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A Look Back at 2014
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For 20 years, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has worked with organizational partners, elected officials, state agency leaders, and citizens to develop responsive policies and programs in early learning, the education system from pre-kindergarten through college, health coverage and primary health care, child welfare, juvenile justice, and economic well-being.
A core part of our work is producing high-quality publications with the best available data and research. As we move into a brand new year, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate our 2014 publications.
And please stay tuned: coming in 2015 - we will be debuting a new website!
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2014 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook Released
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On Monday, April 7, 2014, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT released its 20th annual report on the well-being of Rhode Island's children at a policy breakfast attended by over 500 people, including the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, General Assembly leaders, community leaders and policymakers.
The 2014 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook charts improvements and declines in the well-being of children and youth across the state and in each of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns and provides the latest available statistics on 70 different indicators of children's lives, from birth through adolescence.
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Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters
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Children who are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than their proficient peers, which can have profound negative consequences well into the future. Youth who read below grade level and drop out of school are more likely to be involved in the juvenile and adult justice systems and to receive public assistance than their peers.
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Focus on Restoring Foster Care to Age 21
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Help for Working and Unemployed Families Resource Sheet
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Many working and unemployed families in Rhode Island are eligible for benefits to help support their families. Health insurance (RIte Care), child care subsidies, tax credits (EITC), nutrition assistance (SNAP and WIC) and cash assistance (RI Works) are available to families with low or moderate incomes. We released a resource in English and Spanish, to help working and unemployed Rhode Island families access these benefits.
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Rhode Island Health Coverage Materials
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Throughout the year, the Rhode Island Health Coverage Project has published resources about health care coverage. The Rhode Island Health Coverage Project is a joint initiative of the Economic Progress Institute and Rhode Island KIDS COUNT.
Please see:
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Early Learning Fact Sheet Series
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Each 2-page Early Learning Fact Sheet in our series focuses on a specific area within the early learning continuum, and provides the latest available data, key facts, and recommendations for each topic.
Please click below to learn more about:
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Juvenile Justice in Rhode Island
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Our Issue Brief: Juvenile Justice in Rhode Island, provides an overview of the juvenile justice system in Rhode Island, juvenile justice trends over the past decade, and provides an in-depth look at youth currently involved in the system. The Issue Brief also provides an overview of best practices for improving youth outcomes and community safety.
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2014 Legislative Wrap-Up
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Our 2014 Legislative Wrap-Up reports on selected laws and budget appropriations affecting children in the areas of early learning, education, economic well-being, health, and safety considered in the Rhode Island General Assembly's 2014 Legislative Session.
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Reducing Chronic Early Absence
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Our Fact Sheet: Reducing Chronic Early Absence outlines the importance of regular attendance at school. During the early elementary school years, children develop important skills and approaches to learning that are critical for success in the classroom. Students who are chronically absent from school during these early years miss opportunities to learn and develop positive relationships within the school community.
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Focus on Adoption
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Our Child Welfare Fact Sheet: Focus on Adoption provides data and information about children adopted from foster care in Rhode Island. The Fact Sheet gives an overview of adoption issues and makes recommendations on how to improve permanency outcomes for children waiting to be adopted from foster care.
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Focus on Young Children in the Child Welfare System
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Child and Adolescent Obesity in Rhode Island
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Highlights of the report include: - New district-level information on positive health habits of Rhode Island students
- New city/town-level information on environmental and social measures relating to obesity
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RIte Care Results
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RIte Care Results documents ways that RIte Care has improved the health of children, pregnant women, and parents, including:
- Children with RIte Care have fewer preventable hospitalizations than uninsured children.
- Children and adults under age 65 with Medicaid coverage have the lowest percentage of emergency admissions to the hospital.
- Healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.
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Are you interested in specific areas of child well-being?
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT publishes E-Newsletters on specific areas related to child well-being:
- Children's Health and Health Insurance
- Child Welfare/Juvenile Justice
- Early Childhood/Early Learning
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT also publishes a general interest E-Newsletter.
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