Alabama drops four places in national child well-being rankings

Alabama ranked 43rd nationally for child well-being in a survey out this week, which is down from last year’s 39th place. This is according to the KIDS COUNT data book developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 

Alabama’s drop reflects other states rebounding faster from pandemic impacts, especially in education, according to Apreill Hartsfield, Alabama Kids Count Director of the VOICES for Alabama’s Children.

One positive factor is that fewer children are living in households with parents who lack full time jobs. However, the share of children living in households with a high housing cost burden is up. Also, the share of uninsured children rose.

The increase in uninsured children in Alabama is a concern, linked to the unwinding of Medicaid coverage expansions during the pandemic. Cutting funding for Medicaid and other social programs, as Congress is currently considering, could further exacerbate this issue.

One of the biggest problems for Alabama is that the percentage of children living in poverty has remained stagnant for the past 20 years. 

“The effects of living in poverty, especially the younger a child is as they’re living in poverty, the more severe those challenges are and the impact can be on the rest of their lives,” Hartsfield said.

Hartsfield said the focus should be on how Alabama compares to itself over time and continuing investments in effective programs like the state’s literacy and numeracy initiatives.

Overall, she adds, the key is continuing to invest in programs and policies like Medicaid and SNAP benefits that support family economic security, as these have shown positive impacts.