PHOENIX — A new national report shows Arizona ranks toward the bottom for the well-being of children.
According to the annual Kids Count report done by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Arizona ranks 42nd in child well-being. It is lower from last year’s ranking of 39, but better than years prior.
The data is aggregated by several factors, looking into the economic well-being of families, education, health as well as family and community. While Arizona is ranked in the bottom 10, there were some improvements including in health. The number of kids who lack health insurance improved by 1%, according to the Children’s Action Alliance.
Earlier this year, Governor Katie Hobbs and the legislature worked together to expand healthcare access for kids.
For overall well-being, Arizona ranked 42nd. A drop of three points from the 2023 Kids Count Data Book.
Most of the states found at the bottom of the ranking are in the nation’s sunbelt. The exception for this was Utah which ranked third. Joining it at the top were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Minnesota.
The rankings stem from datasets ranging from the U.S. Census Bureau to student test scores. Comparing Arizona to higher-ranking Utah on these data points gives a good idea of why Arizona ranks the way it does.
According to the Kids Count, 16% of Arizona kids live in poverty. In Utah, it’s about half that.
The number of kids graduating High School late is almost one in four in Arizona. The rate in Utah is also half. Arizona does better in health rankings; an estimated 8% of kids do not have health insurance in the state whereas the share in Utah is 6%. Arizona also has nearly double the number of single-parent households.
January Contreras, the CEO and president of the Children’s Action Alliance, told ABC15 that the results weren’t that surprising.
“We know that kids and families are struggling,” she said.
The Children’s Action Alliance is a local child advocacy organization that helps the foundation with Arizona data for the report. Contreras said this report should shed light on what policymakers need to do.
“We need to really take investing in K-12 public school seriously,” she said. “We need to make sure kids have resources that help them. Make sure they have health care, [and] investments into early learning. That is not an area where Arizona does well on child care.”
While a lot of it is relying on lawmakers, there are things parents can do. Contreras said parents can advocate for their children, ensure that they get the best education they can, and help find resources to improve their education such as tutoring.
According to the report, chronic absenteeism is a problem. ABC15 has reported on Arizona’s issues with that, where in 2022, 34% of children were chronically absent. Chronically absent means missing at least 10% of the school year.
Read On Arizona, a local organization, is working with school districts to improve that. A task force has been meeting, trying to find solutions and plans to have a report in August to help guide schools and leaders.
“We know that when they show up that they are going to be reaping the benefits of not just the instruction and being there every day, but there's the social skills that they're gaining by interacting with other children,” said Lori Masseur, the director of early learning with Read On Arizona.
More work is being done at the state level. For example, the budget passed by the legislature and Governor Katie Hobbs added millions of dollars for childcare needs, which childcare organizations have said is a first in a long time. Contreras said lawmakers on both sides of the aisle need to work together to help kids.
“That's what we need more of, really, people putting kids first and putting politics aside,” she said.
The full report can be read here.
