New data identifies 79 metro neighborhoods facing child well-being crisis
United Way of Greater Atlanta is sharing insights from the analysis of five years of data on child well-being across the 13-county metro. This Index offers a comprehensive assessment of children’s environment from birth to adulthood, across Greater Atlanta’s 1,265 Census Tracts or communities.
The Ticking Clock: The data shows temporary pandemic-era funding and resources provided by public and private organizations helped stabilize overall child well-being. This includes relief in the form of rental assistance, eviction moratoriums, food assistance, and stimulus payments.
“While the region’s average was maintained, our data shows a significant number of neighborhoods in crisis, where COVID-era resources and support systems are increasingly disappearing, jeopardizing children’s ability to thrive,” says United Way of Greater Atlanta’s President and CEO Milton J. Little, Jr. “Many of these places are disproportionally communities of color and areas where access to training, technology, food, and healthcare are severely lagging. Every child deserves to have a quality education, live in a safe neighborhood, and have the opportunity to fulfill their promise.”
By the Numbers: More than 500,000 of Greater Atlanta’s 1.2 million children and youth live in areas of high need, where measures of child well-being are significantly lower than their neighbors’. Especially alarming, our Index identified 77,000+ children living in 79 communities where the high need is compounded by a declining state of child well-being. Because the circumstances and environment for these children have worsened over the last five years, it is critical we collaborate with partners to address the needs of families living in the identified high-priority neighborhoods and ensure that they have the resources to enable our region to thrive. At the national level, Georgia already falls behind nearly 75% of states, ranking 37th in child well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“By knowing exactly where kids face the greatest challenges in Greater Atlanta, we have the capability to be laser-focused in where we build strong partnerships to direct resources, investments, and channel community resources,” said Little. “We invite the community at large to join us in pulling opens doors to equity and opportunity for children that often live just streets away from thriving families.”
Other Key Findings:
- Post-secondary enrollment rates dropped an average of 13% across the region in the past five years. In areas of high need and declining child well-being, post-secondary enrollment is 7% below the metro-wide average.
- Nearly 14,000 youth, ages 16 to 19, are currently outside of work and educational pathways. Often referred to as “opportunity youth,” these adolescents are not in school or working. Although they live throughout the region, 16% live in areas of high need and declining child well-being despite having only having 7% of 16- to 19-year-olds in the region.
United Way of Greater Atlanta is sharing these findings and others, on our website. Individuals and corporations interested in making a difference are encouraged to donate to the Child Well-Being Mission Fund, and to engage in volunteer opportunities alongside grantee partners.
