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| Kids Count | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kids Count |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Annie E. Casey Foundation |
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Focus | Child welfare, child well-being, public policy |
Kids Count is a national child-wellbeing initiative produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that tracks child health, education, economic security, and family contexts across the United States. The project produces annual state-level and county-level profiles and reports used by policymakers in venues such as the United States Congress, state legislatures like the California State Legislature and the New York State Assembly, and advocacy groups including Save the Children USA and Children's Defense Fund. Its data and rankings are cited in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR and inform programs at institutions like the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute.
Kids Count began as an initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the late 1980s and released its first national report in 1990, during the administration of George H. W. Bush and amid policy debates following the enactment of laws like the Family Support Act of 1988. Early development involved collaborations with research centers such as the Child Trends organization and academic partners at universities including Johns Hopkins University and University of Michigan. Over subsequent decades the project adapted to shifts in federal programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and national events such as the Great Recession (2007–2009), expanding to county-level data and interactive databases used by state agencies including the California Department of Education and municipal bodies like the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Kids Count is produced and managed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland that was established by members of the Casey family (business family). Funding for Kids Count comes from foundation endowments and grants, and the project collaborates with partners such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and corporate foundations including the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The initiative works with public agencies such as the United States Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state departments of health to access administrative data, and it engages with nonprofit partners such as United Way of America and Save the Children USA for dissemination and policy outreach.
Kids Count publishes an annual national data book and state profiles that compile indicators drawn from sources like the United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Publications include the annual Kids Count Data Book, county-level data tools, and topical reports addressing issues tracked by agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Department of Education (United States). The data products are used by organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and academic centers like the Harvard Kennedy School for policy briefs, program evaluations, and media reporting in outlets like USA Today and The Atlantic.
Kids Count constructs composite indicators and rankings using publicly available datasets maintained by federal agencies including the United States Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Vital Statistics System. Methodological approaches draw on statistical techniques common in research at institutions such as the Pew Research Center and the RAND Corporation, incorporating measures of child poverty, health, education, and family conditions. The initiative documents variable definitions and imputation methods and consults with experts from universities such as Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania and with technical partners including the Kaiser Family Foundation to ensure comparability across states and counties.
Data from Kids Count have been used to inform legislation in bodies such as the United States Congress and state capitals including the Texas Legislature and the Massachusetts General Court, and to shape program decisions by agencies like the Administration for Children and Families. Nonprofit advocacy groups including the Children's Defense Fund and Save the Children USA cite Kids Count in campaigns, while philanthropic organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation use its data to target grants. Journalists at outlets like The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters rely on Kids Count for reporting, and researchers at think tanks such as the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution incorporate its indicators into studies on child well-being and social policy.
Critics have questioned Kids Count on grounds similar to critiques of ranking systems used by organizations like U.S. News & World Report and Forbes—arguing that composite indices and state rankings can oversimplify complex phenomena referenced in litigation and policy debates in venues such as the Supreme Court of the United States and state courts. Scholars at institutions like Vanderbilt University and University of Chicago have debated indicator selection and weighting, and policy analysts affiliated with groups such as the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation have raised concerns about interpretation of poverty and family measures. Debates also touch on data timeliness and source limitations tied to surveys like the American Community Survey and administrative reporting at agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services.
Category:Child welfare organizations in the United States