In a sweeping statistical profile of children and youth in Rhode Island, Kids Count found that while the Ocean State’s population has increased slightly, its 18 and under population is declining, and large disparities exist based on wealth, poverty, race and ethnicity.
Kids Count’s annual Factbook is being presented this morning to a collection of decision makers, including statewide and local office holders.
The Factbook looks at 70 indicators in five areas– family and community, economic well-being, health, safety and education.
Poverty and racial disparities impact every indicator, with poverty concentrated on four core cities – Providence, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Pawtucket. The Factbook also said that Newport and West Warwick are other communities with high poverty.
Here are some of the highlights:
Child Population
- The under 18 population in Rhode Island represents about 19 percent of the state’s population.
- The under 18 population has decreased from 247,822 in 2000 to 209,785 in 2020.
- Hispanic children make up 26 percent of children under 18 in the United States and 28 percent in Rhode Island. Hispanic child population has been increasing.
- According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 17.5 percent of high school students described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Nearly 4 percent described themselves as transgender.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity
- Some 29 percent of children in Rhode Island lived in immigrant families, higher than the U.S. rate of 25 percent.
- Nationally and in Rhode Island 97 percent of immigrant children have parents who have lived in the United States for more than five years.
- “Children who live in poverty, especially those who experience deep poverty in early childhood are more likely to have health, behavioral, educational, economic, and social problems. Between 2018 and 2022, fourteen percent of all Rhode Island children lived in poverty, 77 percent of whom were Children of Color.”
- Kids Count says that during 2023 in Rhode Island, Black youths were 11 times more likely to be at the Rhode Island Training School compared to white youth.
Cost of Housing
- In 2023, a worker had to earn $84,270 annually to be able to afford the average rent in Rhode Island.
- In 2023 the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Rhode Island was $2,107, an increase of 10 percent from 2019.
- In Newport, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,923.
Homelessness
- In 2023, 363 families with 668 children stayed at emergency homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and transitional housing.
- As of January 19, 2024, 86 families with 114 children reported sleeping outside for at least one night in the previous month.
- Statewide, the Factbook says there are 1,739 public school children characterized as homeless, meaning they had no permanent home. That could mean they were living with relatives, in shelters, or sleeping outside.
- Providence characterized 374 children as homeless, Woonsocket reported 215. Central Falls reported 143. Newport reported 36, Middletown 91.
There are many more important areas to discuss. WhatsUpNewp will dig into many of them over the next several days. Meanwhile you can read the entire report here.