KIDS COUNT in Delaware

Devoted to improving the well-being of our state's children, youth and their families, KIDS COUNT in Delaware has been using highly credible research, data collection and education to inform change on behalf of children for the last 25 years.

KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policy makers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local and state discussion concerning ways to secure better lives for all children. The project here in Delaware is a collaborative effort of over forty organizations that is housed within the Center for Community Research & Service at the University of Delaware.

KIDS COUNT in Delaware Team:

Janice Barlow, MPA; Policy Scientist and KIDS COUNT Director

Erin Lynch, MS; Assistant Policy Scientist

Christy Arango-Kautz; Undergraduate Public Policy Fellow

Olivia Malinowski; Undergraduate Intern

​Newest fact book provides insight on disparities to address during pandemic and beyond

KIDS COUNT in Delaware marked its 25th anniversary with the virtual release of its 2020 Fact Book: Now & Then on May 12, 2020. While data show progress has been made in the last 25 years on many measures of child well-being, negative outcomes persist for children and families who are marginalized, suggesting who will be most impacted from the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Strides have been made in the past 25 years regarding many aspects of child health and wellbeing: Delaware’s teen birth rate has fallen, the percentage of children without health insurance has dropped, safety standards have decreased the number of child deaths, and the creation of an initiative for juvenile alternatives to detention has impacted the rate of incarcerated children.

The next 25 years present an opportunity for improvement on various social determinants of health: reductions in the rate of babies born at low birth weight and the percentage of babies born to single moms. COVID-19 has brought to light an urgent need to reimagine how communities and public systems support children and families. “We knew vulnerabilities existed in many communities,” says Janice Barlow, “and now, during a public health crisis, we see how devastating they can be on a whole new scale.” Data from the past 25 years show that we as a state have failed to eliminate the persistent racial and ethnic inequities that are shown in the measures of child well-being.

​It is the hope of KIDS COUNT in Delaware that the data presented in the 2020 Fact Book, offered within the context of the current pandemic, will give leaders and advocates across Delaware the knowledge to create policy that will benefit children most impacted by repercussions of the coronavirus. Rebecca King, comments “We are communities of people whose lives depend on connections to each other. Now more than ever, in this unprecedented epidemic, is the time for us to step forward to help our neighbors, families and the children who are counting on us.” Policies that center equity to create relief from COVID-19 will have positive impact for children and families beyond this crisis.

The online KIDS COUNT Data Center offers data on education, employment and income, poverty, health and youth at-risk factors. We invite you to discover ways to customize the data and join us in using this data to make informed decisions by investing in Delaware's biggest asset, our kids

Learn more about this resource.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, the date for completion of the data collection portion for the census has been postponed. For the most up-to-date timeline, please refer to the Census Bureau. Additional adjustments may be made in order to ensure a complete and accurate count during this national response to coronavirus. Other steps that are being taken in response to the outbreak include:

• Adjusting operations to make sure college students are counted
• Delaying the start of the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance program
• Delaying the Early Non-response Follow-up operation
  

What you need to know right now:

It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail - all without having to meet a census taker.

​​​One of fifty-three similar projects throughout the U.S. and its territories funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT in Delaware is housed in the Center for Community Research and Service at the University of Delaware and led by a board of committed and concerned child and family advocates from the public and private sectors. KIDS COUNT in Delaware is especially grateful for the support of the University of Delaware.