Report: ‘A Mixed Picture’ in Pandemic Recovery for American Children – The 74

Analysis of Child Well-being in the United States: A Post-Pandemic Assessment

Introduction

A recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, titled “Kids Count,” indicates that children and adolescents in the United States are experiencing significant and persistent negative effects following the pandemic. The findings reveal a troubling landscape where progress toward key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is either stagnating or reversing, with children of color disproportionately affected. While some gains were observed, particularly in areas supported by temporary federal initiatives, the overall picture points to substantial challenges in achieving equitable outcomes for all children.

Key Findings in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 4: Quality Education – A Sector Facing Significant Setbacks

The report identifies education as the domain with the weakest recovery in recent years, representing a direct challenge to the achievement of SDG 4. Key indicators show a marked decline in educational proficiency and access across the country.

• Learning Proficiency: Between 2019 and 2024, proficiency rates worsened. Approximately 70% of fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and 73% of eighth graders were not proficient in math, effectively erasing a decade of progress.
• Preschool Attendance: A smaller percentage of children attended preschool nationwide compared to pre-pandemic levels, impacting early childhood development targets within SDG 4.
• High School Graduation: While the national high school graduation rate saw a marginal increase to 87%, this figure masks significant underlying disparities that hinder equitable educational attainment.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Pervasive Disparities Across All Indicators

A central theme of the report is the widening gap between racial and ethnic groups, highlighting a severe regression from the aims of SDG 10. In nearly all 16 indicators measured, American Indian, Alaska Native, Black, and Latino children fared worse than the national average and their white and Asian peers.

• Educational Gaps: In 2024, 84% of Black fourth-grade students were not proficient in reading, compared to 61% of their white peers. Similarly, 90% of Black eighth graders were not proficient in math, compared to 63% of white students.
• Graduation Rate Disparities: Most students of color lag behind the national high school graduation average by four to 13 percentage points.
• Concentrated Poverty: The data shows that children of color are far more likely to live in high-poverty areas, a factor directly correlated with under-resourced schools and poorer academic outcomes. Approximately 20% of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native children lived in concentrated poverty, compared to just 3% of white, Asian, and Pacific Islander children.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – A Mixed Outlook with Alarming Trends

The report presents a contradictory picture regarding SDG 3. While federal initiatives led to positive developments in health coverage, other critical health and safety indicators have deteriorated alarmingly.

1. Health Insurance Coverage: An encouraging milestone was reached as the percentage of children without health insurance decreased from 6% in 2019 to 5% in 2023.
2. Child and Teen Mortality: A deeply concerning trend is the rise in child and teen deaths. The mortality rate for individuals aged 1-19 increased from 25 to 29 per 100,000 between 2019 and 2023. This increase is primarily due to accidents, homicides, and suicides.
3. Racial Disparities in Mortality: The mortality rate for Black youth is nearly double the national average, increasing by 30% from 41 to 53 deaths per 100,000 during the same period. This starkly undermines the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all.

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Progress toward SDG 1 and SDG 8 was evident through temporary pandemic-era support, but these gains are considered fragile. Federal investments were credited with improving family financial security.

• Parental Employment: The share of children whose parents lacked stable employment improved slightly, with 25% of children affected between 2019 and 2023. This was attributed to financial aid and an expanded child tax credit.
• Risk of Reversal: The report expresses concern that the expiration of pandemic-era supports and potential cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid could jeopardize these gains, pushing more families back into poverty and economic instability.

State-Level Performance and Institutional Impact

Geographic Disparities

The report highlights significant variations in child well-being at the state level. States like New Hampshire and Vermont ranked highest, while Mississippi and Louisiana ranked lowest. However, even high-ranking states can exhibit poor performance in specific domains. For example, North Dakota ranked first in economic well-being but 42nd in education. This demonstrates that strong overall state performance can mask severe challenges that impede progress toward the SDGs for millions of children.

The Role of Federal and State Investment

The data underscores the critical role of robust government investment in achieving the SDGs. Federal pandemic relief funds were directly linked to improvements in health coverage (SDG 3) and family economic stability (SDG 1, SDG 8). The report warns that a pullback in federal investment, without a corresponding increase in state-level commitment, will likely lead to a reversal of these positive trends and further entrench the inequalities that undermine sustainable development for the nation’s children.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The article directly addresses poverty by discussing the “number of children living in poverty” and highlighting that “Children of color disproportionately lived in high-poverty areas.” It also links poverty to educational funding and outcomes.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • This goal is connected through the discussion of health outcomes for children. The article mentions improvements in the number of “children covered by health insurance” and worsening trends in “child and teen deaths per 100,000,” noting the causes include accidents, homicides, and suicides.

3. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Education is a central theme. The article highlights issues related to quality education by citing data on declining “reading and math proficiency,” a “smaller percentage of children attending preschool,” and disparities in “high school graduation rates.”

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article touches on this goal by mentioning the challenge of “older students who are not in school or working.” It also discusses parental economic stability, noting an improvement in the percentage of children whose parents lacked “stable employment,” linking it to federal pandemic relief.

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • This is a primary focus of the article. It repeatedly emphasizes that “most students of color are bearing the brunt of worsening or stagnant indicators.” It provides specific data showing that “American Indian, Alaska Native, Black and Latino children fared worse than the national average” across nearly all categories, including education, poverty, and health.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 1.2: Reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty.

   • The article’s focus on the “number of children living in poverty” and the concentration of poverty among children of color directly relates to this target of reducing poverty according to national definitions.

2. Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. & Target 3.4: Reduce by one-third premature mortality.

   • The article’s data on the increase in “child and teen deaths per 100,000” for ages one to 19 directly relates to the goal of reducing child and premature mortality. The specific mention of a 30% increase in the death rate for Black youth highlights a critical area for intervention.

3. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage.

   • This target is addressed by the article’s mention of the “increase of children covered by health insurance,” which it calls an “encouraging milestone.” It also notes the potential jeopardy to these gains due to cuts in programs like Medicaid.

4. Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

   • The article directly addresses this target by providing data on learning outcomes, such as the finding that “70% of American fourth graders in 2024 were not reading on grade level” and “73% of eighth graders are not proficient in math.” It also tracks completion rates through “high school graduation rates.”

5. Target 4.2: Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education.

   • The report’s finding of “a smaller percentage of children attending preschool across the country” is a direct measure related to this target.

6. Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education… for the vulnerable.

   • This target is central to the article’s analysis. The text repeatedly points out that “Black, American Indian, Alaska Native and Latino students saw widening gaps” in educational outcomes compared to their peers, demonstrating a lack of equal access and opportunity.

7. Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).

   • The article identifies a key challenge as the number of “older students who are not in school or working,” which is a direct description of the NEET population this target aims to reduce.

8. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… race, ethnicity… or other status.

   • The entire article supports this target by documenting the significant disparities in well-being. The data showing that children of color face worse outcomes in poverty, health, and education demonstrates a lack of social and economic inclusion. For example, “around 20% of Black and American Indian or Alaska Native… children, who lived in areas of concentrated poverty compared to 3% for white, Asian and Pacific Islander children.”

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

1. Proportion of children living in high-poverty areas.

   • The article provides specific percentages for different racial groups: “around 20% of Black and American Indian or Alaska Native, followed by about 11% Latino children, who lived in areas of concentrated poverty compared to 3% for white, Asian and Pacific Islander children.”

2. Child and teen mortality rate.

   • The article uses this indicator, stating that the number of deaths per 100,000 children aged 1-19 “increased from 25 to 29” nationally, and for Black youth, it increased “from 41 to 53 deaths per 100,000.”

3. Proportion of population with health insurance coverage.

   • This is measured by the finding of an “increase of children covered by health insurance,” with the article citing a change from 5% to 6% (though the source report indicates a decrease in the uninsured rate from 6% to 5%). The article also mentions threats to Medicaid coverage.

4. Proportion of children and young people achieving minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics.

   • The article provides detailed data for this indicator: “70% of American fourth graders in 2024 were not reading on grade level” and “73% of eighth graders are not proficient in math.” It also disaggregates this by race, noting “84% of Black fourth graders” were not proficient in reading.

5. Participation rate in organized learning (pre-primary education).

   • This is implied by the statement that there was “a smaller percentage of children attending preschool across the country.”

6. Completion rate (high school graduation).

   • The article uses this indicator, stating that “high school graduation rates have increased by one percentage point to 87%,” but notes that “most students of color lag behind the national average.”

7. Proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).

   • This is directly implied by the mention of “older students who are not in school or working.”

8. Proportion of children with a parent lacking stable employment.

   • The article provides a figure for this indicator, stating that “25% of children had a parent who lacked stable employment between 2019 and 2023, which improved by one percentage point.”

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: the74million.org