Are Georgia's children suffering?
State ranks 40th in overall well-being of children

A new study released recently ranks Georgia 40th in the nation for the overall well-being of children. Georgia was ranked 41st in 2007. One in five children in the state lives in poverty, and the rate of low-birthweight babies, and the percentage of children having babies, are still among the highest in America.

The national 2008 Kids Count Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation reveals that despite improving on six of the 10 key indicators of child health and well-being, Georgia ranks below the national average on all 10- and in the bottom 10 states on five of the indicators: 45th in the percentage of children living in single-parent families; 43rd in the percentage of lowbirthweight babies and the teen birth rate; 42nd in the infant mortality rate; and 41st in the percentage of high-school dropouts.

"We're alarmed about slipping in the percentage of babies born at low birthweight," said Gaye Morris Smith, executive director of Georgia Family Connection Partnership, the Georgia Kids Count grantee. "Lowbirthweight is a primary predictor of other indicators down the road."

The number of babies born in Georgia weighing less than 5.5 pounds increased from 8.6 percent in 2000 to 9.5 percent in 2005. Black infants (14.5 percent) were more likely to be born at low birthweight than white infants (7.4 percent) or Hispanic infants (6.1 percent.) The national average rate was 8.2 percent, the highest reported rate since 1968.

"When so many babies are born at unhealthy weights, that reveals something about lack of access and education in Georgia," said Smith. "Recent research points to the importance of preconception health of women. Chronic issues produce a domino effect, and low birthweight is a measure we can use to evaluate the overall health of the community."

The child poverty rate in Georgia increased by 11 percent between 2000 and 2006. The rate of child poverty exceeds 20 percent in 114 of Georgia's 159 counties. Georgia ranks 36th in the nation on this indicator.

The largest improvement for Georgia was in the percentage of teens who are high school dropouts. The high-school dropout rate for teens ages 16 to 19 improved by 44 percent, decreasing from 16 percent in 2000 to 9 percent in 2006. However, Georgia lags behind the national rate of 7 percent. The percentage of teens not attending school and not working also decreased by 36 percent, going from 14 percent in 2000 to 9 percent in 2006.

The state's highest national ranking (27th) is the child death rate for children ages 1-14, which was 22 per 100,000 in 2005. Georgia also showed improvements in the infant mortality rate, (4 percent decrease,) teen death rate, (7 percent decrease,) and teen birth rate, (16 percent decrease.)

The 2008 Kids Count Data Book also examines the nation's juvenile justice systems, which are poised for a fundamental, urgently needed transformation. Juvenile justice has suffered glaring gaps in recent decades between what is known and what is most often done. According to the Casey Foundation, the result of this approach has been increased crime, needless endangerment of young people, and billions in wasted taxpayer dollars. Georgia's estimated daily count for detained and committed youth in custody was 2,631 in 2006. The rate of detained and committed youth ages 10-15 in custody that same year- 145 per 100,000- is higher than the nation's rate of 125 per 100,000.

"The code is written for adults, not children," said Bryan County Juvenile Court Judge C. Jean Bolin. "Juveniles are not little adults. Punitive measures don't work and our children are too important to get lost in the juvenile justice system. When families aren't equipped to provide guidance, structure, boundaries or protection for their children, it is left up to the courts. The role of the juvenile court is to provide these deprived children with supervision, rehabilitation, restoration and hope. Yet, if the juvenile code limits the court to punishment, children are set up to fail."

The good news is that knowledge about the causes and cures of delinquency is vastly expanding. We're moving toward a more effective, efficient, and just approach. "In Bryan County we know that effective communitybased initiatives and alternative programs can make a difference for unruly youth," said Bolin. "Our diversion program engages schools, churches, courts, the community- and the family- in making juvenile justice decisions that will offer children an opportunity to make good choices and see the consequences of their actions."

Kids Count is a national and state-by-state effort funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. Kids Count tracks the status of children, provides a broad annual summary of state indicators of child and family well-being, and monitors changes in these indicators over time.

For more details about the 2008 Kids Count report, including interactive statewide data, visit www.gafcp.org/kidscount.