Despite Improvements, Every State Is Failing to Equip All Kids for Success, Especially Children of Color, According to Annie E. Casey Foundation Report
Despite improved outcomes by many key measures, the United States is still failing its children, especially kids of color, as too many children are blocked from reaching essential milestones of well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2024 Race for Results® report. Wide and persistent disparities are hindering Black, Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native young people in particular, and all children in every state generally, with potentially devastating consequences for the country.
"We need children of every race and ethnicity to grow up ready to provide the talent, intellect and hard work that will make our country strong and prosperous," said Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs at the Casey Foundation.
The Race for Results index standardizes scores across 12 indicators that represent well-being milestones from cradle to career, converting them into a scale ranging from 0 to 1,000 to make it easy to compare and see differences across states and racial and ethnic groups. Asian and Pacific Islander children have the highest index score at 771, followed by white children at 697 and children of two or more races at 612. Scores for Latino (452), American Indian or Alaska Native (418) and Black children (386) are considerably lower.
South Dakota had the lowest average index scores across all categories, followed by several southern and southwestern states. Vermont, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine had the highest average of index scores.
The Casey Foundation makes several recommendations in Race for Results toward improving outcomes for all children:
- Congress should expand the federal child tax credit and the earned income tax credit.
- Lawmakers should consider baby bonds and children's savings accounts ? programs that contribute public funds to dedicated accounts to help families save for their children's future.
- States that have not expanded Medicaid access should do so.
- Policymakers must create targeted programs and policies that can close well-being gaps for young people of color, because universal policies are important but insufficient for continued progress.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Race for Results report can be found at www.aecf.org.
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