Child Welfare League of America: Advocacy: State Fact Sheets 2001

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ALASKA'S CHILDREN 2001

State Population (1999)¹		619,500
State Population for Children Under 18 (1999)²		196,825
State Poverty Rate (1999)³		7.6%
State Poverty Rate for Children Under 18 (1999)⁴		8%

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

In 1998, 11,202 children were reported as abused or neglected and referred for investigation in Alaska, a rate of 58.3 per 1,000 children in the population.⁶
In 1998, 7,138 children were substantiated or indicated as abused or neglected in Alaska, a rate of 37.1 per 1,000 children in the population. Of every 1,000 children in the population, 22.6 children were known to be neglected, 9.5 were physically abused, and 4 were sexually abused.⁷
The number of children who died as a result of abuse or neglect in 1998 is not available.⁸
In 1998, 95 children were legally adopted through the public child welfare agency in Alaska.¹¹
During 1998, $23,532,203, or $38.33 per capita, was spent on the public child welfare system, including federal, state, and local resources. Nationwide, $57.75 per capita was spent.¹²

CHILD CARE, HEALTH, AND EDUCATION

In 1999, 1,281 of Alaska children were served by Head Start.¹³
In Alaska, 90.6% of high school seniors graduated in 1998.¹⁴
An estimated 24,826 children in Alaska are uninsured. Of these, 58% are potentially eligible for Medicaid, SCHIP, and other state-sponsored programs, but they are not enrolled.¹⁵ In 1997, 42% of births were paid for by Medicaid.¹⁶
In 1998, the rate of births to teen mothers was 42.4 for every 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19.¹⁷
Through June 2000, 244 adults and adolescents, as well as 1 child under the age of 13, in Alaska were living with HIV/AIDS.¹⁸
In Alaska, an estimated 53,424 residents need alcohol and/or substance abuse treatment.¹⁹

JUVENILE VIOLENCE AND DETENTION

In 1998, 16 young people ages 0 to 19 were killed by firearms in Alaska. Of those, 10 were determined to have committed suicide.²⁰
In 1999, 5,470 juveniles were arrested in Alaska. Of these arrests, 229 were for a violent crime, and 123 were for possession of a weapon.²¹
In 1997, 352 juvenile offenders were in residential placement in Alaska.²²

INCOME SUPPORT

The total number of TANF recipients in Alaska decreased 31% from 35,544 in August 1996 to 24,389 in June 2000. The number of families receiving TANF decreased 37% to 7,542.²³
In 2000, a family of three receiving only TANF and Food Stamp benefits in Alaska was 15%²⁴ , ²⁵ below the federal poverty guideline of $17,690.²⁶
In 1999, 59% of child support cases in Alaska received some sort of support.²⁷
In 1999, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Alaska was $779,²⁸ 80% of the average monthly income for a worker earning the State minimum wage,²⁹ and 62% of the maximum monthly TANF cash assistance grant plus Food Stamps for a family of three.³⁰ , ³¹

For additional child welfare statistics, references, and pertinent notes, please visit CWLA's National Data Analysis System at http://ndas.cwla.org.

REFERENCES

U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2000). Statistical abstract of the United States: 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing office.
Ibid.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2000). Annual demographic survey March supplement: Poverty status by state and ten large metropolitan areas in 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing office.
Ibid.
Ibid.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau. (2000). Child maltreatment 1998: Reports from the states to the national child abuse and neglect data system. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing office.
Ibid.
Ibid.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau. (2000) Unpublished AFCARS data.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Bess, R., Leos-Urbel, J., & Geen, R. (2001). The cost of protecting vulnerable children II: What has changed since 1996? Assessing the New Federalism occasional Paper No. 46. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute. Calculations by CWLA.
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children, Youth, and Families. (2000). Head Start statistical fact sheet. [online]. Available: www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs. Washington, DC: Author.
U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). Public school student, staff, and graduate counts by state, school year 1997-1998. [online]. Available: www.nces.ed.gov. Calculation by National Library of Education.
Tang, S., Yudkowsky, B., & Siston, A. (2001). Children's Health Insurance Status and Public Program Participation. State Reports, 1999 and 2001 Estimates. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Tang, S., Siston, A., & Yudkowsky, B. (September 2000). Medicaid State Reports - FY 1998. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2000). Fact sheet: National teen pregnancy and birth data. [online]. Available: www.teenpregnancy.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). HIV/AIDS surveillance report. Vol.12, No.1. Washington, DC: Author
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. (1999). Alcohol and other drug treatment needs. [online]. Available: www.nasadad.org.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, unpublished tabulations, Table III: Deaths from 282 selected causes. Calculations by Children's Defense Fund.
U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2000). Crime in the United States: 1999. Washington, DC: Author
Sickmund, M., & Wan, Yi-chun. (1999). Census of juveniles in residential placement: 1997 databook. [online]. Available: www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/cjrp97/openpage.asp.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2000). Change in welfare caseloads since enactment of new welfare law. [online]. Available: www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/aug-dec.htm and case-fam.htm.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2000). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: Third annual report to Congress. Washington, DC: Author. Calculations by CWLA.
Food Research and Action Center. (2001). Federal food programs: Food Stamp Program-Monthly allotments and deductions october 1999 - September 2000. [online]. Available: www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/programs/fsp_limits.html. Calculations by CWLA.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Annual update of the HHS poverty guidelines. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, office of Child Support Enforcement. (2000). Child support enforcement FY 1999 preliminary data report. Washington, DC: Author. Calculations by CWLA.
National Low Income Housing Coalition. (1999). Estimated state metro FMR's and related characteristics. (1999). Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Labor (2001). The minimum wage [online]. Available: www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/minwage/main.htm. Calculations by CWLA.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (1999). TANF report to Congress: Work-related provisions of state TANF plans. Washington, DC: Author. Calculations by CWLA.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food, and Consumer Service. (1999). Food stamp program monthly allotments and deductions. Washington, DC: Author. Calculations by CWLA.