & preschool, & linkages to health care.

A 2nd initiative will help move more children out of poverty by creating a state minimum wage of $6.75 an hour & adjusting it annually for inflation. This policy will strengthen family income for an estimated 200,000 children throughout our state. The federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour has not been increased since 1997; inflation over the last 9 years has eroded its purchasing power substantially.

Arizona joins only 11 other states experiencing a decrease in the share of children under 18 in poverty between 2000 & 2004. In 2004, 20% of Arizona children lived in families with incomes below the poverty line, down from 23% in 2000. Across the nation, 18% of children lived in poverty in 2004, up from 17% in 2000. The federal poverty level for a family of 3 was $15,670 in 2004.

Other areas where Az. improved include the percent of children in single parent families, the % of teens who are high school dropouts, & the % of children without health insurance.