South Carolina continues to rank last in issues related to a suspicious S.C. Family Court system, as well as, child care for young S.C. children.
Today, the Annie E. Casey Foundation will release its annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, including for the first time, how their national child care crisis affects parents’ job stability in all 50 states and Washington, DC. In South Carolina, 15% of young children were in families in which someone quit, changed or refused a job because child care is hard to find and even harder to afford.
Child care challenges are especially acute in South Carolina, with more parents facing job turmoil here than elsewhere. But regardless of where they live, parents would agree that the inaccessible and unaffordable child care in our country is pushing them to the breaking point.
And while the cost of care burdens American families like in no other wealthy country, caregivers here are paid worse than 98% of professions, leading to chronic workforce shortages and high turnover.
In national rankings for overall child well-being, South Carolina persistently sits in the lowest fourth of states, with this year’s ranking being 41st, according to the Data Book. From birth, children in South Carolina struggle to receive proper care, with the state providing crucial services such as at-home visits to only 10% of eligible families, resulting in a domino effect of long-term damage.
This year’s Data Book ranks the states from 1 to 50 using 16 key indicators of child well-being.
Below are concerning facts from Children’s Trust of South Carolina, an organization dedicated to providing expecting parents proper prenatal and postpartum services, highlighting state data according to the report:
- In South Carolina, 10% of babies born weighed less than 5.5 pounds at birth, putting them at higher risk for short- and long-term complications such as diabetes, obesity, heart problems and high blood pressure.
- Obesity rates are also alarmingly high – 40% of children (10 to 17 years-old) in the state have a Body Mass Index at or above the 85th percentile.
- The child and teen death rate is also concerning at 41 deaths per 100,000, which ranks 43rd in the nation.
And this fall, parents could see costs rise even more if Congress doesn’t act. Emergency pandemic funds that have helped 220,000 child care providers stay afloat will run out on September 30. If Congress doesn’t renew these funds, child care providers will almost certainly have to increase their fees.
Working parents should not have to choose between working and being a parent. But our nation’s utter lack of nearby and affordable child care affects job opportunities and costs the U.S. economy $122 billion annually. Transitioning from a faltering child care system to creating a flourishing one will take new thinking and investing at the local, state, and national levels.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Children’s Trust of South Carolina call for more government investment in child care, including expanding existing programs and creating new initiatives to support families and caregivers.