Connecticut improved its national ranking in child well-being, but still has ways to go, especially on housing and issues related to economic security, according to an annual report released Monday.
Connecticut ranked seventh in the nation in this year’s Annie E. Casey Foundation Child Count, up from eighth last year. The Kids Count examines child well-being by state, based on 16 indicators in four broad categories: health, education, family and community, and economic well-being.
Despite high rankings in several categories, including indicators related to education and the number of children with health insurance, many families are still struggling with issues like food insecurity and high housing costs, said Emily Byrne, executive director of Connecticut Voices for Children.
“We were slowed by the Great Recession and lower levels of investment in family financial security were made over the years,” Byrne said. “This has made Connecticut not a place where all families can thrive. Investments may vary, but as a starting point, it’s connecting parents to good jobs and finding ways to offset the high cost of raising children.” .
Connecticut Voices for Children is the state group that worked on the Annie E. Casey report. The report is based on data from 2019 and 2020; some educational data collection was interrupted when schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state ranks third in the nation in the education category. It had high rankings in keeping children engaged in school or work and in preschool attendance.
It ranked eighth in health, 14th in family and community, and 20th in economic well-being.
Although it ranks first in the nation for the number of 3- and 4-year-olds at the school, Connecticut Voices for Children advocates flagged this category as a must-see.
“The pandemic really shook up the early care industry,” Byrne said.
It’s something researchers are looking at nationally as well, said Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Other points flagged as “need to watch” include child poverty, Connecticut’s rankings for fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math proficiency. The state ranks 12th in child poverty and fourth in reading and math.
Connecticut’s lowest ranking came in the housing cost burden category, where it ranked 44th in the country, a drop of two spots from last year’s report.
“I know when you compare the state of Connecticut to many of the other states, we’re doing reasonably well,” said Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, co-chair of the children’s committee and vice chair of the housing committee.
“That said, I’ve always said we have to compare Connecticut to Connecticut, and that’s why I’m not happy with the numbers right now.”
Housing affordability
Housing affordability has long been an issue in Connecticut. The state lacks about 85,400 units that are affordable and available to those with extremely low incomes, according to data of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
While the numbers have improved from 42 percent of children living in households with high housing costs in 2008-12 to 34 percent in 2016-20, other states have experienced greater wage growth than Connecticut, according to a press release from Connecticut Voices.
In recent months, rent and housing costs have risen, and in a state that already has higher costs of living, the impact on families is substantial, Byrne said.
Experts have attributed some of the state’s lack of affordable housing to local zoning ordinances that make it harder for developers to build multifamily housing, which tends to be more affordable for low-income people.
Efforts to implement statewide zoning reform during the last legislative session fell short.
“I think it just speaks to the overall cautionary tale of Connecticut’s children’s account data … In places where we’re doing well, that’s great, but it’s relative to the rest of the country,” Byrne said. “If everyone’s doing well and we’re just maintaining the status quo, we’re doing worse by comparison. Our rankings will drop.”
Anwar said housing is central to the effort to improve outcomes for children. Where children live determines where they go to school. It also affects your long-term health outcomes.
“We need to diversify the houses in all the cities and also improve access to many of the cities to have better access to people from all backgrounds,” Anwar said. “And having that balance helps strengthen communities.”
Sen. Kevin Kelly, the Republican Senate leader and ranking member of the children’s committee, said the answer lies in finding ways to raise wages and bring more good-paying jobs to Connecticut.
“I’ve always and often talked about how we need to have a better economy in the state of Connecticut, one that can actually support six-figure jobs,” Kelly said.
Young people need more job training and connections with employers, he added.
Governor Ned Lamont’s initiative to strengthen childhood lead poisoning standards in Connecticut, in addition to $30 million in federal funds set aside to help alleviate the problem, it’s an important piece of improving outcomes for children, Byrne said.
“Lead is ubiquitous in older homes, so one way to bring more affordable housing units back online is by rehabilitating the existing affordable housing stock,” he added.
Mental health emergency
The national report focused heavily on the mental health and heightened care needs of children due to the pandemic.
Children across the country were more likely to experience anxiety or depression during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic than before. About 7.3 million children experienced these problems between 2016 and 2020, compared to 5.8 million previously, according to the press release.
In December, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory on a national crisis in youth mental health.
Even before the pandemic, young people in Connecticut had higher rates of anxiety and depression than the national average, and the rates have gotten worse since the pandemic, according to the news release.
“All of these basic needs that every child should be able to rely on have a direct impact on their overall well-being and, in particular, their mental health conditions,” Boissiere said.
The Connecticut Legislature made children’s mental health a priority during the session, introducing three swept tickets which aim to address mental health in early childhood and schools. They also funded mental health services in medical centers, educational centers and the community.
But many of these services have not yet reached the community and are not reflected in the data.
“We made historic investments this last legislative session, and I think that’s great,” Byrne said. “But those resources need to be pushed into communities now.”
Lawmakers said they are hopeful that when they are rolled out, the state will see improvements.
“Here is when someone asks for help in the area of mental health, it’s a window,” Kelly said. “And you want to make sure that when they ask for help, it’s available.”
And in addition to the three bills, Anwar said he wants the state to continue investing in improving the lives of children.
“There is no room to rest on these issues,” he said.