1997 County Profiles of Child and Family Well-Being

Statewide Summary

Prosperity has spread, with average wages increasing faster than inflation:

Wages rose 3.2 percent over inflation statewide; up in 25 counties, falling in only 9.
The child care burden improved in 26 counties and worsened in only 12. Statewide, the average per child cost of full time child care fell from 18.8 to 16.1 percent of average take home pay.

Health, safety and education are improving:

A greater percentage of babies was born with adequate prenatal care in 17 counties and a worse percent in 17.
Accepted cases of child abuse and neglect improved in 22 counties and worsened in only 16.
Eighth grade math scores improved in 25 counties, fell in only 11, and the statewide average increased to 5 points above the national average.
Juvenile arrest rates improved in 18 counties, worsened in 15, and remained stable for the state overall.

We can be proud of these improving trends, but the size and levels of several indicators should cause us to increase our commitment to meeting our children's full potential:

While availability of prenatal care is improving, 12,000 babies, one in six, was born without adequate prenatal care.
While wages are up, child care costs too much for the average working family to afford high quality care; in 11 counties, average wages are below $20,000, insufficient to provide a family's necessities.
While reported rates of child abuse and neglect declined, 37,400 known victims is far too high, and only a fraction of the children experiencing maltreatment are reported.
The teen pregnancy rate is stuck at 1 in 20 girls age 15-17 pregnant each year, and in 6 counties the rate is above 6 percent (one in sixteen girls).

Spotlight on Family Violence

We present new, detailed data on children experiencing violence at home. Statewide, the rates of reported abuse and neglect are highest for children age 3-5, slightly higher for girls, and significantly higher for minority ethnic groups.

We hope communities will see in detail which children need protection, and mobilize to help children thrive. We also show the number of reported domestic violence cases by county. While we cannot determine how many involve children, we know that large numbers of children are living in an atmosphere of fear from seeing their mother abused.

Individual 1997 County Profiles

1997 City Profiles

The County and City Profiles of Child and Family Well-Being take a close-up look at how children and families are faring in the state's 39 counties and three largest cities: Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. This publication contains a wide range of county and city level data on the well-being of children and families covering Education, Safety, Health, Family and Community, and Economics. Recent data as well as trends over time are presented to show where counties are making gains or needing improvement. State data is also provided in each area for comparison purposes.

Hardcopy: Individual Profiles - 1st copy complimentary — Bound copies which include all 39 counties plus Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma are available for $25.

To order, contact us at ,
or call (206) 685-3135.