The newest data from KIDS COUNT is out, and Tennessee ranks 36th in the nation overall for child health and well-being currently:
21 percent of children in Tennessee live in poverty
29 percent of parents lack secure employment
61 percent of young children aged 304 are not in school
65 percent of 4th graders are not proficient in reading
37 percent of children live with single families
11 percent of children live in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma.
The date is precise. Tennessee needs to support child well-being to make our city a quality place to raise all children. As our nation continues to change, children of color create most of the child population. The future of our country depends on equitable resources for all children. We must invest in our youngest citizens to ensure that Tennessee is known for creating healthy families.
https://www.aecf.org/resources/2022-kids-count-data-book
https://assets.aecf.org/m/databook/2022KCDB-profile-TN.pdf