The 2025 Kids Count Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its findings for Minnesota.
The report examines results for children in four categories: education, health, economic well-being, and family and community. Currently, 69% of Minnesota fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and 66% of eighth graders lack acceptable math skills.
Alisha Porter, state director of the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, said while the state has ranked fifth nationally for the past three years due to the state’s good investments in child well-being, there is room for improvement.
“I think in the area of child poverty rates, I’d like to just highlight in Minnesota, 10% of all children live in poverty, with Black and Hispanic children experiencing disproportionately higher rates compared to white children,” Porter emphasized.
Porter noted another disparity: low birth rates. The report indicated although 7% of all babies born with low birth weight, Black babies faced significantly higher numbers compared to white babies. And children and teens’ death rates and obesity numbers increased.
The report determined economic well-being plays a role in the state’s low birth rates and low poverty numbers, which disproportionately impact children of color. According to the report, 19%, or 230,000 children, have parents who lack secure employment. The number of children living in Minnesota households with a high housing cost burden was higher than in previous years.
Porter pointed out there is another reason behind the data.
“130,000 children live in poverty in Minnesota,” Porter underscored. “An even greater number live in homes without a full-time, year-round employed parent.”
The data book said where a child lives matters and is highly influenced by local and state policies, economic conditions, community investment and infrastructure.
Disclosure: The Annie E. Casey Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Children’s Issues, Education, Juvenile Justice, and Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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With school out for summer vacation, maintaining healthy sleep habits can be a challenge for parents and children.
Longer daylight hours and shifting schedules can disrupt sleep patterns, leaving families feeling off balance or out of sync.
Dr. Chafen Watkins Hart, pediatric sleep specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, said sleep routines do not begin just before bedtime, they are shaped by what happens all day long. She stressed it is important to keep the time kids wake up relatively consistent, even if they get to sleep in during summer months.
“I recommend parents keep the wake time as stable as possible, within 30 minutes to an hour,” Hart explained. “Getting them out into the sun early in the day is really important. Keeping meal times structured around the same time each day.”
Hart noted there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep and encouraged parents to find a routine that works best for their child. While elementary-age children typically fall asleep more easily, teenagers may struggle due to natural shifts in their circadian rhythms during puberty.
Warmer nights can also interfere with the body’s natural cooling process, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Hart suggested turning off phones and other screens and no eating at least one hour before bedtime.
“Maybe set a timer for bedtime. Change the lighting,” Hart outlined. “Dimmer lights can help the brain sort of process that nighttime is coming, that sleep should happen in the next couple of hours.”
As the new school year draws near, Hart said it’s best to gradually adjust sleep times to get children of all ages to bed earlier. And helping kids go over tomorrow’s plans can help ward off any nighttime anxiety. If kids cannot fall asleep and are just laying awake for 40 minutes or more, she suggested getting out of bed and doing a quiet activity in a dimly lit area, ideally outside their bedroom.
“If they can get out of bed, it will help their brain associate their bed with sleep and not just with laying there being anxious,” Hart added. “Then try to go back to sleep 30 or 40 minutes later. That can help reset the brain, and they might have better luck falling asleep the second time around.”
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Childhood trauma is costing Kentucky millions each year, according to a new report released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky.
The report claims that between 2015 and 2020, 62% of Kentucky adults reported having at least one adverse childhood event – with those experiences resulting in a total economic burden of $295 million per year.
Communities have a responsibility to invest in prevention and policies aimed at improving child well-being, said Sara Hemingway – the executive director of the Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation.
“It’s difficult enough to overcome trauma when you’re an adult, much less a child,” said Hemingway. “And I think that as a state, as communities, I think we need to be working upstream and not downstream.”
The most commonly reported experiences are parental divorce, household substance use, and emotional abuse.
The report calls to expand access to child care, increase usage of home-visitation programs, and embed trauma-informed approaches in schools.
Hannah Edelen, policy and advocacy director with Kentucky Youth Advocates, said while experiencing adversity in childhood can increase the likelihood of hardship later in life, positive experiences have the opposite effect.
“The new research talks a lot about positive childhood experiences and the impact of having a mentor in your life,” said Edelen, “and there’s real opportunity to create policy, as well as invest in those types of programs.”
Barry Allen – president & CEO of the Gheens Foundation, and a leader of the Bloom Kentucky Coalition – said he hopes the report helps lawmakers understand that the experiences of children impact the state as a whole.
“Our intent is to take this report and take some action with it,” said Allen, “as it relates, not only to the providers of services to children, but also to the legislature – for stepping in and making some policy decisions.”
He pointed to legislation such as the Trauma-Informed Schools Act of 2019, which promoted trauma-based programs and teacher education, as an important step forward for kids in the Commonwealth.
Disclosure: Kentucky Youth Advocates/KIDS COUNT contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Children’s Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Utah still ranks as one of the best states for children’s overall well-being, according to a new national report but advocates are stressing the need for more investments in positive youth engagement and education.
Utah ranked fourth in this year’s Kids Count Data Book, which looked at 16 key indicators to holistically assess how children are doing.
Martín Muñoz, Kids Count director at Voices for Utah Children, said despite Utah’s strong standing and promising trends, the state should not become complacent. He noted many families are still struggling and said uncertainty at the national level is being felt locally.
“We hear about it almost daily — the housing crisis, the cost of living — Utah is struggling,” Muñoz observed. “One in four Utah children live in a household with a high housing cost burden in 2023.”
Muñoz pointed out it means about 234,000 Utah households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. He contended implementing what he called “trickle down economic” policies like the Child Tax Credit, which offers families up to $2,000 for every eligible child, could help. But as the budget reconciliation package makes its way through Congress, lawmakers could impose new regulations on who is eligible.
Some of the Beehive State’s bright spots include seeing fewer children living in poverty as well as fewer children without health insurance. Muñoz emphasized investments made now to provide Utah families with economic opportunities and children with quality education and health care will pay off years down the road.
“We have resources that can provide and implement policies that do better for all kids and families,” Muñoz asserted. “It is really being smart about our investments.”
The annual report found education in Utah is still a glaring issue, as 64% of Utah fourth graders are not proficient in reading and 65% of eighth graders are not proficient in math.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said it is why states need to invest in areas like tutoring, while looking at effective curriculum strategies to turn the numbers around.
“Investing in thriving kids is essential to investing in communities, investing in our nation and investing in a strong economy ’cause today’s kids are tomorrow’s workforce,” Boissiere stressed.
Disclosure: The Annie E. Casey Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Children’s Issues, Education, Juvenile Justice, and Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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