Big Sky Connection - Montana ranks 18th nationally in the overall well-being of kids, according to The Annie E. Casey Kids Count report. While the state ranked high in economic well-being, other critical areas are lagging and need support. Comments from Xanna (ZAN-uh) Burg, director assistant, Montana Budget and Policy Center
Click on the image above for the audio. The rate of children under age 19 without health insurance dropped to 5% in 2021, an estimated 4,165,000 million kids nationwide, down from 6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)
Annie E. Casey Kids Count shows tens of thousands of Montana kids lack insurance
Mark Moran
June 15, 2023 - The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book ranks Montana 18th nationally in overall child well-being.
The just-released numbers showed while the state did well in some areas, others are lacking. The report uses 16 indicators to grade states and the well-being of their kids, focusing on four categories: Montana ranked 13th in economic well-being, 21st in education, 30th in health, and 11th in family and community.
Xanna Burg, Kids Count Director for the Montana Budget and Policy Center, said one of the most critical shortfalls in the state is access to affordable child care.
"A family in Montana pays about $8,600 on average for a toddler to attend full-time child care," Burg reported. "To put that into context, that's more than the cost of in-state tuition at Montana State University. The cost is often out of reach for parents."
Burg acknowledged bills passed by the Montana legislature this session will help address the critical need and focus on the well-being of kids by expanding the state's childcare assistance program.
If there is a silver lining to the childcare problems in Montana, Burg noted the child poverty rate held steady over the last few years, most likely due to federal COVID relief money. Still, the number of kids below the poverty line is stark.
"In Montana, it's about 32,000 children who live in poverty. While it hasn't gotten worse during that time frame, it also hasn't gotten better. So, we're still seeing many families experience economic hardship and living in poverty, not being able to afford their basic needs."
The report also showed about 7% of Montana kids, or about 17,000 children, also lack health insurance, an area on which Burg argued the state needs to focus. Even among states scoring well across the board in the Kids Count report, access to affordable child care was an issue in most of them.
