Betty Márquez Rosales at EdSource:
California’s children rank in the bottom third of all states in overall well-being, according to a new report released this week.
The authors of the report, “2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being,” found that over half of California’s three and four year-olds are not in school, less than one-fourth of its eighth graders are proficient in math, and a greater number of children and teens per 100,000 died than in previous years.
“One way to think about it is where we see the most progress are the states who are investing in their children — heavily in their children,” said Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, who oversaw the compilation of the report.
Now in its 35th year and published by the foundation, a private philanthropy and research organization, the annual report measures children’s well-being across 16 indicators within the categories of education, economic well-being, health, and family and community.
Out of all states, California ranked 43rd in economic well-being, 35th in education, 10th in health, and 37th in family and community.