Every year, Kentucky Youth Advocates releases county-level data on child well-being as part of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project. This data helps communities understand who they are, where bright spots and opportunities are, and how to best direct resources. 

While many people are familiar with the 16 indicators included on the KIDS COUNT County Data Dashboard, KYA also analyzes and publishes approximately 75 county-level data points related to child well-being on the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Center. On the Data Center, you can dive deeper into a variety of data points for both your counties and the counties of the people you work with and care about.

For example, I grew up in Bullitt County, but I spent a lot of my childhood visiting my grandparents two hours away in Allen County. From these visits, I saw firsthand just how different – and similar – two communities on opposite sides of the state can be. 

We can see some of these same similarities and differences by looking at the data indicators found in the Data Center:

  • When it comes to student attendance, Bullitt and Allen County had similar rates of chronic absenteeism. 22.2 per 100 students in the Allen County Public School system missed 10% or more of school in the 2023-24 school year, compared to 23.9 per 100 students in the Bullitt County Public School system. 
  • More mothers in Bullitt County received early and regular prenatal care between 2021-23, with 81.6% of expecting Bullitt County mothers receiving early prenatal care compared to 64.1% of expecting Allen County mothers. Bordering Jefferson County, Bullitt County is largely suburban and close to several major hospital systems, while Allen County is a rural county. 
  • Bullitt and Allen County reported similar rates of newborns being breastfed at hospital discharge, with 78.4% of Allen County and 79.7% of Bullitt County newborns being breastfed in 2021-23.  
  • Children in Allen County were more likely to live in a high-poverty area compared to children in Bullitt County. Approximately 1 in 3 children in Allen County live in a high-poverty area, compared to 17% of children in Bullitt County. 

Next time you have a question like how many children are receiving childcare subsidies in your county or you’re curious about children living in deep poverty in your grandparents county, check out the Data Center. With approximately 75 indicators related to child wellbeing at the county, race, and school district level, the Data Center might just have the answers you’re looking for!

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