Introduction We are currently in a mental health crisis both nationally and in West Virginia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, youth across the country were experiencing mental health challenges, but during the pandemic there were steep increases in the number of youth experiencing anxiety and depression. The pandemic led to new stressors for youth, including school…
KIDS COUNT
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald-Dispatch - Two numbers will loom over the West Virginia legislative session that resumes Wednesday: 37 and 47. Read the full article. New Gov. Patrick Morrisey is West Virginia’s 37th governor. West Virginia ranked 47th nationally in economic well-being in a 2024 assessment of state trends in child welfare from a prominent…
West Virginia News - The annual Kids Count Data Book was recently published, highlighting where each state ranks in terms of child well-being. Read the full article. As a whole, West Virginia placed 44th in the nation after looking at data in categories including education, health, economy and family and community. The study helps officials…
Parkersburg News and Sentinel - During what the song says is “the most wonderful time of the year,” much of what we adults do to make it magical is for children. We want them to feel the joy and love of the season, we want to give them what we can, we want to help them understand…
Real WV - The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (WVCBP), along with the Maryland-based Annie E. Casey Foundation, has released its 2024 “Kids Count” data book. Read the full article. This data book provides both statewide and county-by-county information on the well-being of children, and informs advocates, the public and policymakers on how…
For Immediate Release: December 12, 2024 Contact: Sean O'Leary, (304)-400-8899 Charleston, WV – The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (WVCBP) is excited to announce the release of the 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book for West Virginia. KIDS COUNT in West Virginia is a joint effort by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the WVCBP which provides an annual snapshot of…
285,780 West Virginians lived in poverty in 2023, including nearly 70,000 children, according to the new estimates out today from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey. West Virginia's official poverty rate in 2023 was 16.7 percent, a decrease from 17.9 percent in 2022. West Virginia's poverty rate was 5.6 percentage points higher than…
Overview In recent years, much attention in West Virginia and around the country has focused on the need for quality, affordable care for families with young children. As advocates have long emphasized, child care (and care work more broadly) makes all other work possible. As such, public investments in child care could be considered to…
West Virginia lawmakers have considered sweeping, punitive school discipline measures over the last two years in response to an increase in disruptive student behaviors. This issue is not unique to West Virginia—87 percent of public schools nationwide report that the pandemic has negatively impacted student socioemotional development. While teachers and schools certainly need more support…
Infant and maternal health outcomes are just two of many factors indicating the overall health of West Virginia. They create a narrative about connections with health and communal care and indicate areas for improvement. Over the past several years, the data around infant and maternal mortality have lagged in West Virginia, making it difficult to…