Definitions, Methodology and Data Sources
The 1998 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book uses multiple data sources to present a statistical portrait of Kentucky's children. State and county profiles are presented on two pages each. The front page features information on early childhood, the theme of this year's report. These data include detailed demographics of children four years and younger, poverty rates, child care options, public preschool enrollment, and vital statistic trends. The back page provides an update of information regularly reported in the Data Book series, specifically, data on public assistance participation, child abuse and neglect, characteristics of mothers who recently gave birth, employment, and earnings. Sources of income are reported for the first time this year. Education indicators are also updated for county public school systems and independent school districts in the county.
Data items presented in the profiles are described in order of their appearance.
Population Estimates 1997
Single-year of age population estimates for July 1, 1997 were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and aggregated into infants (under 1 year), toddlers (2-3 years), preschool (3-4 years), school age (5-17 years), and adults (18 years and over). Estimates of these age groups for whites and blacks were produced by combining single-year of age estimates with the Census Bureau estimates by race and 5-year age groups. Other racial categories which combined represented less than one percent of the state population were not reported because their small size reduced the accuracy of these estimates.
Average Annual Live Births 1995-97
Three calendar years of birth records were obtained from the Kentucky Vital Statistics Branch, Cabinet for Health Services (CHS).
Poverty Estimates 1993
A bar graph shows the percent of persons living in poverty according to federal guidelines for children 0-4 years, school age children (5-17 years), and adults (18 years and older). Data, obtained from the Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program, are for persons in 1994 based on family/household income in 1993. The poverty threshold for a family of four in 1993 was $14,763.
Child Care Options 1998
The Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children (CFC), Department for Community Based Services regulates three types of child care providers' licensed child day care centers (Type I), licensed child day care homes (Type II), and certified family child care homes. Licensed by the Cabinet for Health Services (CHS), Division of Licensing and Regulation, Type I and Type II providers are regulated for the number of spaces available in each facility. Certified Homes are not regulated to a specific number of spaces, but limits are placed on the number of children for whom care may be provided. See KRS 199.8982(1)(c) and 905 KAR 2:100. The number of facilities and spaces are reported for each type of facility as of October, 1998. Each certified home was assumed to have six spaces available. A per capita measure of child care options was calculated by dividing the number of spaces reported by the 1997 estimate of the children 0-4 years, multiplied by 100. A pie graph shows the percent of child care spaces available for each type of facility.
Child Care Average Full-Time Weekly Rates
The latest average rates for each type of child care facility by child age groups - infants (under 1 year), toddlers (1-2 years), preschool (3-4 years), and school age (5-17 years) were obtained for counties from the Regional Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and presented in a bar graph. Child care rate information may be inconsistent temporally with the reported facility data. Because the number of facilities may fluctuate from month to month, rates may be reported in counties where no facilities were reported. Likewise, a few counties show facilities but no rates. State average rates were derived from the mean of county average rates , weighted by the number of child care spaces. The average child care rate chart was based on a model from the 1998 publication, Child Care, A County-By-County Factbook, by the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio.
Public Preschool Enrollment
Obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education, public preschool enrollment figures are reported for school years 1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98. Eligibility is based on 4-year old children at risk, those whose family income is at or below 130 percent of poverty, and 3-4 year old children with disabilities, regardless of family income.
Head Start
Enrollments for 1996-97 and 1997-98 are reported. Eligibility was based on federal guidelines for family income. For Breathitt and Casey counties, no 1996-97 data were available.
KIDS COUNT Trends in the 1990's
Recent trends for five vital statistics for early childhood are assessed as getting better or worse by comparing data for the 1989-91 and 1995-97 periods. Measurements were calculated from birth and death records obtained from the Vital Statistics Branch, CHS, and Census Bureau population estimates for the respective midyear of each period. The degree to which a trend was better or worse was measured by percent change in the measurement rate over the two periods, shown in a bar graph. In counties of small population size, annual vital statistics, particularly death rates, should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of cases. The five statistics are:
Early Prenatal Care Percent of live births which had received early prenatal health care during the first trimester.
Low Birthweight Percent of live births weighing less than 2,500 grams.
Teen birth Rate Live births to girls under 18 years per 1,000 girls 12-17 years.
Infant Mortality Rate Deaths to infants under one year per 1,000 live births.
Early Childhood Death Rate Deaths to children 1-4 years per 100,000 children 1-4 years.
Assistance Programs
For four public assistance programs, annual recipients and those who were children are enumerated for 1995, 1996, and 1997. Children's age of eligibility was determined by each program. The programs are:
Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) Formerly Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), average monthly recipients for fiscal years (July through June) were obtained from the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, CHS.
Food Stamps Recipients were enumerated duringJune of each year. Source: Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, CHS.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipientsduring December of each year were obtained from the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Medicaid Average monthly recipients for fiscal years were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Medicaid, CHS.
Live Births by Characteristics of Mothers 1995-97
Pie graphs show the percentage distribution of live births over the 3-year period by age of mothers (10-17, 18-19, 20-29, 30 or more years) and education of mothers who were 18 years or older (less than high school graduate, high school graduate only, less than four years college, four or more years college). Source: Kentucky Vital Statistics Branch, CHS.
Child Abuse and Neglect
Incidents of child abuse and neglect are reported to and substantiated by the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, CFC. Annual incidents are enumerated for 1994, 1995, and 1996 by four categories - physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and dependency. More than one incidence may be reported and substantiated for a single child. A report is considered substantiated after state officials complete an investigation and determine that further action is required to protect the child. Definitions of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect are found in KRS 620.020. Dependency refers to an incidence in which a child is under improper care not the result of an intentional act by parent or guardian. Neither 1997 and 1998 data were available for this report due to changes in the CFC computer system. These data should be available in 1999 from the Department of Community Based Services,CFC.
Total Personal Income 1996
Total annual income for residents in the state/county is reported and shown in a pie graph by source (earnings; dividends interest, rent; transfer payments). Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Information Systems (REIS).
Employment and Earnings 1996
REIS monthly averages for all jobs (full and part-time) by place of work are reported along with average annual earnings for ten major industrial groups.
Education School Year 1996-97
Six statistics for public primary and secondary schools reported for the state as a whole, county systems, and independent districts were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education. The measures are:
Drop-Out Rate Percent of students enrolled in grades 7-12 who did not enroll the following year and have not graduated or transferred to another school.
Retention Rate Percent of students in grades 4-12 who did not progress to the next grade level or graduate during the school year.
Transition Rate Percent of high school graduates who were pursuing further education or were employed full or part-time, six months after graduation. Blanks indicate no high school in the district.
Attendance Rate Average daily attendance for enrolled students.
% Free/Reduced Lunch Percent of enrolled students who receive lunch free or at reduced prices based on federal guidelines for family income. Children of families with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty are eligible for free meals. The threshold for reduced lunch prices is 185 percent of poverty.
Expenditure per Pupil Total expenditures from all sources divided by average daily attendance.