A new report found children were worse off nationally in 2024 than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with education scores dropping sharply and child and teen deaths rising.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Children’s well-being has declined across much of the United States since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 29 states posting worse outcomes in 2024 than in 2019, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The findings come as families continue to face higher costs for food, housing and other basic needs, while advocates warn that reductions in government safety-net programs could add further pressure on children and households.
“Research shows that kids who are healthy, safe, fed, educated, and surrounded by strong family relationships have a much better chance to thrive and contribute as independent adults,” Leslie Boissiere, the foundation’s vice president of external affairs, told Axios.
“We know that today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce, so the strength of the economy in the future is tied to the well-being of kids today,” Boissiere said.
The foundation’s 2026 Kids Count Data Book evaluated child well-being in four areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. The national score dropped from 553 in 2019 to 547 in 2024.
Aecf-2026kidscountdatabook by yourNEWS Media
The report found that children in much of the country lost ground during the five-year period, with education and health declines weighing heavily on the overall results.
Education showed the steepest deterioration. The national education score fell from 518 to 417, driven by lower reading and math proficiency in 47 states.
Health outcomes also worsened. The national health score declined from 624 to 607, while child and teen deaths rose 8%. Boissiere said the increase reflects a youth mental health crisis, though some states have responded by adding more mental health professionals in schools.
The report also found that housing costs are burdening more families with children. The share of children living in households struggling with housing costs rose from 30% to 31%, affecting 22.4 million children. According to the data, it was the first increase in that measure since 2010.
The state rankings showed a clear regional divide. Five of the top seven states were in the Northeast, while 11 of the 15 lowest-ranked states were in the South.
Still, the South also included signs of improvement. Eight Southern states gained ground, including South Carolina, which recorded the largest improvement in the nation with a 38-point increase.
New Mexico ranked 49th overall but improved by 22 points, largely because of economic gains.
Mississippi ranked last overall, but the report noted stronger education results in the state after a 2013 third-grade reading law and continued investments in schools, teacher training and early childhood education.
That is “positive proof that when we make direct investments in families and children that children do well,” Boissiere said.
The report found gains in two of the four major categories. Family and community scores increased from 518 to 608, while economic well-being rose from 551 to 557.
Boissiere said safety-net programs may have helped cushion families during the study period, including the temporary 2021 expansion of the Child Tax Credit. But she also pointed to recent Georgetown University data showing fewer children enrolled in Medicaid and more children uninsured, raising concerns about future outcomes.
That trend raises questions “about what’s going to happen in terms of child well-being and outcomes for children,” Boissiere said.
“Particularly around the economic security in a time when we know costs are rising for food and housing and basic necessities,” she added.
One major long-term indicator continued to improve. The teen birth rate fell 24% from 2019 to 2024 and is down nearly 80% since 1990.
“It’s the direct result of decades of investment in trying to ensure the teen pregnancy rate declines,” Boissiere said.
The report presents a mixed picture of children’s post-pandemic recovery. Economic well-being and family and community indicators improved, but those gains were not enough to offset falling education scores, worsening health measures, rising child and teen deaths, and growing housing-cost burdens on families.
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