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Home > Advocacy > State Fact Sheets for 2007 > Alaska

 
 

ALASKA'S CHILDREN 2007

Alaska's Children At a Glance

 
 State Population 1  663,661 
 Population, Children Under 18 2  188,324 
 State Poverty Rate 3  10.0% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4  14.5% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5  13.8% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6  13.6% 
All statistics are for 2005.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

  • On September 30, 2004, 1,825 children in Alaska lived apart from their families in out-of-home care, compared with 2,040 children on September 30, 2003. In 2004, 32.3% of the children living apart from their families were age 5 or younger, and 14.7% were 16 or older. 7
  • Of the children in out-of-home care on September 30, 2004, 27.6% were white, 7.8% were black, 1.8% were Hispanic, 61.5% were American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 1.3% were children of other races and ethnicities. 8

PERMANENT FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN

  • Of the 715 children exiting out-of-home care in 2004, 62.5% were reunited with their parents or other family members. 9
  • In 2004, 182 children were legally adopted through the public child welfare agency in Alaska, a 14.3% decrease from 208 in 2003. 10
  • Of the 1,825 children in out-of-home care in 2004, 660 or 36.2% were waiting to be adopted. 11

KINSHIP SUPPORT

  • In 2005, approximately 6,869 Alaska grandparents had primary responsibility caring for their grandchildren. 12
  • Of the 1,825 children in out-of-home care on September 30, 2004, 29.5% were living with relatives while in care. 13
  • Of all Alaska children in kinship care on September 30, 2004, 22.9% were white, 8.4% were black, 2.8% were Hispanic, 64.1% were American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 1.9% were of other races. 14

CHILD POVERTY AND INCOME SUPPORT

  • The total number of individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Alaska decreased from 13,342 in March 2005 to 10,737 in March 2006, a decrease of 24.3%. The number of families receiving TANF in March 2006 was 3,883 , a 24.0% decrease from March 2005. 15
  • In 2002, a family of three receiving only TANF and food stamp benefits in Alaska was at 64.7% of the federal poverty guideline. 16
  • In 2004, Alaska spent $76,236,599 in TANF funds, including 56.9% on basic assistance, 9.4% on child care, 0.8% on transportation, and 33.0% on nonassistance. 17
  • In 2005, Alaska collected and distributed $85,090,915 in child support funds, an increase of 3.6% from 2004. 18
  • In 2005, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Alaska was $905 per month. The wage necessary to afford this two-bedroom apartment was $17.40 per hour, working a 40-hour week. 19

CHILD CARE AND HEAD START

  • In 2005, Alaska had an estimated monthly average of 4,700 children served by subsidized child care; 4,400 children received subsidized child care in 2004, and 5,300 in 2003. 20
  • In 2006, to be eligible for subsidized child care in Alaska, a family of three could make no more than $46,243, which is equivalent to 76% of the state's median income. 21
  • In 2006, Alaska had no children on its waiting list for child care assistance. 22
  • In 2005, Head Start served 1,725 Alaska children, a 5.6% increase from 2004. 23

HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

  • In 2002, 75,900 children younger than 19 were enrolled in Medicaid in Alaska, representing 62.6% of the total number of enrollees. 24
  • In 2001, 1,596 foster and adopted children were enrolled in Medicaid in Alaska, representing 2.5% of all children in Medicaid. 25
  • In 2001, Alaska spent $14,288,202 on Medicaid services for children in foster care, and $8,953 on Medicaid services per foster care enrollee. 26
  • Alaska reported spending $31,788.00 of its total Medicaid expenditures in 2001 on rehabilitative services for foster children. 27
  • In 2005, Alaska had 22,322 children enrolled in its State Children's Health Insurance Program, a 1.6% increase from 2004, when 21,966 children were enrolled. 28
  • In 2003, 600 babies were born weighing less than 2,500 grams, giving Alaska a ranking of 4 nationally in number of low-weight births (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). 29
  • In 2003, 71 infants younger than 1 year died in Alaska, giving the state a ranking of 6 nationally in infant mortality rates (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). 30
  • In 2004, the birth rate for teens age 15-17 in Alaska was 17.2 births per 1,000 girls; for teens 18-19, the rate was 71.9. This reflects a total rate of 38.9 births per 1,000 girls ages 15-19. 31
  • Cumulative through 2004, 590 adults and adolescents, as well as seven children younger than 13, were reported as having HIV/AIDS in Alaska. 32
  • In 2004, an estimated 6,000 children age 12-17, and 28,000 adults 26 and older, were dependent on or abusing illicit drugs or alcohol in Alaska. 33

VULNERABLE YOUTH

  • In 2004, 30 children aged-out of out-of-home care in Alaska. 34
  • In 2004, 2,000 Alaska teens age 16-19 were high school dropouts. 35
  • In 2004, 12% of teens age 16-19 were not enrolled in school, were not working, and had no degree beyond high school. 36
  • In 2004, approximately 4,000 children age 12-17 in Alaska needed, but had not received, treatment for illicit drug use in the past year. 37
  • In 2004, approximately 4,000 children age 12-17 needed, but had not received, treatment for alcohol use in the past year. 38
  • In 2003, 23 children and youth younger than 20 committed suicide, a rate of 10.84 per 100,000 children. 39

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION

  • In 2003, six children under age 18 were killed in firearm homicides in Alaska, as compared with five in 2002. 40
  • In 2005, 4,532 children younger than 18 were arrested in Alaska, a 0.3% increase from 4,520 arrests in 2004. Of the arrests in 2005, 205 were for violent crimes and 68 were for possession of a weapon. 41
  • A 2003 census of juvenile offenders showed 336 children in juvenile correction facilities in Alaska. 42

FUNDING CHILD WELFARE SERVICES FOR ALASKA'S CHILDREN

  • In 2004, Alaska spent $85,368,304 for child welfare services. Child welfare services are all direct and administrative services the state agency provides to children and families. 43 Of this amount, 44% was from federal funds, and 56% was from state funds. 44
  • In 2004, of the $37,786,604 in federal funds received for child welfare, 54% was from Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, 3% came from Title IV-B Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families, 19% was from Medicaid, 19% came from the Social Services Block Grant, and 6% came from other federal sources. 45

ALASKA'S CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE

  • A 2003 General Accounting Office (GAO) report documented that staff shortages, high caseloads, high worker turnover and low salaries impinge on delivering services to achieve safety, permanence, and well-being for children. 46
  • The federal Child and Family Service Reviews have demonstrated clearly that the more time a caseworker spends with a child and family, the better the outcomes for those children and families. 47
  • According to the 2003 GAO report, the average caseload for child welfarefoster care caseworkers is 24-31 children; these high caseloads contribute to high worker turnover and insufficient services provided to children and families. CWLA recommends that foster care caseworkers have caseloads of 12-15 children. 48
  • In 2004, the minimum annual salary for a caseworker responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect in Alaska was $36,969; the median income for a family of four was $72,110. 49

REFERENCES

  1. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division (2005). Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 (NST-EST2005-01). Retrieved online September 18, 2006. Washington, DC: Author. back
  2. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, Population Reference Bureau. (2006). Special tabulations of the supplementary survey. Washington, DC: Author. back
  3. U.S. Bureau of the Census (2006). Current Population Survey, 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Poverty Status by State: 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  4. U.S. Bureau of the Census (2006). Current Population Survey, 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Poverty Status by State: 2005 Below 100% and 125% of Poverty--People Under 18 Years of Age. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  5. U.S. Bureau of the Census (2006). 2005 American Community Survey, Selected Economic Characteristics. Retrieved January 23, 2007. back
  6. Ibid. back
  7. Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). (2006). Special tabulation of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System AFCARS). Washington, DC: Author. back
  8. "Other races and ethnicities" includes Asian, Pacific Islander, Hawaiian Native, unknown or unable to determine, missing data and two or more races; CWLA, Special tabulation from AFCARS, 2006. back
  9. Ibid. back
  10. Ibid.; CWLA. (2005). Special tabulation from AFCARS. back
  11. CWLA, Special tabulation from AFCARS, 2006. back
  12. U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). American Community Survey, Data Profile. Selected Social Characteristics: 2005. Retrieved online January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  13. CWLA, Special tabulation from AFCARS, 2006. back
  14. Ibid. back
  15. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance. (2006, 2005). Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Separate State Program-Maintenance of Effort Aid to Families with Dependant Children: Caseload Data. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  16. Calculations by CWLA, based on Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance. (2004). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: Sixth Annual Report to Congress. (Table 1:14, Average Monthly Amount of Assistance per Family and per Recipient Fiscal Year 2002). Retrieved online January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS; Food and Nutrition Service. (2005). Food Stamp Program--Annual State Level Data--State Level Participation. Food Stamp Program: Average Monthly Benefit Per Household (FY 2002). Retrieved online October 13, 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (2002). The 2002 HHS Poverty Guidelines. Retrieved online January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  17. Administration for Children and Families. (2004). TANF Financial Data. Table F: Combined Spending of Federal and States Funds Expended in FY 2004 Through the Fourth Quarter. Retrieved online January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  18. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement. (2006). Child Support Enforcement, FY 2005 Preliminary Data. Table 3--Total Distributed Collections, FY 2005. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS; Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement. (2005). Child Support Enforcement Program Results for FY 2004. Table 3--Total Distributed Collections, FY 2004. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  19. Pitcoff, W.; Pelletiere, D.; Crowley, S.; Treskon, M.; & Dolbeare, C. (2005). Out of Reach 2005. Retrieved online, September 27, 2006. Washington, DC: National Low Income Housing Coalition. back
  20. Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2005). FFY 2005 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS; Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2003). FFY 2003 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS; Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2004). FFY 2004 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  21. Schulman, K. & Blank, H. (2006). State Child Care Assistance Policies 2006: Gaps Remain with New Challenges Ahead. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center. back
  22. Ibid. back
  23. Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. (2006). Head Start fact sheet. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS; Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. (2005). Head Start program fact sheet. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  24. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2006). Medicaid enrollment by group, FFY 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Menlo Park, CA: Author. back
  25. Geen, R., Sommers, A., & Cohen, M. (2005). Medicaid Spending on Foster Children. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. back
  26. Ibid. back
  27. Ibid. back
  28. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2006). FY 2005 number of children ever enrolled year--SCHIP by program type. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  29. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Low-birthweight babies: Number: 2003. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  30. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Infant Mortality: Number: 2003. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  31. Martin, J.A.; Hamilton, B.E.; Sutton, P.D.; Ventura, S.J.; Menacker, F.; & Kirmeyer, S. (2006). Births: Final data for 2004. National Vital Statistics Reports 55(1). Retrieved January 23, 2007. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. back
  32. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004. Vol. 16. Retrieved online January 23, 2007. Atlanta: Author. back
  33. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Applied Studies. (2006). State estimates of substance use from the 2003-2004 national surveys on drug use and health. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Rockville, MD: Author. back
  34. Children who aged out of foster care are captured by the AFCARS emancipation data element. Children who exit care to emancipation are those who reached the age of majority; AFCARS. back
  35. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count data book indicators: Teens who are high school dropouts: Number: 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count data book indicators: Teens who are high school dropouts: Number: 2000. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  36. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count data book indicators: Teens who are high school dropouts: Number: 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count data book indicators: Teens who are high school dropouts: Number: 2000. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  37. SAMHSA, State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2003-2004 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. back
  38. Ibid. back
  39. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2006). Injury Mortality Reports, 1999-2004. Retrieved online, January 23, 2007. Atlanta: Author. back
  40. Ibid. back
  41. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2006). Crime in the United States 2005 (Table 69). Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Author; Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2006). Crime in the United States 2004 (Table 69). Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  42. Sickmund, M., Sladky, T.J., & and Kang, W. (2005). Census of juveniles in residential placement databook. Retrieved January 23, 2007. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. back
  43. Examples of direct services include child abuse and neglect investigations, foster care, community-based programs, case management, and all such services required for the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. Examples of administrative services include management information systems, training programs, eligibility determination processes, and all services that provide the infrastructure supports for the public agency. back
  44. Scarcella, C.A.; Bess, R.; Zielewski, E.H.; & Geen, R. (2006). The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable Children V: Understanding State Variation in Child Welfare Financing. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. back
  45. Ibid. back
  46. U.S. General Accounting Office. (March 2003). Child Welfare: HHS Could Play a Greater Role in Helping Child Welfare Agencies Recruit and Retain Staff. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  47. Ibid. back
  48. Ibid. back
  49. U.S. General Accounting Office. (March 2003). Child Welfare: HHS Could Play a Greater Role in Helping Child Welfare Agencies Recruit and Retain Staff. Retrieved online, January 17, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back




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