Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

PURPOSE OF THE FACT BOOK

This fact book is the eleventh annual report produced by the D.C. KIDS COUNT Collaborative on the lives of children and their families in the District. The purpose of the Fact Book is to provide data annually about the well being of children in the District of Columbia and to place statistics within a meaningful context. Ten of the indicators reported herein were selected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Center for the Study of Social Policy to mirror those reported in the National KIDS COUNT Data book that the Casey Foundation produces annually. D.C. KIDS COUNT Collaborative has continued to expand the original list to include additional indicators that are relevant to the District of Columbia. We encourage suggestions for additions from our readers, which we will try to fill if the needed data are available.

This publication provides a broad perspective of the status of children and youth in the District. We seek to inform and educate our readers about the issues affecting children and their families in the District. We encourage community residents, policy makers, professionals, and others who work with and/or on behalf of children and families to create conditions that foster the optimal health and development of our children.

As usual, we stress the importance of family and community in the lives of our children. We at D.C. KIDS COUNT believe that an approach based on systems theory is needed to effect real change in the District. Accordingly, children, families, communities, and government institutions are viewed as an interconnected whole. Thus, when family support systems are dysfunctional in one area, the entire system may be impacted. In devising solutions to the problems facing children in the District, the interactions and relationships among and between the components of the system must be understood and the systemic impact of any changes considered.

We urge community leaders to use this report, in conjunction with previous reports, for formulating strategic plans and enacting policies that support children and families in the District. We hope that the Fact Book will serve as a catalyst for service providers, business leaders, local government, funders, and community members to continue efforts to collectively address the issues presented in this report so that, ultimately, all families in this great city can function optimally.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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