State Legislators’ Perceptions of Kids Count

KIDS COUNT in a Nutshell

Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT is an annual effort to track national and state trends that reflect the status of children in the United States.

In-Demand Data

A majority of legislators (55%) and legislative staff (73%) report using KIDS COUNT, and 17% of respondents from both groups say that they use it “a lot.”

Delivery Counts

Mailing the KIDS COUNT Data Book works, but most legislators prefer a personal handoff — complete with a brief data rundown — delivered by a constituent or trusted advocate.

Legislative Tool

Nearly half of all lawmakers surveyed use KIDS COUNT for legislative work. Specifically: 49% use it in committee deliberations, 48% to craft legislation, policies and programs, and 45% to fact check data from other sources.

Staff Support

More than 90% of the legislative staff surveyed use KIDS COUNT data to conduct background research. Staff members also rely on KIDS COUNT to fact check statistics from other sources (57%) and learn about the needs of children (51%).

Data Collection

In surveying legislators and their staff, administrators gathered feedback about KIDS COUNT in the following ways: 1) a focus group; 2) mailed questionnaires; and 3) interviews with legislators.