For Release July 15, 1998, 6 a.m. E.S.T.
Contact: Robin Peth-Pierce, (301) 496-5133, [email protected]
The federal government issued its second annual report today on the
well-being of America's 70 million children, revealing some good news about
their overall health and educational achievements. The report, "America's
Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," offers a portrait of the
nation's children, providing information on critical aspects of their lives,
including their health, economic security, education, behavior and social
environment.
"This report provides an understanding of the promises and challenges
confronting our nation's young people and guides us in caring for them," said
Katherine Wallman, Chief Statistician at the Office of Management and Budget.
According to the report, children, from infancy through adolescence, are
off to a healthier start in many ways.
"We have some good progress to report -- more children are surviving their first year of life, with infant mortality at an all-time historic low," said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
The report also shows a dramatic decline in the number of children with
high blood lead levels, which can cause IQ or behavioral problems. Over the
past two decades, the number of pre-school children with high blood lead levels
has dropped from 88 percent to 6 percent.
"This is a public health success story of almost unprecedented
magnitude," said Edward Sondik, Ph.D., Director, National Center for Health
Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It shows that the
collection of this data, with subsequent, aggressive legislative action to bar lead in paint and plumbing supplies and to phase out lead in gasoline, has saved
many children from permanent learning disabilities."
A majority of parents in the U.S. reported their children to be in very
good or excellent health. Moreover, fewer young children and adolescents are
dying and 77 percent of toddlers are up-to-date on their immunizations.
However, the number of children without health insurance has increased in 1996
to 10.6 million children, up from 9.8 million in 1995.
The report indicates that the birth rate among adolescents declined
between 1991 and 1996, from 39 to 34 births per 1,000. Much of this decline was
due to the large drop in births to adolescent black females, ages 15 to 17.
While the report shows some overall positive trends in the health of
young children, not all children are doing equally well. Between 1995 and 1996,
there has been no significant change in the number of children living in
poverty. Children under 18 still represent 40 percent of the population in
poverty, even though they comprise only about one-quarter of the total U.S.
population. Children in poverty are more likely to experience housing problems
and hunger, are less likely to be immunized, and less likely to have a parent
working full-time all year.
Overall, more young children are being read to by their families,
participating in early childhood education, and improving their math scores on
national achievement tests.
"By looking at these key indicators at each level of education, we can
quickly see that while more children are entering preschool, improving in math
and graduating from college -- high school completion rates and reading scores
are stagnant," said Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D., Commissioner, National
Center for Education Statistics.
As children reach their teen years, the report shows that they are
encountering several problems. During the 1990s, the percentages of 8th, 10th
and 12th graders who smoked daily, drank heavily, or used illicit drugs
increased. The report shows that 25 percent of 12th graders smoke on a regular
basis.
"Substance abuse and cigarette smoking are at unacceptable levels," said
Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Since the
early 1990s, we have seen a gradual increase in drug use, which we know is tied
to a decrease in the perception of risk -- kids just don't think drugs are
harmful," said Leshner.
The 23 indicators included in the report were chosen because they
regularly measure critical aspects of children's lives. Two special indicators
also included in this year's report are children's blood lead levels and
children in child care. The report also recommends the development of
additional indicators -- including more accurate measures of youth violence, a
global indicator of youth mental health, and measures of long-term poverty and
homelessness -- that would contribute to a fuller understanding of the overall
condition of the nation's children.
The report, issued by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family
Statistics, represents a significant collaborative effort among the Federal
agencies that report regularly on various aspects of children's lives. The
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics was founded in 1994 and formally established by Executive Order 13045 to foster coordination and
collaboration in the collection and reporting of Federal data on children and
families. Agencies within the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,
Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, the National Science Foundation and the Office of Management and Budget participate in the forum.
For more information on the report, contact the National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development, at (301) 496-5133. Free copies of the full
report can be obtained from the National Maternal and Child Health
Clearinghouse, (703) 356-1964, via the Internet at: http://childstats.gov, or
purchased for $7.00 through the Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800,
publication number 065-000-01162-0.
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A video news release (embargoed until 6 a.m. E.S.T, July 15) is available on
Tuesday, July 14, 1998, from 3:00-3:30 p.m., E.S.T., C Band, Galaxy 3,
Transponder 21, Downlink frequency 4120.
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