The latest annual snapshot of how Wyoming’s children are faring in the world shows there are fewer of them. The new Wyoming Kids Count report shows that the state’s youngest population is shrinking. The lower numbers might be attributed, in part, to the state’s infant mortality and child and teen death rates, which are all higher than the national average.
However, Kids Count director Marc Homer says it’s more likely that the state just isn’t that attractive to families with kids. He says that’s something that needs to be kept in mind as state legislators look at scaling back children’s health and education programs because of lower state revenues.
“It is not a good idea to withdraw support for programs that help communities. We need to keep the supports there for children and families.”
Homer says making Wyoming more family-friendly is good for business.
“These are the families that are helping to support our critical industries, and we certainly need to create an environment for those people so that they, too, can thrive.”
There is some good news to report: the number of children living in poverty in Wyoming is below the national rate, which Homer attributes to the oil and gas industry. But those aren’t all high-paying jobs; Homer says one-third of the state’s children live in what are categorized as “low-income” families that make just enough to stay above the poverty line.
Listen to the Wyoming News Service podcast by Deborah Smith.
To view other states’ data, go to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count databook.
