December 6, 2001

Poverty’s Effects on Children One of Challenges Highlighted in Fact Book

More than one-third of the children in kindergarten through 12th grade were eligible for free or reduced price lunches in more than half of North Dakota’s counties, according to the Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.

"That statistic clearly highlights the economic challenges that children in North Dakota are facing," says Ann Lochner, director of North Dakota KIDS COUNT. The statistic is one of several indicators of child well-being selected from the "2001 North Dakota KIDS COUNT! Fact Book" published in October and included in the Population Bulletin.

Data included in yearly North Dakota KIDS COUNT! Fact Books cover issues affecting children from birth through adolescence and is used by a variety of professionals working on behalf of North Dakota children. "Fact Book data offer a road map to better understanding the challenges facing North Dakota children in the communities where they live, and quantify the numbers of children affected by respective areas of concern," Lochner says.

Other highlights from this year’s report:

• POPULATION: Only four of 53 counties saw increases in the child population during the 1990-1999 decade. In contrast, the number of people 85 years of age and older increased in every county, with a 32 percent increase for the state as a whole. With almost half of the state population living in rural areas, strategies to support young families will become more critical to their staying power.
  
  
• ECONOMIC CONDITION: In over half of North Dakota’s 53 counties, the child poverty rate exceeds the state average of 16.8 percent. The most recent estimates (1998) report that the median income of N.D. families with children is $38,600, compared to $45,600 nationally. This evidence confirms recent research findings that suggest many eligible families are not using programs such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Food Stamps, and Medicaid because they are unaware they may qualify for these programs.
  
  
• CHILD CARE: Licensed childcare is available for only about 26 percent of the children under 14 years of age who are potentially in need of care. The greatest childcare challenges are faced by the parents who work (often more than one job) but cannot afford the 25 percent of their income required to pay for childcare assistance. Research shows that investing in early care and education resources are beneficial to later educational success.
  
  
• CHILD HEALTH: Despite improvement in mothers receiving inadequate pre-natal care, low-weight births have increased during much of the past decade. Access to affordable health care is an important factor in reversing negative health trends, especially for the 60 percent of poor and near-poor families lacking health insurance.
  
  
• EDUCATION: Between the 1998-1999 and the 1999-2000 academic years, only eight of 53 counties saw an increase in average daily membership. In response to declines, the cost of educating fewer students has increased 8 percent. With 42 percent of public school students enrolled in rural schools, and 66 percent of North Dakota schools in rural areas, a recent study recommends creation of educational policies tailored specifically to rural areas.
  
  
• CHILDREN AT RISK: Of the 14,792 offenses committed by juveniles under the age of 18 during 1999, 21 percent were alcohol related. These numbers point to the need for community involvement in ensuring that young people have viable positive activities as an alternative to alcohol use, and positive adult role models.

What can be done to ensure children a successful journey through childhood? "Invest in them earlier and help their families connect with the resources that will ensure their well-being," Lochner states. "We know that more families are facing steeper climbs in the state’s economic terrain, but we can level the playing field by supporting policies that ensure every family’s capacity to reach the finish line."

The North Dakota KIDS COUNT! project is housed in the University of North Dakota Department of Social Work. For a copy or more information regarding the KIDS COUNT findings and highlights, please contact Ann Lochner, Director of North Dakota KIDS COUNT! (701) 777-4086 or ann_lochner@mail.und.nodak.edu .

The 2001 fact book marks the seventh annual publication produced by the North Dakota KIDS COUNT! Project, part of a fifty state network founded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to collect information about the status of children in communities across the United States.

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Sources: Ann Lochner, (701) 777-4086,
Richard Rathge, (701) 231-8621, richard.rathge@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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