How Rhode Island Ranks For Overall Child Well-Being

RHODE ISLAND — A lot of Rhode Island children are still suffering from mental health issues exasperated by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent report.

Nearly 12.6 million children in Rhode Island and other states were living in poverty amid the pandemic. Their overall well-being has improved over the years, but according to the 2022 Kids Count Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, U.S. children are in the midst of a mental health crisis. The report says that children are struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels.

Rhode Island families with kids were among those that have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the foundation.

The foundation that works to improve child well-being across the United States is now calling on state and federal lawmakers to "enact the programs and policies needed to ease mental health burdens on children and their families. "

These recommendations include:

• Making sure kids have nutritious food, stable housing and safe neighborhoods and family financial stability
• Ensuring every child has access to mental health care
• Having the mental health care be evidence-based, consider young people's experiences and identities and be geared towards early intervention

If they don’t, nearly a decade of progress since the Great Recession could be erased, researchers concluded.

How Rhode Island Fared

To determine the overall well-being of children in Rhode Island, the foundation analyzed the latest federal data for 16 different indicators across four categories: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

This year’s assessment was compiled using mostly pre-pandemic data, but also data from the first year of the pandemic, researchers said.

Rhode Island ranked in the middle for overall child well-being this year. Our state ranked 25 out of the 50 on this year’s list.

"This year’s Data Book underscores the fact that the mental health of far too many children is
suffering — and we need to act now," said Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode
Island Kids Count. "Children need to be able to access mental health services where and when
they need it. Schools are an important access point, and we have work to do to ensure that there are adequate numbers of mental health professionals in schools to meet the need."

For some metrics, like food availability, Rhode Island ranked even lower.

The foundation found that 16 percent of households with children sometimes or often did not have enough food to eat. That ranked 32nd in the U.S.

The disparity grows even further when race and ethnicity are examined. With Black families, that number grew to 20 percent, and for Hispanic families, it was even larger at 23 percent.

Here’s a look at how children in Rhode Island fared in other areas.

Economic Well-Being

• 16 percent: The number of children in poverty.
• 28 percent: The number of children whose parents lack secure employment.
• 33 percent: Children living in households with a high housing burden.
• 4 percent: Teens not in school and not working.

Education

• 53 percent: Young children not in school.
• 65 percent: Fourth graders not proficient in reading.
• 71 percent: Eighth graders not proficient in math.
• 16 percent: High school students not graduating on time.

Health

• 7.7 percent: Low birth weight babies.
• 2 percent: Children without health insurance.
• 18 percent: Child and teen deaths per 100,000.
• 33 percent: Children and teens who are overweight or obese.

Family And Communities

• 37 percent: Children in single-parent families.
• 10 percent: Children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma.
• 9 percent: Children living in high-poverty areas.
• 9 percent: Teen births per 1,000.

Overall, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Minnesota ranked the highest for child well-being.

Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico were in the bottom three.

Read or download the full 2021 Kids Count Data Book.