2011 Kids Count in Colorado! The Impact of the Great Recession on Colorado's Children

Colorado Children's Campaign. 1580 Lincoln Street Suite 420, Denver, CO 80203. Tel: 303-839-1580; Fax: 303-839-1354; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.coloradokids.org

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130

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Community; Policymakers

Program Effectiveness; Child Care; Child Health; Economic Factors; Social Indicators; Well Being; Economic Impact; Trend Analysis; Demography; Child Safety; Welfare Services; Access to Education; Early Childhood Education; Family Income; Population Trends; Children; Racial Differences; Family Structure; Immigrants; Poverty; Individual Characteristics; Employment Level; Unemployment; Counties; Ethnicity; Nutrition; Breakfast Programs; Lunch Programs; Hunger; Health Insurance; Obesity; Birth Rate; Body Weight; Prenatal Influences; Pregnancy; Immunization Programs; Mental Health; Adolescents; Suicide; Substance Abuse; Child Abuse; Child Neglect; Costs; State Programs; Early Intervention; Enrollment Trends; Elementary Secondary Education; Kindergarten; Homeless People; Graduation Rate; Academic Achievement; Educational Attainment; Dropout Rate

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as a valuable resource for policymakers, community leaders, advocates and citizens. This report, "The Impact of the Great Recession on Kids in Colorado," contains some of the earliest data of its kind in Colorado and in the nation about the implications of the recession on children's lives. In addition to reporting some of the first available data on child well-being trends affected by the Great Recession, including child health, early childhood care and development and education, this year's "KIDS COUNT in Colorado!" also includes trends in participation in the programs and services that support Colorado kids. While demand for these programs is growing because of need, participation is limited by the diminishing state resources available to meet the need, and this combination will likely have an effect on children's lives for years to come. When children are not prepared to learn, when student achievement gaps persist, when children are more obese, less healthy and unable to access basic health care, kids and their families suffer and the state's ability to compete in a global economy is diminished. The Great Recession has taken a toll on Colorado's families, their neighbors and their children. Coming on the heels of nearly a decade of significant poverty increases, many Coloradans were already especially vulnerable to its impacts. And while there are recent indications that economic factors, including employment rates, are improving, the implications on children are ongoing and significant. (Contains 68 figures, 2 tables, and 137 footnotes.) [Additional funding was provided by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. Link to Errata page: http://www.coloradokids.org/file_download/d6ea11ee-3cd5-4e37-af4d-6e2cc29a3897.]

ERIC

2013

ED538784