In 1989, the Annie Casey Foundation laun-ched the KIDS COUNT initiative. The nationwide project was founded on the notion that the more the public and policymakers know about the status and needs of children, the greater the chance those needs would be addressed.

The KIDS COUNT Data Book amasses the best available data to meausre the well being of children of each state. The primary benefit of the Data Book is its value as a tool for selecting issues that need attention.

The Daily News has collected data from the West Virginia and Kentucky Data Books, and has broken down some of the numbers concerning Mingo and Logan counties in West Virginia and Pike and Martin counties in Ken-tucky.

Children living in poverty

Naturally, one of the most important factors in child well being is income. Children whose parents are poor face fare worse on indicators of well being in areas such as economics, education, health and social and emotional well being. In 2007, 18 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty. However West Virginia and Kentucky have higher percentages: in Kentucky, 24 percent and in West Vitginia 26 percent live in families with incomes below the U.S. poevery threshhold as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Broken down by county, the numbers are even worse: 38 percent in Mingo’s children, 36 percent in Logan, 31 percent in Pike and 58 percent in Martin county.

Childcare quality

In West Virginia, only 8 percent of childcare centers are nationally accredited by the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the gold standard measure for quality. No centers in Mingo or Logan County are currently accredited by NAEYC.

Kentucky uses the STAR system to rate the quality of day care. Child care provider participating in the STAR voluntary rating system earn a rating of one to four stars. Currently, only 11 childcare providers in Kentucky received four stars, the highest rating possible, none of which are in Pike or Martin counties. However, Pike has seven centers which have been rated by the STAR system, while Martin has three.



Child abuse and neglect

Children need safe environments and nuturing relationships to grow and thrive. Abuse and neglect can impede a child’s development, including physical growth, behavioral and mental health and brain functioning, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reports.

The data collected for these cases in West Virginai shows there were 23.1 cases of abuse and neglect per 1,000 children in the state. Mingo county had 27.9 cases and Logan county 23.1 cases per 1,000 children reported.

Kentucky’s data was reported in the number of caeses substantiated in the state as well as in each county. Statewide, 15,518 children were substantiated as victims of abuse or neglect. Pike county reported 396 cases, Martin had 182 cases.

Education

Preschool

High-quality, early chidlhood education fosters positive long-term academic and social gains for children. Additionally, investments in early childhood programs yield greater returns than many publically funded economic development projects, and participants are more likely to graduate from high school. Kentucky served 24 percent of all 3- and 4-year-old through Head Start and Preschool programs, Pike county has 40 percent and Martin 51 percent in these programs. In West Virginia, 38 percent of 4 year olds were enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten programs. On the county level, Mingo had 41 percent and Logan 40 percent in a Pre-Kindergarten program.

High school dropout rates

Al young people need a strong education to succeed in today’s economy, and graduatng from high school is a step. High school graduates earn an average salary of $29,448, compared to $19,915 for workers without high school diplomas. Graduates contribute twice as much in taxes, are less likely to access public assistance, are much less likely to serve time in prison and have better health outcomes and life expectancies than your adults who do no complete high school.

Recent studies show that national graduation rates are lower than previously thought, with only seven out of 10 high school students receiving a diploma.

In both Kentucky and West Virginia, 16 percent of students drop out.

Locally, the statistics were better for than average for West Virginia. In Logan County, 13.3 percent of students drop out of high school. In Mingo, 15 percent do not graduate. However, in Kentucky, Martin County students dropped out at a higher rate than the state average, 26 percent.1 The dropout rate is 15 in Pike County.

The goal of KIDSCOUNT data is to provide timely information. People can use the information to inform others and influence public policies or programs on behalf of children, especially young children who are the focus of advocacy efforts. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.