Latest news with #IndianaYouthInstitute
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 Kids Count Data Book says Indiana improving in child well-being
Indiana ranks 25th in child well-being, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, which was publicly released today (June 9). That publication is a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring in post-pandemic America. In the Hoosier State, the Indiana Youth Institute leads data collection and analysis for the report. Every year, the report presents national and state data from 16 indicators across four domains—Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family & Community factors. It ranks the states according to how children are faring overall. This year, compared to other states, Indiana ranks 25th overall, compared to Indiana's 2024 overall well-being rank of 27. 'This year's Kids Count rankings reflect encouraging momentum. Indiana rose to 11th in both Economic Well-Being and Education—our highest rankings in these indicators in over a decade—demonstrating that investments in children and families make a meaningful impact,' Tami Silverman, President and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute," said in a news release. 'We know what kids need to grow up healthy and connected so they can thrive as adults: stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to learn, play, and grow." Silverman said. Programs that meet these needs are smart investments, fostering long-term gains like workforce development and economic growth.' In the categories, the report found: • Economic Well-Being: Ranking of 11 ranking is up from 15th last year • Education: Ranking of 11 is up from 17 last year. • Health: Ranking of 30 is up from 32nd last year. • Family and Community: Ranking of 31 is unchanged from last year. 'When Indiana's kids and families thrive, our entire state moves forward,' said Silverman. 'These rankings are a reminder that while we're seeing real gains in key areas, we must continue to focus on what works—ensuring that every child and every family has the support they need to grow, contribute, and thrive.' The 2025 Kids Count Data Book is available at For a more thorough description of the Kids County index, visit
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 Kids Count Data Book says Indiana improving in child well-being
Indiana ranks 25th in child well-being, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, which was publicly released today (June 9). That publication is a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring in post-pandemic America. In the Hoosier State, the Indiana Youth Institute leads data collection and analysis for the report. Every year, the report presents national and state data from 16 indicators across four domains—Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family & Community factors. It ranks the states according to how children are faring overall. This year, compared to other states, Indiana ranks 25th overall, compared to Indiana's 2024 overall well-being rank of 27. 'This year's Kids Count rankings reflect encouraging momentum. Indiana rose to 11th in both Economic Well-Being and Education—our highest rankings in these indicators in over a decade—demonstrating that investments in children and families make a meaningful impact,' Tami Silverman, President and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute," said in a news release. 'We know what kids need to grow up healthy and connected so they can thrive as adults: stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to learn, play, and grow." Silverman said. Programs that meet these needs are smart investments, fostering long-term gains like workforce development and economic growth.' In the categories, the report found: • Economic Well-Being: Ranking of 11 ranking is up from 15th last year • Education: Ranking of 11 is up from 17 last year. • Health: Ranking of 30 is up from 32nd last year. • Family and Community: Ranking of 31 is unchanged from last year. 'When Indiana's kids and families thrive, our entire state moves forward,' said Silverman. 'These rankings are a reminder that while we're seeing real gains in key areas, we must continue to focus on what works—ensuring that every child and every family has the support they need to grow, contribute, and thrive.' The 2025 Kids Count Data Book is available at For a more thorough description of the Kids County index, visit
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Indiana lawmakers promote Child Abuse Prevention Month
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and today lawmakers and child abuse advocates gathered at the Statehouse in Indianapolis to raise awareness. The event was hosted in conjunction with the Villages of Indiana. The Villages are the state's largest licensed and accredited nonprofit agency dedicated to family and child services. At today's event, organizers and lawmakers, including Governor Mike Braun, talked about the importance of keeping young Hoosiers safe. Two arrested on child abuse, neglect charges in Knox County 'Child Abuse Prevention Month is a reminder that it is on all of us to know the signs of child abuse and to speak up for the victims that can't speak up for themselves,' said Gov. Braun. 'We shouldn't have to talk about it but the fact that a crowd this large is here to punctuate that, that means we got work to do.' According to the Indiana Youth Institute's most recent stats in 2023, more than 7,500 young Hoosiers were removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. Officials said that's a 26% increase from 2022. To report abuse or neglect, call the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-800-5556. Fort Wayne woman faces 5 felony counts, accused of leaving children bruised with belt Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Youth workers updated on Kids Count Data Book
ELKHART — Representatives of organizations that serve youth in Elkhart County are getting the latest data to help them better understand trends and make decisions. The Indiana Youth Institute has published the Indiana Kids Count Data Book for the past 31 years. It serves as an annual profile of youth in Indiana, tracking trends in areas like mental health and poverty and comparing Indiana to neighboring states. 'Our mission is to support kids, and we do that by supporting you,' Chelsea Naylor, senior outreach manager for the Northwest Region, told a gathering Friday. 'We know when youth workers have access to data, resources and trainings, you're better able to serve kids and kids are better off.' The data book is available at More than just a report on kids, the data book is also an indicator of how well adults are meeting their needs, according to Ashley Haynes, vice president of Data and Communications. 'The data book is more than just a collection of numbers and statistics. It's a report card for us as adults,' she said. 'It tells us the challenges our kids are experiencing, it tells us where we're making some great strides and improvements and it helps us generate conversations abut what we can do with that data.' Haynes said almost 60,000 kids in Elkhart County will be growing up in a dramatically different world than their parents did. 'There are over 1.5 million children living in Indiana. Here in Elkhart County, there are 57,167 youth under the age of 18,' she said. 'And across our state, this generation is more diverse than our adult population and we know they are inheriting a world that is very different from the one most of us grew up in.' She said in 2024, Indiana ranked 15th in the country for economic well-being and 17th in education, but was 31st in family and community and 32nd in health, according to data collected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Haynes said education was the only area where Indiana improved from 2023. The poor health ranking extends to mental health as well. The percentage of youth who reported depression or suicidal thoughts was lower in 2024 than in recent years but mental health care can be hard to obtain. In 2022, Haynes said, 59.7 percent of caregivers reported difficulty obtaining mental health care for their child and 62 percent of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care were unable to receive it. Both numbers put Indiana behind its neighbors. Despite the state consistently ranking low in health, Haynes said, the steady drop in substance use among students in grades 7-12 is encouraging. She said since 2018, alcohol use fell from 17.5 percent to 9 percent, vaping from 16.9 percent to 6.6 percent, marijuana use from 9.7 percent to 5.2 percent and cigarette smoking from 5.7 percent to 1.5 percent. 'And while overall usage rates have declined, many of our students still perceive these substances as relatively harmless,' she said. 'This perception gap presents a challenge in preventing future substance misuse and addiction.' The state's overall ranking for youth well-being in 2024 was 27th, which Haynes noted is in the bottom half of the country. Indiana placed second among its immediate neighbors. 'There are positive trends in the data. Teen birth rates are down, poverty is at its lowest in a decade and youth employment is on the rise. But we also see some pressing concerns,' she said. 'Early childhood enrollment remains low, food insecurity is increasing and the pandemic is still impacting our kids and their educational success.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Latest report on the wellbeing of Hoosier youth gives Indiana a mixed report card
Members of the audience in the Indiana House on Monday respond to the annual State of the Child address, which revealed that Indiana's high-school graduation rate is over 90%, the highest it has been in over a decade. (Photo by Kate Breeden/ Charlotte, 8, excitedly pulled a pink pair of sunglasses out of the drawstring bag from MCCOY, the Marion County Commission on Youth. She used a bench in the lobby of the Indiana Statehouse Monday morning as a ramp for a fidget spinner, saying her favorite part of her visit to the state capitol was the new toys. While she, and other children, were excited about the trinkets and candy, they were there with family members, lawmakers and advocates focused on something else: How are Indiana's children doing? The annual Day of the Child event marks the release of the Indiana Youth Institute's (IYI) report on the wellbeing of Hoosier children. The report focuses on four categories: family and community, health, economic wellbeing, and education. Monday marked the ninth year for the event and 31st for the report. Charlotte was joined by her grandmother, October S. Kniess, who worked in family law for 25 years and is now an educator. 'I'm not going to stop trying to find ways to help young people,' said Kniess. She said the Day of the Child is important because it brings focus to issues impacting children and allows a view of who in Indiana is helping youth. The day opened in the House chamber, where Tami Silverman, president and CEO of IYI, began a summary of this year's report, which covered Indiana's more than 1.5 million children. There is a saying that the greatest responsibility of any generation is to care for the generations that follow. – Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute A look at last year's report is here. 'Whether it's at the Indiana Statehouse or out across the state, we all work together to serve our kids,' said Silverman. She described the study as a 'report card for adults.' 'Technology has changed, the times have changed. At the same time, the feelings of childhood have not changed that much,' said Silverman. 'We all were children once. … 'There is a saying that the greatest responsibility of any generation is to care for the generations that follow.' The 146-page Indiana Kids Count Data Book ranked Indiana 27th in the country for overall child wellbeing. This ranking was derived from data in the four outlined categories, and the information was collected considering age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of birth, language, household type and religion. 'Within that data, there is a lot of encouraging stories,' said Silverman. Teen birth rates are down, more mental-health providers are available, household median family income has increased, and child poverty is the lowest it has been in a decade. On the other side of the coin, just 40% of 3- and 4-year-olds in Indiana are enrolled in early childhood education, childhood food insecurity has increased, and only 40% of students in grades 3-8 passed both math and language arts state testing. 'As for learning in this country, and in our state, we still have significant work to do to help our kids catch up,' said Silverman. Children have also been less involved in civic engagement like volunteering. 'We're known for Hoosier hospitality and for showing up, and we need to be instilling that exact same value in the next generation,' said Silverman. In addition to lower civic engagement, only 23% of 6- to 17-year-olds played a sport or participated in an hour of daily activity. The number is above the national average but still far below the majority of kids. Silverman emphasized the state's love for sports and how we can extend that to youth. 'In our state, we live for competition. But at the same time, we are not meant to be just spectators,' said Silverman. On a national scale, more Indiana children live in neighborhoods that don't have parks, recreation centers or libraries. Continuing through the report, Silverman said more than 18,000 Indiana children experienced foster care in 2024. Four students from Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) shared how the program helped them overcome adversity in their lives. JAG student Shelby Williams was adopted at 10 months old. 'That led to a sense of abandonment, and I struggled to adjust,' she said. 'JAG helped me realize that being different is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it's what makes us unique.' After graduating, Williams will be pursuing her degree in biology with a minor in entrepreneurship from the University of Cincinnati. She hopes to then continue her education and become a dermatologist. Gunnar Crispin, another student in JAG, was born visually impaired. 'Growing up in a world that was meant for people with vision had been difficult and even isolating at times,' said Crispin. He experienced anxiety growing up and often felt overwhelmed, and he began using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Overall, Indiana has seen a decline in substance use among children. Since 1993, monthly cigarette usage among 8th graders declined from 21% to 1.2%. Alcohol saw a similar downward trend, from 30% to 7%. However, rural communities are still disproportionately impacted. 'JAG became my lifeline. It gave me the structure, support and community that I needed,' said Crispin. He plans to attend Ball State University and study political science on a pre-law track. 'I will then go on to advocate for others like me and like others in this room,' said Crispin. While substance abuse among children is lower, Indiana's youth face struggles with mental health in general. The report found that almost one-third of teenagers experienced sadness and hopelessness for consecutive weeks, which then led to withdrawal from their normal activities. Children today have fewer friends, which they see less frequently. Additionally, smartphones and social media impact the modern social experience for youth. 'We need to reconnect our youth to the real world,' said Silverman. She emphasized the social aspect of the Statehouse event, that children had the opportunity to see government functions up close and personal and interact with lawmakers. 'We need them to connect to one another and to the things that they care about,' said Silverman. Makia Lucas, the third JAG student to speak, experienced trauma throughout her childhood, as her family has a history of addiction. In 2020, her father was murdered. Lucas went through therapy and began taking classes online, which led to social isolation. At this point, she joined JAG. 'It changed my life completely,' she said. Lucas began volunteering and worked at a local recovery center. 'Every day, I've worked to break my family's cycle,' she said. She is planning to attend Ball State University, where she will pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in criminal justice. She hopes to work for the FBI as a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. 'Every teenager has something they care about. They just need to feel empowered to do it,' Lucas said. Thirty-five percent of youth ages 16 to 19 were employed in Indiana in 2023, putting the state above the national average. Indiana's graduation rate is over 90%, the highest it has been in over a decade. 'Part of our job as adults is to prepare our kids for a future that we can't even predict,' said Silverman. 'We want every student to find their purpose.' Angel Tunny, JAG president, was the fourth and final student to speak. Tunny was in foster care by 4 years old and was adopted by her grandparents alongside her nine siblings. 'Through JAG, I learned to open up, and now I have the support to be who I want to be,' said Tunny. Tunny currently works for the Indiana Army and National Guard, and wants to work in the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit alongside Lucas. CONTACT US 'The important thing is to work hard and do your best, just like you ask of us,' said Tunny, addressing the adults in the audience. Silverman closed the speech by noting that the stories shared by the JAG students, while inspiring, are not guaranteed. 'There are thousands of Hoosier students that are waiting for their opportunity,' said Silverman. Progress has been made for youth in Indiana, Silverman said, but there is still room for improvement. 'Generations come and go in Indiana. They built this incredible, magnificent Statehouse. They passed laws, and they invested in our futures. Now it's our responsibility to pay it back, and we do that by paying it forward,' said Silverman. She called for more online protections and real-world freedoms and urged the state to provide students with strong starts. IYI will now travel to 17 counties around the state to provide data on a local basis. 'As adults in this room, we can make an impact, and we can be remembered,' said Silverman, 'because in the end, that will be our final report card.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
