According to newly released data, Minnesota ranks third in the nation for child well being, following New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall.
The data in this year’s report are a mix of pre-pandemic and more recent figures, according the Children's Defense Fund who publishes the data.
While being third out of fifty is a marker of success, there are two troubling trends: higher rates of anxiety and depression as well as racial disparities in child well being.
According to the Minnesota Student Survey, the state saw increasing percentages of ninth graders reporting a long-term behavioral problem, growing from 12.5% in 2013 to 23.1% in 2019.
"In the 2022 legislative session, legislators were able to overcome their differences and come forward with a mental health package. So that's a good start," says Policy & Research Director, Debra Fitzpatrick.
"Many of those investments were one time funding, but were not adequate to cover all of the needs."
Fitzpatrick is calling for lawmakers to continuously fund mental health programs to cover "all the need." She also says comprehensive investments need to be made to close the disparities in child well being for low income and non white families.
"Overall (the) poverty rate in the state is around 12%," said Fitzpatrick. "For our Black kids in the state, it's 34% and for white kids is 7%."
Click here to see the 2022 Kids Count Data book.
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