Sparking discussion to ignite change, that’s the goal of the Indiana Youth Institute’s 2025 Kids Count Data Book.
The data, released in mid-February at the Statehouse, outlines trends affecting kids in Indiana. From health and education to economic stability and family support, the report paints a detailed picture of what life looks like for Hoosier kids.
Ashley Haynes, vice president of data and communications for the institute, said Tuesday, “Putting together the data book is actually a six-month process. We start in the late summer to pull and source the data from hundreds. We try to source as much local and recent data as possible.”
The report ranks Indiana 27th in the United States for overall child well-being.
The data also found, in Marion County, that access to exercise opportunities is at 91% compared to 76% statewide.
The report also saw a decrease in substance abuse for students in grades 7-12.
Haynes said, “Every substance that we track in the data — alcohol use to cigarette smoke — every single one of those measures is down compared to two years ago, indicating that students are using less substances as teenagers and young adults, which also has tremendous impacts for their academic success, for their overall health and general well-being.”
But, Marion County’s youths still face challenges. One of the biggest is mental health, a problem that increased during the pandemic. “There are a number of kids that are experiencing feelings of depression, so they are reporting that they are sad or hopeless for more than two weeks in a row, and they can’t do their normal activities. That’s well over 30% in Marion County. While that is a decrease from two years ago, that’s still over 30% of kids who are feeling sad and hopeless and that’s really too many.”
As Haynes sees it, data is just a number in a book until someone does something with it. She hopes that the presentation of the data on Monday at the Edna Martin Christian Center Leadership and Legacy Campus sparks more conversations that can make a difference.
“Some youth workers will take this data and think, ‘Yes, I know how to implement’ or ‘I know how this relates to a program I’m implementing right now.’ A lot of folks will also use it for grants they’re writing or reporting for to request funds for future programming for kids, and also thinking about what larger changes do we need to make to impact something like mental health or improve literacy,”
Indiana Youth Institute plans to travel to other regions of Indiana to present local data about kids to community leaders and advocates.
This story was produced by WISH-TV reporter Melea VanOstrand.
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