Alabama children are doing a little better than a few years ago, especially in the classroom, according to the 2026 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Alabama ranked 37th in education compared with other states. It showed Alabama children experienced less learning loss during the pandemic than children in most other states.

Apreill Hartsfield, director of policy advocacy and research at VOICES for Alabama's Children, said state investments in reading and math are giving low-income children access to resources they otherwise might not have.

“Children from low-income backgrounds that have access to the same resources as children who come from higher-resourced homes and communities, those low-income children tend to improve their scores dramatically,” Hartsfield noted.

Hartsfield pointed to the Alabama Literacy Act and Numeracy Act, which each include dedicated funding for coaching and one-on-one student support.

The report found Alabama’s health and economic metrics remain weaker. The percentage of children without health insurance increased from 3% to 4%, and housing affordability is a growing concern.

Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said a new scoring system allows states to track whether policies and investments are improving children’s lives.

“It's a child who either has enough to eat or doesn't have enough to eat,” Boissiere explained. “It's a child who is either in a stable home and has access to quality education to put themselves on a pathway to thrive, or it's a child who doesn't have those necessities.”

The report showed improvement in Alabama’s family and community indicators, including lower teen birth rates and fewer children living in concentrated poverty. Nationally, teen birth rates declined 24%, and the number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods dropped 22%.

Boissiere encouraged policymakers to look at what the data shows works, including food assistance, housing subsidies and the child tax credit, and invest accordingly.

Overall, Alabama ranked 42nd among states for child and family well-being.

Source: Public News Service