April is Autism Awareness Month, and Kidsdata has released the latest data on California’s special education enrollment for students with autism. Between 2002 and 2015, the number of public school students in California enrolled in special education due to autism has risen sixfold, from 13,276 to 90,794 students. In 2002, autism was the 6th most common disability among special education students, but by 2015, it had risen to the third most common disability.

Nationwide, the identified prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has more than doubled from one in 150 school-aged children in 2000 to one in 68 in 2012, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Has the prevalence of autism actually risen or does the upward trend reflect broadened diagnostic criteria and increased awareness of the disorder? Some researchers point to “diagnostic substitution,” meaning that a child diagnosed with autism today may have been dubbed mentally retarded in years past. It wasn’t until 1992 when the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included autism as a special education reporting category. And while the causes of autism are largely a mystery, most researchers agree that both genetics and environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides during pregnancy, may play a role.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is stressing the importance of early identification through its “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program. In 2012, only 43 percent of children identified with ASD received developmental evaluations by the age of three. Black and Latino children tend to receive diagnoses at even older ages. By prioritizing early identification, children with ASD can access special services and support during the crucial stages of early childhood development.

Related Data:

• Special Education Enrollment
  • by Disability
  • by Race/Ethnicity
• Demographics of Children with Special Needs
• Access to Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Impact of Special Health Care Needs on Children & Families
• Quality of Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Helpful Links

California Dept. of Education: Special Education

Disability Rights California

Family Voices

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

National Center for Learning Disabilities

Students with Disabilities and California’s Special Education Program, 2009, Public Policy Institute of California

Kidsdata Tip

From the Ventura County Star to the Napa Valley Register, Kidsdata is often in the news. Keep up with the latest in children’s health news by following Kidsdata on Facebook and Twitter.

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Between 2006 and 2015, the number of California residents receiving food stamps rose 123 percent, from just over two million people to nearly 4.5 million people, according to the latest data on Kidsdata. That’s 12 percent of the state’s entire population. According to the California Department of Social Services, more than half of the state’s food stamp recipients are children.

Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties all saw more than 200,000 additional food stamp recipients in the last decade. In Los Angeles county alone, more than half a million new recipients received benefits for food stamps during this time period.

While it’s no surprise that more Californians would sign up for food stamps during the Great Recession between 2007-2009, the question remains: Why has the number continued to rise in the five years since the recession ended? Although unemployment rates have fallen, “the historical record shows that declines in poverty and [food stamp] enrollment typically lag behind improvements in the unemployment rate following recessions,” according to an article published last week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Another major factor is that in 2008, Congress permitted states to relax their eligibility standards for the national food stamp program.

Research shows that food insecurity can seriously affect children’s cognitive and physical development. Hunger can also hinder school attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates, and job readiness.

Currently, hunger relief advocates are asking Congress to pass a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, which would provide nutritious food to children at school, in child care, and during weekends and school holidays, and to strengthen the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that provides food for 45 million low-income Americans (PDF). Other policy recommendations include making it simpler and less stigmatizing for students to access free and reduced-price school meals and ensuring the availability of nutritious, appealing foods at school meals without competition from less healthy foods.

Related Data:

• CalFresh (Food Stamp) Participation
  • by Race/Ethnicity
• Children Living in Food Insecure Households
  • by Legislative District
• Student Eligibility to Receive Free or Reduced Price School Meals
  • by Eligibility Status

Helpful Links

California Food Policy Advocates

Feeding America

Enrollment in Health and Nutrition Safety Net Programs Among California’s Children, Public Policy Institute of California

How Hungry Is America?, Food Research & Action Center

Promoting Food Security for All Children, Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Community Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition & Food Insecurity Profiles, California Food Policy Advocates

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“The Math Revolution,” an article in this month’s issue of The Atlantic, discusses a key set of American students who are increasingly excelling at world-class math. Last year, the US won first place in the International Mathematical Olympiad, the writer cites. But gains aren’t just taking place at the highest echelons of high school academia. Kidsdata’s newest data on math proficiency in California (for both the CAHSEE and CAASPP exams) give us a snapshot of how our students are faring in this key subject. Although California ranks below the national average in student math scores, these new data reveal that 10th graders in our state, from all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, experienced a notable rise in math achievement over the past decade.

Statewide, 85 percent of 10th-grade students passed the high school exit exam in math in 2015, signaling a 15 percent rise since 2005. When broken down by race, however, it’s clear that the largest gains were made among Latino and Black students, who each saw a 29 percent improvement. In 2015, 80 percent of Latino 10th graders and 71 percent of Black 10th graders passed the high school exit exam in math, compared to 62 percent and 55 percent a decade earlier. When broken down by socioeconomic status, the decade-long trend shows that 30% more economically disadvantaged 10th graders passed the high school exit exam in math, versus 9% more of their higher income peers. Still, disparities remain, with 93 percent of higher income 10th graders passing the exam versus 79 percent of economically disadvantaged students.

Basic math skills are essential to navigate through life, and competence in mathematics is associated with readiness for the workplace and higher future earnings. Math proficiency also is a predictor of college attendance. Nationwide, increasing emphasis is being placed on children’s achievement in mathematics, science, technology, and engineering, recognizing the importance of these fields in the country’s future and ability to innovate.

Significant education policy changes have taken place in California and the U.S. in recent years, such as the state’s Local Control Funding Formula, the Common Core State Standards, the Smarter Balanced Assessment System, and the Every Student Succeeds Act. Policymakers now face challenges in effectively implementing these large-scale changes, which have the potential to reduce long-standing achievement gaps in math proficiency by race/ethnicity, income level, disability status, and English Learner status.

According to experts, policy options that could improve math proficiency include ensuring that all children have access to high-quality preschool or kindergarten readiness programs, which lay the foundation for later achievement; supporting effective strategies to involve families in school; and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality Common Core-aligned curricula and other classroom support.
 

Related Data:

• Students Meeting or Exceeding Grade-Level Standard in Mathematics (CAASPP), by Grade Level
  • by Race/Ethnicity
  • by Socioeconomic Status
• Tenth Grade Students Passing the High School Exit Exam in Math
  • by Race/Ethnicity
  • by Socioeconomic Status
• Students Meeting or Exceeding Grade-Level Standard in English Language Arts (CAASPP), by Grade Level
  • by English Language Fluency
  • by Race/Ethnicity
  • by Socioeconomic Status

Helpful Links

California Dept. of Education: Mathematics

Changing the Equation: Ensuring the Common Core Math Standards Enable All Students to Excel in California Schools, Education Trust–West

Improving the Opportunities and Outcomes of California’s Students Learning English: Findings from School District–University Collaborative Partnerships, Policy Analysis for California Education

The Progress of Education Reform: Math in the Early Years: A Strong Predictor for Later School Success, Education Commission of the States

Student Achievement in California: 2015 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Results, Education Trust–West

The Power of Parents: Research Underscores the Impact of Parent Involvement in Schools, EdSource and New America Media

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The Flint water crisis has caused families across the country to wonder about the safety of the drinking water in their own homes, schools, and communities. According to the most recent data from the California Environmental Protection Agency displayed on Kidsdata beginning this month, the state issued 1,666 Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) Violations to counties whose drinking water contained contaminant levels that exceeded public health limits in 2014. Since 2005, that number has risen by 81%.

Although these data do not indicate the severity of the violation, they do measure risk of exposure to harmful chemicals through drinking water. The counties with the most violations were all concentrated in the state’s central valley. In fact, five central valley counties—Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus—together were home to 48% of the state’s total MCL violations in 2014. To make matters worse, they also rank among the top 20 counties for child population.

Clean, safe drinking water is essential to child health and learning. Access to high-quality drinking water at home, schools, and child care facilities limits children’s exposure to harmful contaminants and can increase consumption of water. The state’s Rethink Your Drink Campaign encourages children to make healthy drinking choices by consuming water rather than sugary beverages.

Exposure to contaminants in drinking water can result in numerous adverse health effects for children, such as impaired cognitive functioning, gastrointestinal issues, liver or kidney damage, cancer, and neurological damage.

According to experts, policy and program options to improve children’s access to safe drinking water include: ensuring that schools implement routine measures per Environmental Protection Agency guidelines to limit contamination; educating residents and community groups in areas without safe drinking water on what they can do to keep their families safe in the short term; continuing to develop sustainable solutions to help prevent groundwater contamination, treat contaminated water, and ensure that safe, affordable drinking water is provided for small public water systems in disadvantaged communities.

Related Data:

• Air Quaility
• Asthma
• Lead Poisoning

Helpful Links

Children’s Environmental Health Network

Protecting Children’s Environmental Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Communities that Rely on a Contaminated Groundwater Source for Drinking Water (PDF), State Water Resources Control Board

Costs of Environmental Health Conditions in California Children, California Environmental Health Tracking Program

Fact Sheet: Drinking Water Access in Schools (PDF), California School Boards Association

The Human Right to Water Bill in California: An Implementation Framework for State Agencies (PDF), International Human Rights Law Clinic, U.C. Berkeley, School of Law

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Do you love kidsdata.org? Have you ever thought about joining our team? Kidsdata is hiring a Senior Manager, Data and Research, to oversee the quality of the site’s content and to ensure that the site continues to help improve the health and well-being of children in California.

The ideal candidate will be deeply committed to the mission of Kidsdata and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. S/he will have a research-based understanding of the social-economic, systemic forces affecting the health and well-being of children, their families, and their communities.

S/he also will have expertise regarding California’s data on child health and well-being, and how data, technology, strategic partnerships, and communication strategies can be used effectively to improve children’s lives. S/he will have demonstrated success in managing large-scale, multi-faceted projects, exemplary interpersonal and communication skills, a strong track record of professional success, and a strong team orientation.

This is a full-time position, with excellent benefits, based in Palo Alto, CA.

Read the complete job description.

Want more background? Read About Kidsdata.

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Two of every five 5th graders in California’s public schools are overweight or obese, according to 2015 data from the California Department of Education that are now available on Kidsdata.

All California public school students in grades five, seven, and nine are required to take the Physical Fitness Test, which includes an assessment of body composition. Students are considered overweight or obese if their body composition scores reach beyond the Healthy Fitness Zone, which represents a level of fitness that offers protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.

Not only are the percentages of students who are overweight or obese high in California, the data reveal substantial disparities between ethnicities. 56% of Pacific Islander 5th graders for example, were considered overweight or obese—more than double the percentage of Asian American 5th graders.

The data also vary widely by county. In some counties, less than 20% of 5th graders were considered overweight or obese, but in one, the percentage reached above 50%.

Nationwide, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Today, about one third of children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese in the U.S. Overweight children are at higher risk for a range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, and some types of cancer; they also are more likely to stay overweight or obese as adults.

California has been a leader in advancing policies to combat childhood overweight and obesity, from banning soft drinks and unhealthy food in schools to requiring nutrition labeling in chain restaurants. Yet the state continues to battle an obesity epidemic among children. Reducing childhood obesity requires policies that promote equitable access to safe places to play and exercise, frequent opportunities for physical activity in and out of school and affordable healthy foods and beverages. Public policy can make a difference by changing the environment in which children make food choices, live, go to school, and play.

Related Data:

Weight

• Students Who Are Overweight or Obese, by Grade Level
  • by Gender and Grade Level
  • by Race/Ethnicity and Grade Level

Physical Fitness

• Students Meeting All Fitness Standards, by Grade Level
  • by Gender and Grade Level
  • by Race/Ethnicity and Grade Level
• Physical Education and Activity Opportunities at School
• Students Who Are Healthy and Physically Fit

Helpful Links

California Project LEAN, California Department of Public Health & Public Health Institute

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Healthy Eating Research, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Let’s Move! America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids

Increasing Socioeconomic Disparities in Adolescent Obesity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Socioeconomic Status and the Health of Youth: A Multi-level, Multi-domain Approach to Conceptualizing Pathways, Psychological Bulletin

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As a whole, California’s juvenile felony arrest rate declined by 65% between 1998 and 2014, according to updated data on Kidsdata. All counties with available data saw declines during this period. Still, Black youth continue to be disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice system, both statewide and nationally.

Black youth in California are arrested at a rate that is higher than expected, given their representation in the population. In 2014, Black youth accounted for nearly one-fourth of all juvenile felony arrests in the state, though they made up only 5% of the state’s child population.

Between 1998-2014, California’s Black child population dropped by one-third. Yet during that same time period, the percentage of felony arrests involving this population grew by 18%. Arrest data for White and Latino children more closely mirror their proportion of the state’s population (arrest data for other demographic groups are not available at this time).

In 2014, Black youth in California had felony arrest rates that were more than four times that of Latino youth, and more than six times that of White youth. And that gap has widened over time. Specifically, 50 of every 1,000 Black youth were arrested for felonies in 1998, but that was only two times the rate of Latino youth, and three times the rate of White youth.

Youth who come in contact with the juvenile justice system tend to be at increased risk for substance use and dependency, dropping out of school, early pregnancy, and injury. Youth who have been detained have higher rates of attempted suicide and psychiatric disorders than youth in the general population.

Research has identified a number of risk factors for juvenile crime. A history of maltreatment, significant educational challenges, poverty, separation from family members, parental incarceration, exposure to violence in the home and community, mental illness, and substance use or dependency each are related to an increased likelihood of involvement with the juvenile justice system.

Policymakers within the justice, social services, and education systems can play a role in improving the way society addresses juvenile crime. Steps should be taken to address the mental health needs of juvenile offenders by offering cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral programs, group counseling, mentoring, and assistance in graduating high school—all in a culturally congruent way (PDF). Furthermore, better policies can be implemented to decrease the likelihood of committing additional offenses, and to assist with rehabilitation and re-entry following release from detention.

Related Data:

• Juvenile Felony Arrest Rate
  • by Gender
  • by Race/Ethnicity
• Juvenile Felony Arrests
  • by Gender
  • by Race/Ethnicity
  • by Type of Offense

Helpful Links

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids—California

National Center for Youth Law: Juvenile Justice

“We Ain’t Crazy! Just Coping With a Crazy System” Pathways into the Black Population for Eliminating Mental Health Disparities (PDF), California Dept. of Mental Health

An Impact Evaluation of Three Strategies Created to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Contact and the Detention Population, 2013, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Breaking Schools’ Rules: A Statewide Study of How School Discipline Relates to Students’ Success and Juvenile Justice Involvement, Council of State Governments Justice Center and Public Policy Research Institute

The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in the Lives of Juvenile Offenders, Journal of Juvenile Justice

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As 2015 comes to a close, Kidsdata is pleased to deliver some very good news: More California children than ever have health coverage. Between 2010 and 2014, the estimated percentage of children who were uninsured in California fell to 5%, a 40% drop, according to the most recent data available on Kidsdata and collected by the American Community Survey. The shift, which represents an estimated 350,000 more children who now have insurance coverage, is largely due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). California’s downward trend echoes national trends: across the country, the rate of uninsurance fell to 6%, a 25% drop, during the same time period.

Still, with nearly 500,000 children in the state lacking coverage, many gaps remain. An estimated 11 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native children, for example, were uninsured in 2014—double the percentage for all children and higher than all other racial/ethnic groups. Immigrant children, especially those with undocumented parents or those who are themselves undocumented, are at particular risk of being uninsured and without regular health care.

Children with health insurance are more likely to receive needed medical care and have improved school performance, and they are less likely to have costly hospitalizations. Providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable health care to children requires comprehensive insurance coverage for all children; an appropriately trained and compensated provider base, including a sufficient number of subspecialists; parental understanding about what care is needed and how to obtain it; and effective systems of care, including “medical homes.”

Continued, effective implementation of the ACA, including efforts to streamline enrollment and renewal processes, will influence progress in future years.

Related Data:

Health Care (summary)

• Delayed or No Medical Care
• Length of Time Since Last Routine Health Check-Up
• Visited the Emergency Room in Last Year, by Type of Insurance
• Uninsured at Any Point in Last Year
• Health Insurance Coverage (Regions of 65,000 Residents or More), by Type of Insurance and Age
  • by Race/Ethnicity
• Medi-Cal Enrollment
  • by Age (California Only)
  • by Race/Ethnicity (California Only)
• Medical Home Access (California & U.S. Only)
  • by Age
  • by Income Level
  • by Race/Ethnicity
• Adequate Health Services Provided at School (Staff Reported)
• School Health Centers

Helpful Links

California Coverage & Health Initiatives

The Children’s Partnership: Children’s Health Care/Health Reform

California 2014 Children’s Health Insurance Fact Sheet, American Academy of Pediatrics and National Academy for State Health Policy

Children’s Coverage at a Crossroads: Progress Slows, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Accomplishments, Challenges, and Policy Recommendations, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Child Health Financing

Portrait of Promise: The California Statewide Plan to Promote Health and Mental Health Equity (PDF), California Dept. of Public Health, Office of Health Equity

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Health and Health Care of Children, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Pediatric Research

Kidsdata Tip

Want an overview of the most important data trends in children’s health this year? Find all of our 2015 advisories here.

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One of Kidsdata’s most helpful features is the ability to “embed” an interactive and customizable data visualization within your own website. Any time the data you select are updated on Kidsdata, your site will update automatically.

The process is simple. Just choose and modify the visualization you want, click on Download & Other Tools in the upper right corner of the graphic, and follow the short process to get the embed code. See this page for an example. The graphic on your site will retain the same functionality that is available on Kidsdata, so your users can customize and export data directly from your site.

Embedding is just one of several ways Kidsdata makes it easy to download and share data.

• Our PRINT option provides a printer-friendly version of your screen, including your customized visualization, along with contextual information about why the data are important, how children are faring, and policy implications.
• COPY tools insert your custom visualizations into Word documents or PowerPoint slides, complete with citations and links back to the site for easy reference.
• You can use our DOWNLOAD tools to export your data into Excel.
• Our PDF option offers a print-friendly overview of your selected topic, and can include customized visualizations.
• With a click on the icons below your data, you can SHARE information through Facebook, Twitter, or email.
• Another option is to just copy the selected URL from your browser and save, send, and share—your customization will remain intact.

Need more specific instructions or information about other useful Kidsdata features? See our brief videos.

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The mismatch between child care needs and availability in California is growing, according to data released today by a partnership between Kidsdata and the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network. The Network’s 2015 California Child Care Portfolio shows that in 2014, licensed child care was available for only an estimated 25% of children ages 0-12 with working parents in California. In some counties, availability was as low as 13%. In addition, the total number of slots available has declined in recent years—in the last year alone, the state lost the capacity to serve 18,000 children.

On top of that, many child care providers do not fill all of their slots due to shortages of qualified staff or other issues, and providers’ schedules do not always meet the needs of families. For example, in 2014, only 2% of licensed child care centers offered child care during non-traditional hours, including evening, weekend, overnight, flexible/rotating, or drop-in care. While family child care homes are more likely to provide care during non-traditional hours, they represent only about a third of the licensed child care slots in the state, and their numbers are on the decline, as well.

Research indicates that quality early care and education is related to higher levels of behavioral functioning, school readiness, academic achievement, and earnings. In such settings, children learn to relate to others and their environment while developing skills to successfully navigate social, emotional, and educational challenges.

However, finding affordable, quality child care is a major challenge for many families, and access differs based on geography, race, and income. In California, infant child care costs made up an estimated 14% of the median annual income for married couples and 44% for single mothers in 2013. In 2014, the average annual cost of licensed infant care was more than $13,000 in child care centers and nearly $8,500 in family child care homes. Care for preschool-age children was less expensive: more than $9,000 in child care centers and almost $8,000 in family child care homes.

To provide quality, affordable child care to all eligible children in the state, experts recommend increasing state funding for child care programs and tying that funding to measurable program quality. Other recommendations include providing full-day preschool for families with working parents, and properly training and supporting early child care educators and caregivers.

Related Data:

Early Care and Education (summary)

• Annual Cost of Child Care, by Age Group and Type of Facility
• Availability of Child Care for Potential Demand
• Availability of Child Care, by Facility’s Schedule and Type of Facility
• Number of Child Care Slots in Licensed Facilities, by Type of Facility
• Number of Licensed Child Care Facilities, by Type of Facility
• Parent Requests for Child Care, by Age
• Parent Requests for Evening/Weekend/Overnight Child Care
• Children Ages 3-5 Not Enrolled in Preschool or Kindergarten (Regions of 65,000 Residents or More)
• Children Ages 3-5 Not Enrolled in Preschool or Kindergarten (Regions of 20,000 Residents or More)
• Children Ages 3-5 Not Enrolled in Preschool or Kindergarten (Regions of 10,000 Residents or More)

Helpful Links

2015 California Child Care Portfolio, California Child Care Resource & Referral Network

California Child Care Resource & Referral Network

Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) Facility Search, California Dept. of Social Services

Office of Child Care, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families

A Matter of Equity: Preschool in America (PDF), U.S. Dept. of Education

California Preschool Study, RAND Labor and Population

High Quality Child Care Is Out of Reach for Working Families, Economic Policy Institute

Putting it Together: A Guide to Financing Comprehensive Services in Child Care and Early Education, Center for Law and Social Policy

Starting Strong: Why Investing in Child Care and Development Programs Is Critical for Families and California’s Economic Future (PDF), California Budget & Policy Center

Kidsdata Tip

What else is new on Kidsdata? See a list of past advisories, which highlight new data and changing trends on our site. Want to make sure you don’t miss important updates? Sign up for our data e-alerts and email advisories.

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