KIDS COUNT is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.
To carry out this mission, Idaho KIDS COUNT:
- Collects the best available data on child well-being at the national, state and county levels to measure progress
- Using data, informs policy makers and citizens about the status of Idaho children and effective policy strategies to improve their well-being
- Partners with Idaho Voices for Children and other child advocacy organizations to mobilize policy and community action to secure better futures for children
Idaho KIDS COUNT is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, America's largest philanthropic source for disadvantaged children. Idaho KIDS COUNT joins the other 49 states to shape and promote a new direction for America's Children.
Idaho KIDS COUNT is a project of Mountain States Group, Inc., a private nonprofit organization working in health and human services.
2008 Issue Priorities:
This year Idaho KIDS COUNT is focusing on the following issue areas:
NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief: Quality Child Care in Idaho
This policy brief is part of a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.
NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief: Idaho's Quality Child Care Rating System
This policy brief is part of a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.
NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Data Report: 2008 Early Childhood Data Report
This data report measures 20 data indicators to assess how Idaho young children are faring.
3rd Annual IVC Fall Forum Forum a Success!
The 3rd Annual IVC Fall Forum was held on October 24, 2008 in Boise. Click here for more information on this event.
NATIONAL REPORT:
Kids' Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget: Kids to Receive Declining Share of Federal Spending
Kids' Share 2008, a second annual report by the Urban Institute, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority. In 2007, this trend continued, as children's spending did not keep pace with GDP growth. Absent a policy change, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade.
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