COURT HOUSE – Cape May County dropped to 19th place in the annual New Jersey Kids Count rankings, which measure progress in improving the lives of children in 13 critical areas. Last year, the county ranked 14th.
Cape May made the most progress in the rate of juvenile arrests and investigations of child abuse and neglect. However, on the financial health of families, the county lost ground in several key areas. Most notably, Cape May saw an increase in child poverty and a steep decline in median household income. The burden of licensed childcare costs on a family’s budget also rose.
Lastly, Cape May remained at the bottom for the highest rates of unemployment and children in foster care in New Jersey.
“For the first time in more than five years, we saw a statewide decline in the number of children living in poverty,” stated Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of Advocates for Children of New Jersey, which publishes the Kids Count reports. “Fewer children were without health insurance and more kids started their school day with a healthy breakfast.
“While this is encouraging, a closer look at the data will show deep pockets of poverty that still persist and disparities in a number of measures of child well-being including child health and safety throughout the state,” Zalkind added.
Morris County, which ranked 1st in the county rankings had only 5 percent of families earning too little to meet their needs and a median income of more than $136,000, while Cumberland County, which placed last, had a child poverty rate of 29 percent and a median income of less than $45,000.
Following are some key trends in Cape May County:
Family economics: The percent of Cape May children living in poverty jumped to 19 in 2014 from 10 in 2013. During that same time, the county also saw a sharp decrease in the median family income from about $81,000 to $64,000, moving from 12th to 17th in the county rankings.
Despite falling from 12.3 percent in 2014 to 11.9 percent in 2015, Cape May still held the highest unemployment rate. Furthermore, about 54 percent of renters spent more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on rent in 2014, up from 51 percent in 2013.
Child safety: For the fourth consecutive year, Cape May had the highest rates of children placed in foster care in 2014. Its out-of-home placement rate of 10 per 1,000 children under 18 was more than three times the statewide average of 3 placements. On a positive note, the juvenile arrest rate dropped to 6 arrests per 1,000 children under 18 from 36 arrests. Despite the progress, the county remained near bottom on this indicator and was double statewide rate of 15.
Child health: The county saw a decrease from 81 to 73 percent of women receiving early prenatal care and a rise in its infant mortality rate from 4 to 5 deaths per 1,000 live births from 2011 to 2012. The percentage of births to teens remained at 7 percent in 2012, the most recent year that data is available.
School breakfast: Cape May served fewer eligible children school breakfast in 2014-16, from 50 to 48 percent. As a result, the county dropped from 4th to 6th in the state on this indicator.
Child care costs: Cape May’s working parents spent 30 percent of their income on licensed childcare for an infant and toddler, compared to 23 percent the previous year. As a result, the county ranking fell to 16th from 8th on this indicator. National standards say families should spend no more than 10 percent of income on child care.
In addition to releasing the county rankings, Advocates for Children of New Jersey also released:
– New Jersey Kids Count 2016: The State of Our Children, which provides state-level data on key measures of child well-being.
– New Jersey Kids Count 2016: The State of Our Counties, a pocket guide that provides a 5-year comparison of various measures of child well-being, including poverty, health, education and child protection.
To help counties use the data to address the needs of children, Advocates for Children will host two Kids Count Regional Forums – one in South Jersey and one in North Jersey – bringing together county, city and state leaders with the people in the community who work with children and families. The focus of this year’s Kids Count forums will be developing a children’s platform for the 2017 gubernatorial and legislative elections.
“During the upcoming election campaign season, as candidates talk about their vision and goals for the Garden State, let’s make sure the needs of children and families are part of that discussion,” stated Zalkind. “This is a great opportunity to come together and use data to help develop a platform on how to make New Jersey a better place for kids.”
To view the county profiles, the pocket guide and the state Kids Count report and for a schedule of Kids Count forums, go to www.acnj.org.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
