The Changing Demographics of U.S. Kids and Families and More Top Stories

Following are some recent news highlights about children and families from our April News Round-Up:

Demographics

White Children to Become the New Minority Within the Decade, Report Predicts
(NY Times, 4/6/11, by Tavernise)

Study: 40% of Adoptions in America Involve Kids Whose Race Is Different from that of Their Adoptive Parents’
(USA Today, 4/11/11, by Jayson)

Census Shows Rise in Multiracial Population of Youth
(NY Times, 3/24/11, by Saulny)

Divorce Becoming More Common in Rural America, Changing the Face of Its Families, Census Data Show
(NY Times, 3/23/11, by Tavernise and Gebeloff)

See the Data:

In California, White children already are a minority (30.6%); Latino children account for about half of the child population.

The overall California child population rose from about 9 to 10 million from 1995-2009.

The number of multiracial kids in California rose steadily from 2000 to 2005, but leveled off since then, to about 369,000 in 2009.

Juvenile Arrests

Counties Differ Radically Across California on Handling of Youth Offenders
(The Bay Citizen, 4/17/11, by Bundy)

See the Data:

The juvenile felony arrest rate in California varies widely by county, from 7.7 to 34.7 arrests per 1,000 youth ages 10-17, according to 2008 data.

Substance Abuse

Teen Substance Abuse in the U.S. on the Rise Over Past 3 Years, Study Finds
(LA Times, 4/6/11, by Marsh)

Study: Many Teens Don’t See Harm in Drinking 5 or More Alcoholic Drinks a Day
(San Jose Mercury, 4/6/11, by Kerr)

See the Data:

In California, roughly one in five 11th graders reported binge drinking at least one time in the past 30 days, according to 06-08 data.

In 2010, about 15% of California children lived in households with smokers, according to a survey of California parents.

Tags: Child Health Issues

Posted by Jordan Handcox

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