Columbia, S.C. – Children's Trust of South Carolina, the statewide organization working to prevent child abuse, neglect and injuries, has released its annual KIDS COUNT county-level data profiles for the state.
These profiles rank South Carolina's 46 counties on 16 indicators of child well-being across four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community.
The data profiles reveal areas where counties have made progress as well as areas where more concerted attention is required to make improvements in the lives of South Carolina’s families and children.
York County ranked No. 1 overall for the fourth consecutive year. Rounding out 2017's Top 10 were Lexington, Dorchester, Greenville, Pickens, Spartanburg, Berkeley, Beaufort, Richland and Charleston counties.
The counties making the biggest leaps were Saluda, which improved by 11 spots to No. 21, and Allendale, which climbed nine places to No. 37.
Allendale’s leap was particularly notable because the county had ranked last at No. 46 for the previous three county-level annual rankings. Allendale’s improvement came primarily in the health domain, where it rose to No. 1.
The leaders in the other three domains were York County (economic well-being, education) and Dorchester County (family and community).
Some of South Carolina's more impoverished counties continue to struggle in the rankings. For the second consecutive year, Marlboro, Dillon and Marion counties landed in the bottom five. Calhoun County experienced the largest overall drop, falling 27 spots to No. 32 due primarily to a decline in the health domain.
“The county profiles give a high-level view of what’s going on so that local experts can make data-driven decisions as they work to improve the lives of children and families,” said Whitney Tucker, policy and research associate at Children’s Trust. "Children who reach educational milestones and live in economically stable homes and supportive communities are less likely to be at risk for negative outcomes, including child abuse and neglect."
Children's Trust works with state and county partners on programs that provide home visiting services, strengthen families, address adverse childhood experiences, advocate positive parenting, and promote child passenger safety, water safety and safe sleep practices.
“The KIDS COUNT county profiles can help community organizations make smarter funding and service decisions," Tucker said. "The data can also empower everyday citizens to become well-informed advocates for policy and systems change within their communities."
County-level data and profile sheets for each of South Carolina's counties are available on our website. As the KIDS COUNT affiliate for South Carolina, a major initiative funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children's Trust uses this high-quality data and trend analysis to advance evidence-based programs that can help provide better futures for children.
