Key stats improve for Flathead children

Despite the struggling economy, Flathead County’s children were slightly better off in 2009 than they were a decade ago, according to information from the University of Montana.

The information is included in the 2010 Montana Kids Count Data Book, published by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The book features data about children and families in the areas of economic well-being, education, health, early childhood, safety and more.

According to the data, the percentage of Flathead County children living in poverty — at or below the federal poverty line — has dropped slightly to 18 percent, down from 20 percent in 2000.

The infant mortality rate has dropped in the Flathead to 4.5 per 1,000 births, down from 6.5 in 2000. The number of teenagers giving birth also decreased: 7 percent of all births in 2009 were to teenage mothers, down from 12 percent in 2000.

Flathead County’s high school dropout rate also has made significant strides. Five percent of the Class of 2009 dropped out, down from 8 percent in 2000.

But the biggest gains were in the number of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers younger than 18. There were 228 such crashes in Flathead County in 2009, down from 667 in 2000.

Those numbers were consistent across the state. The number of teenagers who use seat belts climbed as well, reaching 87 percent last year.

Statewide, one in four children younger than age 5 continues to live in poverty, up from 17 percent in 2000. Eleven percent of children younger than 18 live in extreme poverty — at or below 50 percent of the federal poverty line — up from 8 percent in 2008.

“Children become the silent victims when families face economic insecurity, and this year’s book shows there has been a decline in some child well-being indicators during the past decade,” said Julie Ehlers, Montana Kids Count communications director.

Over the last decade, participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamps program) has nearly doubled. The monthly average was 109,000 in 2009, up from 60,000 in 2000.

In the Flathead, there were an average 10,794 participants per month last year, up from 4,217 a month in 2000.

The number of children in preschool through grade 12 who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals has grown statewide, reaching 40 percent in 2009 (up from 32 percent in 2000). In the Flathead, 37 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced lunches last year, up from 24 percent in 2000.

The teen unemployment rate likewise has climbed. Unemployment among Montana teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 reached 16.6 percent in 2009, up from 10.3 percent in 2007.

The state data book is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which produces an annual Kids Count book that examines the nation as a whole.

Additional information about the Montana Kids Count Data Book is available at www.montanakidscount.org.