Nonschool spending for kids lacking, study finds

Per-pupil state funding for Utah's children ranks dead last compared to other states nationwide, and noneducation-related spending isn't much better.

According to research by the advocacy and research group Voices for Utah Children, nonschool spending between 2006 and 2009 grew by a thin, inflation-lagging 1.3 percent.

The study, the first of its kind in the state, makes no conclusions nor recommendations but suggests that children, particularly those 5 and under, are being shortchanged.

"That's the age that studies have shown time and again to be critical in the development of a child and the likelihood of success as an adult," Janis Dubno, senior policy analyst for early childhood at Voices told the Deseret News.

"Until now, there has not been any detailed research on actual spending on children across state agencies and programs," Dubno said. "Our findings show that the federal government provides most of the funding for noneducation children's programs in Utah."

Utah spends significant amounts of money on education for children 6 years old and older, but next to nothing on programs for younger children — 88 percent to 12 percent — according to the exhaustive, 80-page report.

"The Children's Budget," which is available online at the Voices Web site, examines state and federal funding for children's programs in Utah, from birth to age 18 for the four fiscal years. It tracks the level of funding, how funding for children is financed and how the money is allocated to children according to its earmarked purpose. Categories include early childhood, health and juvenile justice.

The report is an attempt to give a guideline to government officials in determining if their funding decisions reflect their priorities for children in Utah. It makes no attempt to assess the effectiveness of the programs or flag possible gaps in services, but is an effort to objectively quantify the level of state and federal funding for Utah's children and identifies trends in spending over the period.

According to the latest figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau, Utah spent $5,683 per pupil to support public education in 2006-07. The next lowest state was Idaho at $6,625 — which was still $942 per student more than in Utah. The average nationally was $9,666 per student, 70 percent higher than in Utah.