Annie E. Casey Foundation

06/16/2026

Economic well-being is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s health and success.

The 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book shows how children and families are doing in every state on measures such as child poverty, parents’ employment and whether families can afford housing. Read this year’s Data Book to see how children and families are faring in your state: aecf.org/databook

06/15/2026

“If you want cities to flourish, they need high-quality child care. All of these new employees want to go to work, but they can’t without it.”

In New Mexico, the economic barriers to child care may be gone for families, but focus now shifts to supporting the workforce

06/11/2026

Mississippi ranks 50th overall in the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, but the data tell a more complex story.

The state ranks 16th in Education and made meaningful progress for kids from 2019 to 2024, with improvements overall and in three areas: Family and Community, Economic Well-Being and Education.

To move the needle, the state passed the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which focuses on reading proficiency by third grade; invested in public schools, and trained teachers in effective reading instruction. Check out the work of our state partners at The Children's Foundation of Mississippi for more on the well-being of Mississippi children.

Curious to learn how your state ranks? Read this year’s Data Book: aecf.org/databook

06/10/2026

“We know that children have a hard time focusing and learning when they don’t have enough food to eat, or when their families are facing financial strain. We really have to focus on how other aspects of child well-being affect children’s ability to learn and to thrive in school.”

A new report on childhood well-being finds the U.S. education system is still reeling from COVID—but the learning crisis started long before the pandemic hit.

06/09/2026

For the first time, the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book includes a child well-being score in addition to state rankings. This 0-to-1,000 score makes it easier to see how outcomes for kids are changing over time.

The latest data show a mixed picture across the country. Overall child well-being declined nationally between 2019 and 2024, with education showing the largest decline. At the same time, there are signs of progress: Teen births fell 24%, and the share of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods decreased by 22%.

Learn more in this year’s Data Book: http://aecf.org/databook

06/08/2026

The 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book is out now!

This annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation uses the latest national and state data to show how kids and families are doing in every state across four areas: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

Better data helps us make better decisions. Download the full report to learn more about how kids and families are faring in your state: http://aecf.org/databook

06/05/2026

High school graduation rates are high in most states, but math proficiency remains low. With fewer than half of K–12 students meeting math benchmarks, many graduates may not be fully prepared for college or careers.

Many students graduate without meeting their states' bar for math proficiency, a new analysis finds.

06/04/2026

Summer break is just a few weeks away! This year, more young people in Baltimore will have access to summer programs thanks to nearly $7 million in grants from the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative.

The collaborative's growing network of public and private partners will support 54 youth-serving organizations and reach 8,500 young people and this summer.

Over 50 Baltimore-based organizations have been funded through the Summer Funding Collaborative for 2026. Read about three of these grantees.

06/03/2026

What happens when students are removed from the classroom?

New Casey-funded research found that, among Massachusetts high school students facing the highest risk of court involvement, a single out-of-school suspension increased the likelihood of entering the juvenile justice system from 31% to 49%. Repeated suspensions increased that risk even more.

New research shows out-of-school suspension can have lasting consequences for students, especially in ninth grade. See the data.

06/02/2026

Meaningful youth engagement is about more than giving young people a seat at the table. It's about listening to their experiences and using their ideas to improve programs, policies and services.

In a recent Community In-Site podcast episode, youth advocate Blanca Goetz and youth engagement consultant Kathleen Holt-Whyte discuss how organizations can build stronger partnerships with young people who have experienced foster care.

This podcast episode spotlights a free training series about utilizing youth engagement in child welfare. Learn more about the episode.