Legislators get update on kids' welfare

Each lawmaker arrived at the Utah Capitol Thursday morning to find a colorful data wheel they can use to compare the well-being of children in their district with children in other areas of the state.

The wheel features data from Voices for Utah Children's annual KIDS COUNT project, which measures statewide and county-specific data on things such as the number of children living in poverty, education demographics and health data.

Rather than put all of the data in a lengthy report, as it has done in the past, the organization decided this year to make sure lawmakers have the information at their fingertips as they're making public policy decisions that affect children.

"It's an interesting product; it's kind of fun," said Terry Haven, KIDS COUNT director for Voices for Utah Children.

As the 2007 Legislature winds down and lawmakers formalize the state's budget, the group hopes lawmakers look at the new data and see the areas where they can improve the lives of Utah's youngsters, Haven said.

"All manner of bad things happen to our children," she said. "How can we help low-income families or children at risk?"

Voices' 2007 data is similar to last year's information, with 12.4 percent, or about 92,000, of the state's 811,000 children living in poverty. That's just slightly down from last year's figure of 12.5 percent.

That number is particularly troubling because it means that those most in need are not benefiting from the state's continuing economic upswing, Haven said.

"It worries me as an advocate because the state's economy is on the rise. We have this budget surplus and yet we're not seeing that our children are reaping the benefits," she said.

Thursday's data indicates children in rural Utah are struggling more than in other areas of the state. Nearly 30 percent of children in San Juan County lived in poverty in 2006 while 20 percent of children in Grand and Piute counties lived in poverty.

Just over 9 percent of Davis County children live in poverty with 11.1 percent in Utah County and 13.2 percent in Salt Lake County living in poverty, according to the 2007 data.

Statewide, 32.2 percent receive free or reduced school lunches and more than 74,000 are in families that receive food stamps.

The federal poverty level for a family of four, including two adults and two children, is an annual income of just over $19,000.

Child injury deaths continued to decline slightly in 2006 while the number of low-birthweight babies increased slowly but steadily. And while births to teens increased only slightly, the figure jumped out at Haven as the first increase in six years.

"Maybe it's a blip," she said, adding she's interested in what next year's data will show.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com

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