The 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book — the most comprehensive annual report on child well-being in the United States — notes measurable progress since the first Data Book, which was published in 1990. Nevertheless, more than 13 million U.S. children lived in poverty in 2017 and serious racial and ethnic disparities persist. The report ranks Ohio 27th among states in overall child well-being.
Ohio’s future generation is its most diverse yet, and it is important that we direct our attention to the areas where we have not seen equitable improvements across child well-being indicators by race and ethnicity. We have an opportunity to push for policies that level the playing field for all Ohio children.
The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Casey Foundation uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains — economic well-being, education, family and community, and health — as an assessment of child well-being. Ohio, along with the rest of the country, has some major work to do to ensure that prosperity is extended to all of its children.