How Virginia Ranks For Overall Child Well-Being

VIRGINIA — Nearly 12 million children in Virginia and other states were living in poverty before the pandemic. Their overall well-being has improved over the years, but the pandemic could potentially wipe out more than a decade of progress, a new report said.

Virginia families with kids were among those who have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 2021 Kids Count Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Virginia’s overall ranking for child wellbeing is 13th in the 2021 report.

The foundation that works to improve child well-being across the United States is now calling on state governments to take “bold action” to help parents care for their children.

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

How Virginia Fared

To determine the overall well-being of children in Virginia, 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, researchers said.

Virginia ranked in the top tier of the 50 states for overall child well-being this year at No. 14 on this year’s list.

"While Virginia has made significant strides with Medicaid expansion and increasing health care

access to hundreds of thousands of families in the commonwealth, there are still glaring gaps in
access,” said Lauren Snellings, research director for Voices for Virginia’s Children, Virginia’s
member of the KIDS COUNT network, in a news release. “Being able to see a doctor and receive high-quality primary and prenatal care is critical in a child’s ability to grow and thrive. The data point to where we need to focus on new policy approaches to reduce the financial, geographic and
informational barriers to access health coverage."

The annual KIDS COUNT data and rankings for Virginia represent the most recent information available, but do not capture the impact of the past year. However, key findings show:

• In 2019, 245,000 or 13 percent of children lived in households with an income below the poverty line and ranks Virginia as 14th in the nation.
• In 2019, 104,000 three-to-four-year-old children or 54 percent were not in school between 2017 and 2019 and ranks Virginia as 6th in the nation.
• In 2019, 97,000 (5 percent) children did not have health insurance and ranks Virginia as 24th in the nation.
• In 2019, 75,000 or 4 percent of children lived in high poverty areas and ranks Virginia as 18th in the nation.

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

Economic Well-Being

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

Education

• 51 percent: Young children not in school.
• 62 percent: Fourth-graders not proficient in reading.
• 62 percent: Eighth-graders not proficient in math.
• 13 percent: High school students not graduating on time.

Health

• 8.4 percent: Low birth weight babies.
• 5 percent: Children without health insurance.
• 23: Child and teen deaths per 100,000.
• 31 percent: Children and teens who are overweight or obese.

Family And Communities

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

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

Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi were in the bottom five.

What Can Be Done

Encouraging trends in child well-being have emerged over the past decade. Nationwide, improvements were made in 11 out of 16 indicators. More parents were economically secure and lived without a high housing cost burden, and more teens graduated from high school and delayed having children.

The pandemic is likely to disrupt that momentum, researchers said.

In a December report, the foundation examined how adults with children fared during COVID-19. Researchers also looked at how federal and state governments supported families and children during the pandemic.

Researchers learned the pandemic affected everything from food to housing insecurity to health concerns.

At the time, the foundation called on lawmakers to do more to help families with children achieve financial stability. The 2021 Kids Count Data Book echoed that call.

“The COVID-19 crisis has brought many families to the breaking point, especially parents and caregivers who have lost jobs and income,” Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said in the report.

To remedy some of the growing disparities caused by the pandemic, the foundation called on lawmakers to make permanent the newly expanded child tax credit, which would provide advance monthly payments to most families of $250 to $300 per child. Starting in July and continuing through December, most parents with children under 18 will receive these payments through direct deposit

“Making the expanded child tax credit permanent will continue providing critical financial support for families who are struggling to make ends meet and help reduce long-standing disparities that affect millions of families of color,” Hamilton said.

Read or download the full 2021 Kids Count Data Book.