Kids Count Publications and Resources

This list of resources includes our annual Data Book, which provides national and state-by-state profiles of child well-being and related products created to supplement the Data Book each year. For more reports and resources, see also:

• Kids Count research & reports
• Kids Count indicator briefs
• Kids Count state network publications
• Kids Count evaluation reports

Kids Count Data Book Products

2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2012 KIDS COUNT® Data Book shows both promising progress and discouraging setbacks for the nation’s children: While their academic achievement and health improved in most states, their economic well-being continued to decline. This year’s Data Book uses an updated index of 16 indicators of child well-being, organized into four categories: Economic Well-Being, Health, Education, and Family and Community. The new methodology reflects the tremendous advances in child development research since the first KIDS COUNT Data Book in 1990. To find more information related to the 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book, or to create your own customized maps, graphs or charts, visit the Data Book home page. more >>

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2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being

According to data released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2011 KIDS COUNT ® Data Book, over the last decade there has been a significant decline in economic well-being for low income children and families. Data also reveals the impact of the job and foreclosure crisis on children. This year's message explores how children and families are faring in the wake of the recession and why it matters to help kids reach their full potential to become part of a robust economy and society. To find more information related to the 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book, or to create your own customized maps, graphs, or charts, visit the 2011 Data Book home page. more >>

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2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being

This 21st annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information on the conditions of America’s children and families. Find out how kids are doing on ten key indicators of child well-being. more >>

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2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters

The 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report makes the case that reading proficiently by grade three is a fundamental benchmark in developmental success and overall childhood well-being. more >>

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2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being

This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information on the conditions of America’s children and families. The 2009 Data Book essay calls for improvements to the nation’s ability to design and evaluate programs aimed at the needs of children and families living in poverty. more >>

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2009 KIDS COUNT Data Brief

This 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Brief features highlights of the enhanced, mobile-friendly Data Center; data on the 10 key indicators of child well-being for all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and  the Virgin Islands; and a summary of this year's essay on using data to craft better policies for children and families. more >>

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Kids Count Essay 2008 Summary

This summary version of the 2008 KIDS COUNT essay, A Road Map for Juvenile Justice, presents the six pervasive challenges raised in the essay that face our nation’s juvenile justice systems today. It highlights key facts and data, and offers promising solutions for approaches that have been proven to improve outcomes for youth, families, taxpayers, and communities. more >>

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2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being

This 19th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information on the conditions of America’s children and families. The 2008 Data Book essay looks at ways to reduce unnecessary detention and incarceration and increase opportunities for youth development and community safety. more >>

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Essay and Data Brief from the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book

This booklet includes the complete 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay -- A Road Map for Juvenile Justice Reform -- plus a 3-page chart of state by state data on child well-being as well as a listing of contacts for all state KIDS COUNT grantees. more >>

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2008 KIDS COUNT Data Wheel

The Data Wheel is a popular and easy way to view the status of children in every state and the District of Columbia, based on information from the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Discover every state’s rate on each indicator and the state’s overall rank, based on these indicators. more >>

KIDS COUNT 2008 Essay: A Roadmap for Juvenile Justice Reform

This 2008 KIDS COUNT essay, A Road Map for Juvenile Justice Reform, looks at the six pervasive challenges that face our nation’s juvenile justice systems today. It presents facts and data, and offers promising solutions for approaches that have been proven to improve outcomes for youth, families, taxpayers, and communities. more >>

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2007 Essay and Data Brief from the 2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book

This booklet includes the complete 2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay -- Lifelong Family Connections: Supporting Permanence for Children in Foster Care -- plus a 3-page chart of state by state data on child well-being as well as a listing of contacts for all state KIDS COUNT grantees. more >>

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2007 KIDS COUNT Data Wheel

The Data Wheel is a popular and easy way to view the status of children in every state and the District of Columbia, based on information from the KIDS COUNT Data Book. Discover every state’s rate on each indicator and the state’s overall rank, based on these indicators. more >>

2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being

This 18th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. New this year is information on child well-being in Puerto Rico. This year’s essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national priority. The essay also focuses on the 726,000 children who spend time in foster care each year and what can be done to build and strengthen family relationships. more >>

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2006 KIDS COUNT Data Wheel

This Data Wheel shows the status of children in every state and the District of Columbia, based on information from the 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book. (The annual Data Book provides state and national trend data for 10 key indicators of child well-being.) It reveals every state's rate on each indicator and the state's overall rank, based on these indicators. June 2006. Available for ordering only. more >>

2006 KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide

Derived from the Data Book, this booklet contains an overview, graphics on national trends, state-by-state data and rankings, and contacts for state KIDS COUNT projects. more >>

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Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care: Strengthening a Critical Resource to Help Young Children Succeed

This essay, taken from the 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book, examines how "family, friend, and neighbor care", a type of child care used by millions of families, nurtures young children and how parents and providers can connect to resources to increase the quality of this care. more >>

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2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book

The 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book focuses on the needs and conditions of America's most disadvantaged children and families, as well as statistical trends. The 2006 edition essay focuses on improving early childhood development opportunities for young children living in low-income neighborhoods and the impact that family, friend, and neighbor care has on improving outcomes for children.  more >>

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2006 KIDS COUNT Wall Chart

Derived from the 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book, this poster-size wall chart provides data on the ten indicators of child well-being, along with the associated rankings, for each state and the District of Columbia. It also includes the book's foreword and contact information for each state KIDS COUNT project. more >>

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Border Kids Count Pocket Guide: A Snapshot of Children Living on the Southwest Border

This pocket guide provides a brief overview of data on children living on the Southwest Border. Topics addressed in this pocket guide include: demographics, health, parental employment, education, language fluency, foreign-born status and time of arrival, and poverty rates. more >>

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2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book Pocket Guide

Derived from the Data Book, this booklet contains an overview, graphics on national trends, state-by-state data and rankings, and contacts for state KIDS COUNT projects. more >>

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2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book

This KIDS COUNT Data Book provides a state-by-state statistical portrait of the educational, health, and economic conditions of American children. The essay examines four employment barriers that policymakers and others consider among the most difficult to overcome: substance abuse, domestic violence, a history of incarceration, and depression.  more >>

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2005 Kids Count Wall Chart

Derived from the KIDS COUNT Data Book, this poster-size wall chart provides data on the ten indicators of child well-being, along with the associated rankings, for each state and the District of Columbia. It also includes the book's foreword and contact information for each state KIDS COUNT project. more >>

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Helping Our Most Vulnerable Families Overcome Barriers and Achieve Financial Success: Essay from the 2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book

This essay, taken from the 2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book, examines four employment barriers that policymakers and others consider among the most difficult to overcome: substance abuse, domestic violence, a history of incarceration, and depression. more >>

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2005 Kids Count Data Wheel

Spin this Data Wheel to view the status of children in every state and the District of Columbia, based on information from the 2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Discover every state's rate on each indicator and the state's overall rank, based on these indicators. more >>

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Rural KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide

This KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide is designed to give advocates and policymakers a better understanding of conditions faced by the families living in rural areas in their states. The Rural KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide provides 2000 Census data on the well being of children in the rural portion of all 50 states. more >>

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City KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide

This pocket guide is designed to give advocates and policymakers a better understanding of conditions faced by the families living in large cities in their states. Based on data from the 2000 Census this guide provides detailed, objective data needed to track the well-being of children in 71 large cities.  more >>

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KIDS COUNT Special Report 2004: City and Rural KIDS COUNT Data Book

This report uses 10 key measures of child well-being to track the conditions of children living in the rural (non-metropolitan) portion of each state as well as 71 large cities across the country. The 10 indicators of child well-being address poverty, family structure, parental employment, housing affordability, and education. more >>

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2004 KIDS COUNT Data Book: Moving Youth from Risk to Opportunity

Our 15th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides a state-by-state statistical portrait of the educational, health, and economic conditions of American children. The 2004 essay focuses on the increasing number of “disconnected” youth without degrees or employment who face a tough transition to adulthood. more >>

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African-American Children Pocket Guide

The African-American Children Pocket Guide provides statistics on economic, educational, and social well-being for African-American children and highlights gaps that persist between African-American children and non-Hispanic white children in the United States. Derived from the 2000 Census, this booklet contains a national overview and state-by-state data.  more >>

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The High Cost of Being Poor: Essay from the 2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book

This essay, taken from the 2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book, focuses on helping low-income families get by and get ahead more >>

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KIDS COUNT Data Book 2003: State Profiles of Child Well-Being

The 2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay entitled 'THE HIGH COST OF BEING POOR: Another Perspective on Helping Low-Income Families Get By and Get Ahead' analyzes the growing problem of predatory pricing and wealth-stripping faced by low-income working families, draining resources that are needed by their children. The book also profiles each US state and territory with 10 indicators for children's well-being. more >>

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2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book Pocket Guide in Spanish

Derived from the Data Book, this Spanish language booklet contains an overview, graphics on national trends, state-by-state data and rankings, and contacts for state KIDS COUNT projects. more >>

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2003 KIDS COUNT Resource Kit: Countering the Costs of Being Poor

This resource kit is a companion to the 2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay. It provides strategies and useful website links for helping low-income families overcome the high cost of being poor. Essays focus on Increasing Financial Opportunity; Reducing Costs of Living; Accessing Public Benefits; Making Work Pay; and, Increasing Affordable Housing. more >>

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Balancing the Equation: Essay from the 2002 KIDS COUNT Book

This essay, taken from the 2002 KIDS COUNT Data Book, focuses on the Annie E. Casey Foundation's belief that making a difference in what happens to at-risk kids means improving their parents' chances for economic success.  more >>

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KIDS COUNT Data Book 2000: State Profiles of Child Well-Being

The central view of 2000 data book is the Casey Foundation's growing recognition of the value and significance of family connections, and the consequences when families and children are isolated or "disconnected "from the opportunities, networks, supports, and service that will enable them to thrive. more >>

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