What is Kids Count?
KIDS COUNT® is a national and state-by-state project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the largest national foundation dedicated solely to the well-being of children in the United States. The national KIDS COUNT Data Book, which uses the best available data to measure the educational, social, economic and physical well-being of children in each state, was first published in 1990.
Since that time, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has funded a national network of state-level KIDS COUNT® projects that provide a more detailed, county-by-county picture of the condition of children. VOICES for Alabama’s Children is the foundation’s Alabama Kids Count partner. The first annual Alabama Kids Count Data Book was published in 1994.
Advocacy is more powerful when backed by data and evidence. Each year VOICES for Alabama’s Children publishes the Alabama Kids Count Data Book, upon which many rely to get a clear picture of just where the well-being of our children stands. This research allows us to advocate for the unmet needs of our state’s children by identifying and tracking 70 indicators of child well-being. These indicators tell us important issues such as the percentage of children living in poverty and single-parent families, teen birth rates, and more. We aim to create public accountability and the political will to enact policies that help meet the needs of children and families.
