Welcome RI KIDS COUNT!
•We are thrilled to welcome Rhode Island KIDS COUNT as the newest member of our coalition. This statewide children’s policy organization, a campaign of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is dedicated to improving the health, education, economic well-being, development and safety of Rhode Island’s children.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT collects and disseminates data on the well-being of Rhode Island’s children and advocates and facilitates the development of responsive policies and programs. Backed by the best research and data available, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT brings together people from across the community, including religious leaders and child advocates, doctors and educators, parents and volunteers, state agency directors and nonprofit leaders to address the problems facing the state’s children and families.
The annual Factbook is the primary publication of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, which tracks the progress of 68 indicators across five areas of child well-being: Economic Well-Being, Family and Community, Health, Safety, and Education. The Factbook contains information for all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island, as well as statewide data.
RI KIDS COUNT work targets a number of indicators cited in the Opportunity Index. Together we can continue to raise awareness and provide resources and data to support the expansion of opportunity for Rhode Island’s children, nearly half of whom – 46 percent — receive free or reduced lunch at public school because of the income levels of their families.
Opportunity Nation partnered with Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and the Community College of Rhode Island on June 20, 2013 to introduce our campaign to the Ocean State and to release RI KIDS COUNT newest Issue Brief, Improving College Access and Completion in Rhode Island. The event brought together key leaders from Rhode Island and highlighted current data on college readiness, enrollment, and completion in Rhode Island and key strategies to increase college success. Speakers at the event, including several young people and Opportunity Leader Chace Baptista, emphasized the importance of increasing college access and completion to individuals and to our state’s economy. The Issue Brief aligns with Opportunity Nation’s commitment to expanding educational and career pathways for the 6.7 million young people who are currently not in school and not working.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a wonderful asset to our coalition, and we are looking forward to collaborating closely with them in the future!
To learn more about Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and their work, please visit www.rikidscount.org, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
