November is National Adoption Month. Data indicate that in 2011 there were 56,138 children in foster care in California. Though the percentage of children who are adopted within four years of entry into the foster care system in California has increased since 1998, most children are reunited with their family. Data also indicate adoption takes time; according to 2011 data, 66% of foster care youth in California who were eventually adopted waited over two years until they were placed into a permanent residence. And oftentimes, that stay in foster care is marked by instability; 2011 data show that 15.6% of California children in foster care for less than one year experienced three or more placements.

For a perspective on helping adopted children overcome adversity, please see our October 2011 guest blog post. You also can help raise awareness this month about youth in foster care using more data from kidsdata.org. Finally, spread the word about National Adoption Month through Child Welfare Information Gateway’s social media initiative.

Posted by Lindsey Nguyen

This November, help raise awareness about childhood diabetes by promoting American Diabetes Month, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.

Diabetes continues to be one of the leading causes of death in America, according to a 2011 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and its death rate has increased in recent years.

In California, an estimated 2% of children under age 18 with special health care needs has diabetes, according to 2009-2010 data.

Diabetes also is one of the 10 most common primary diagnoses for hospital stays among children under age 18, accounting for around 1% of all hospital discharges in California between 2002 and 2009.

For more information and resources for children and parents affected by diabetes, please refer to these guides provided by the American Diabetes Association.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Following are some recent news highlights about children and families, along with related data from kidsdata.org:

Emotional and Behavioral Health (see related data)

Study: Parents’ Social Anxiety May Raise Kids’ Risk for Anxiety Disorder
(Health Day, 11/7/12)

Analysis Examines Lack of Preventive Mental Health Care Available for Children
(Boston Globe, 10/25/12, by Gold)

National Increase in Rate of Babies Born with Addiction, Study Finds
(Sacramento Bee, 10/29/12, by Schrock)

Positive Home Environment Potentially Reduces Risk for Teen Alcohol Problems, Research Suggests
(Healthline, 11/8/12)

Health Insurance (see related data)

30 States Show No Improvement in Number of Uninsured Children, Report Shows
(MedPage Today, 10/26/12, by Pittman)

Study: California’s Number of Medically Uninsured Children Declines; State Still Has Second-Highest Number of Uninsured Kids
(Sacramento Bee, 10/24/12)

Transition to Denti-Cal from Healthy Families May Reduce Access to Dental Care for Children
(HealthyCal, 10/17/12, by Graebner)

Autism (see related data)

Review: Autism Interventions Require More Evidence-Based Approach
(Disability Scoop, 11/5/12, by Heasley)

Report: Children’s Development at 6 Months Same with Autism as Without; Changes Seen at 14 to 24 Months
(Doctor’s Lounge, 10/30/12)

Study: Flu during Pregnancy May Be Linked to Increased Autism Risk
(NBC, 11/11/12, by Fox)

Transforming School Lunches (see related data)

States that Implement Nutritional Changes in School Lunches See a Decrease in Childhood Obesity, Report Shows
(USA Today, 10/24/12, by Hellmich)

Report: Few K-12 Schools Offer Healthy Snack Options Outside of Mealtimes
(Reuters, 11/1/12, by Heavey)

Opinion: More Work Needed to Make Implementation of New School Lunches Successful
(NY Times, 10/29/12, by Brody)

Mothers and Infants (see related data)

Children’s Weight Linked to Mother’s Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Smoking Status, Study Finds
(MedPage Today, 10/29/12, by Petrochko)

Study: Obese Women Twice as Likely to Develop Gestational Diabetes as Healthy Weight Women, Orange County Study Finds
(OC Register, 10/30/12)

Breastfeeding Rates of Preemies in California Hospitals Increases, Research Shows
(Scope, 11/9/12, Steakley)

Teen Sexual Health (see related data)

Study: Smartphones Linked to Higher Rates of Teen Sex
(CBS, 10/30/12, by McMillen)

Teen Pregnancy More Likely Among Pre-Teens with Low Literacy Levels
(Healthline.com, 10/30/12, by Nerenberg)

Study: Many Teens Born with HIV Unlikely to Disclose to Partners
(Washington Times, 11/11/12, by Wetzstein)

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

The 2012 California County Scorecard on the state of children’s health has been published for all 58 counties in California. Created by Children Now, a national organization focused on making children’s health a top priority for policymakers and the public, this report allows users to explore data by topics broken down by income level, living area, and race/ethnicity.

With 28 different key indicators ranging from “young children who read every day” to “asthmatic children who have been given an asthma management plan,” this report also lets users organize each indicator by each topic.

This scorecard is an important tool in assessing the needs of California’s children.

For more data on children’s health, explore kidsdata.org by topic.

Posted by Lindsey Nguyen

Following are some recent news highlights about children and families, along with related data from kidsdata.org: 

Children with Autism (see related data):

• San Francisco Prepares for Wave of Autistic Adults
  (SF Chronicle, 10/4/12, by Allday)

• Study: Half of Children with Autism Wander from Caregivers, Increasing Risk of Accidents and Injury
  (MedPage Today, 10/8/12, by Phend)

• Daily Yoga Found to Improve Classroom Behavior of Kids with Autism
  (NPR, 10/12/12, by Barclay)

Poverty, Disparities, and Child Health (see related data):

• The U.S. Budget and the Fate of Children
  (NY Times, 10/9/12, by Porter)

• CDC Reports Child Poverty Is High, Families Continue to Struggle
  (Huffington Post, 9/28/12, by Edelman)

• Disparities Persist in Children’s Well-Being, According to Health Report Card
  (Bay Citizen, 10/10/12, by Lin)
  Also See: http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2012/10/9/study-calif-childrens-health-well-being-varies-based-on-location.aspx
  http://www.mercurynews.com/census/ci_21727930/health-well-being-californias-children-varies-widely-based

Child Abuse and Neglect (see related data)

• Study: Child Hospitalizations for Physical Abuse Increased 5% Over Past 12 Years
  (Futurity.org, 10/2/12, by Yale)

• Eye Injury Examinations May Be Used to Distinguish Accidental Head Injuries from Child Abuse of Infants and Toddlers, Research Finds
  (HealthDay, 10/8/12, by Dotinga)

Environmental Health (see related data):

• Study: Traffic Pollution May Cause Long-Term Lung Damage to Children
  (Healthline, 10/12/12, by Severson)

• Report: Pesticides Related to Increase in Serious Health Problems Among Children
  (SF Chronicle, 10/9/12, by Lee)

• Survey: Thousands of Kids at Risk for Lead Poisoning May Not Get Treatment Due to Budget Cuts
  (USA Today, 10/2/12, by Ridel)

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

October 23 to October 31 marks Red Ribbon Week. Founded and sponsored by the National Family Partnership, Red Ribbon Week serves to raise awareness about substance abuse, especially in youth and teens. Kidsdata.org has a variety of indicators on youth substance abuse in California.

From 2008 to 2010, approximately 1 in 5 California 11th graders reported recreational use of prescription drugs at least once in their lives.

A notable 40% reported using alcohol or other drugs in the past month, according to data from 2008-2010. In this same time frame, 46% of California 9th graders and 62% of 11th graders reported having at least 1 full drink of alcohol in their lives.

About 13% of California 7^th graders reported using inhalants at least once in their lives, 2008 to 2010 data show. These data exclude cigarette use from 2008 to 2010, which is separated by grade level and county here.

View related data on drug abuse here.

Posted by Lindsey Nguyen

A new online video from the California Budget Project documents how single mothers in the state are faring in the wake of the Great Recession. While the state’s job market has begun to recover, single mothers continue to experience challenges in finding employment and earning adequate income.

Almost 23 percent of California’s children live in households headed by mothers, according to 2007-2009 estimates on kidsdata.org. The percentage of such households varies by race/ethnicity; 13.2% of Asian American households with children were headed by single mothers, but that figure climbs to 32.1% for Native Americans and 51.5% for African American/Black households with children. Previous research has shown that family structure and the nature of the family relationships, in particular, are important factors in child development. For example, single-parent headed households are more likely to have lower incomes and to experience financial hardship than two-parent households. Find out more about the connection between family structure and child wellbeing at kidsdata.org.

The video is the latest in a California Budget Project series that aims to highlight key issues and trends in the state’s budget policy.

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

This October, help raise awareness about National Bullying Prevention Month. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, sponsored by the Pacer Center, physical, verbal, and cyber abuse are all forms of bullying. Data from kidsdata were recently used at the Stop Bullying Summit in San Francisco, hosted by U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, and San Francisco Superintendent of Schools Richard Carranza. The summit covered the effects of bullying on young people and their families, the role of government in creating a healthy and safe school climate, and how to engage the community in bullying prevention. Data from kidsdata.org shed light on this issue for California’s children and youth.

In 2008-2010, 42% of 7th graders in California reported being bullied or harassed at school within the past year. In this same time frame, 35% of 9th graders and 28% of 11th graders in California reported being bullied.

California youth are bullied for varying reasons. Data show that, in 2008-2010, 19% of 7th graders, 17% of 9th graders, and 14% of 11th graders in California reported being bullied based on their race. Within these two years, 8-12% of California 7th, 9th, and 11th graders reported being bullied due to their sexual orientation and 4-6% of students reported being bullied because of their disability.

If you, a family member, or someone you know is being subjected to bullying, seek help and/or notify authorities using these guidelines.

Posted by Lindsey Nguyen

Following are some recent news highlights about children and families, along with related data from kidsdata.org:

Childhood Obesity (see related data):

• Obese African American Children at Higher Risk for Hypertension than Obese White Children, Research Shows
  (HealthDay, 9/21/12, by Gray)

• Obese Kids as Young as 6 May Be at Risk for Heart Issues, Research Finds
  (WebMD, 9/25/12, by Boyles)

Nutrition and Physical Fitness (see related data):

• California Lunches for Low-Income Children Get More Healthful
  (Healthycal.org, 10/2/12, by Flores)

• Institute of Medicine Suggests Using Different Tests to Gauge Kids’ Fitness
  (MedPage, 9/27/12, by Pittman)

• Study: Children Ages 2-19 Consume 7 Trillion Calories from Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Per Year
  (Scientific American, 9/27/12)

• Study: Untreated Food Allergies More Likely in Poor, Minority Children
  (U.S. News, 9/21/12)

• CDC: U.S. Kids Eat Nearly As Much Salt As Adults, Leading to Health Risks
  (NPR, 9/17/12, by Aubrey)

Teen Health (see related data):

• Texting Linked to Rise in Pedestrian Injuries and Deaths Among Teens, Study Finds
  (NBC News, 9/23/12, by Urist)

• CDC: Teens Who Report Drinking and Driving Down 54% from 1991
  (LA Times, 10/1/12, by Brown)

• Report: Poor Sleep in Teens Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Problems Later in Life
  (Reuters, 10/2/12, by Norton)

• Teens Not Drawn to Danger, Just Have Tolerance for Risk Uncertainty, Study Finds
  (HealthDay, 10/1/12, by Gray)

Posted by kidsdata.org

For those who enjoyed Next 10’s last challenge of balancing California’s state budget, the nonpartisan organization presents an even more daunting task: balancing the United States’ federal budget. In the updated Federal Budget Challenge, challengers must make tough decisions on issues such as military spending and tax reform, with the looming reality of a national $2.3 trillion starting deficit. The same rules apply, but this time your decisions would affect the entire U.S., as well as our relationships with other nations.

If you are up for this budget challenge, try it yourself here.

Posted by kidsdata.org