Georgia's 2007 KIDS COUNT Ranking Released

Georgia ranks 41st in the nation in the recently-released 2007 KIDS COUNT report, a state-by-state study sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that tracks the well-being of America’s children. According to Family Connection Partnership, the state-level organization that manages KIDS COUNT data, this overall ranking is up from 44th in last year’s report, but Georgia still remains in the bottom 10 of the 50 states.

The following are some of the individual indicators, distinctly related to teen pregnancy, in which Georgia ranks in the bottom ten of the fifty states.

Georgia Ranks:

• 43rd in the nation in births to teens ages 15 to 19 - only seven states have higher rates.
  
  
• 47th in the nation in the percentage of high school dropouts. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school than other similarly situated young women.
  
  
• 45th in the nation in the percentage of teens who are not in school and not employed. Teen mothers are less likely to complete the education necessary to qualify for well-paying jobs.
  
  
• 43rd in the nation in low birthweight babies. Children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birthweight.
  
  
• 42nd in the nation in the infant mortality rate. This indicator reflects the overall health status of women and children and is linked to teen pregnancy.
  
  
• 43rd in the nation in the percent of children in single-parent families. A majority of teen parents do not marry.

Preventing Teen Pregnancy is Key to Improving Child Well-Being

Georgia’s teen birth rate has remained in the bottom 10 of the 50 states over the past 17 years that KIDS COUNT has been tracking rates. This year, Georgia's actual teen birth rate improved slightly, but the state’s ranking compared to other states worsened from 41st to 43rd.

By supporting effective policies and programs to prevent teen pregnancy, communities and state and local policymakers can make a difference in the teen birth rate, and subsequently in many other indicators of child well-being in our state.

Federal Government Also Releases National Report on Child Well-Being

The federal government recently released an annual report tracking the status of children and families in the United States. The report, compiled with statistics from multiple federal agencies, covers 38 key indicators of child well-being, many of which are directly related to teen pregnancy.

In 2005, the US teen birth rate for 15-17 year olds dropped to a record low of 21 per 1,000 girls compared to 22 per 1,000 in 2004. On the other hand, the percentage of low birthweight infants increased. Babies born to teen mothers are at higher risk of being born at low birthweight. Also, the percentage of births to unmarried women increased from 36 percent of all births in 2004 to 37 percent in 2005. In 2005, 90 percent of births to females ages 15–17 were to unmarried mothers. The report notes that children are at greater risk for adverse consequences when born to a single mother because the social, emotional, and financial resources available to the family may be more limited.

G-CAPP Fast Fact

Georgia ranks 48th in the nation in the percentage of repeat births to teen mothers - only two states have higher rates. Having a second child can further impede a teen’s ability to finish school or keep a job.

Source: "2007 Kids Count." Annie E. Casey Foundation.