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Content Summary
The 2003 KIDS COUNT Factbook provides statistical data on the status of children in cities and towns across the state of Rhode Island, and is an important resource for community leaders and policy-makers. This ninth annual work also includes an aggregate profile based on data from five core cities (Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Newport, and Central Falls) in which more than fifteen percent of children are impoverished. Using the most current available data, The 2003 KIDS COUNT Factbook presents 52 indicators in the areas of Family and Community, Economic Well-Being, Health, Safety, and Education. A new safety indicator for 2003 is “Adoption and Permanency.”

Major Findings
Child Deaths
Unintentional injuries disproportionately affect poor children, young children, males, rural children, children in families with low levels of education and employment, and minorities.
Black children have the highest death rate of any ethnic group.
Teen Deaths
Nationally and in Rhode Island, the two leading causes of death for teens are motor vehicle traffic accidents and firearm injuries.
Gun violence disproportionately affects the poor and imposes significant medical, law enforcement and other costs on society as a whole.
Homeless Children
Poverty, low wages, lack of affordable housing, and domestic violence are factors in family homelessness.
In the U.S., 41% of the homeless are families with children.
Homeless Youth
Between 1997 and 2002, there has been an estimated 54% increase in the number of homeless youth in Rhode Island.
Juveniles Referred to Family Court
In 2002, 60% of juveniles referred to Family Court were White, 16% Black, 12% Hispanic, 2% Asian or Pacific Islander.
Juveniles at the Training School
Black youth are incarcerated at five times the rate of White youth.
Of the juveniles in the Training School in December 2002, 46% were White, non- Hispanic; 25% were Black, non-Hispanic; 23% were Hispanic; 2% were Asian; and less than 1% was Native American.
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Of all the parents incarcerated in 2002 in Rhode Island, 49% were White, 29% were Black, and 21% were Hispanic.
Children Witnessing Domestic Violence
In 2001, police reports indicate that children were present in 35% of domestic violence incidents reported.
Exposure to violence in the home impairs cognitive, academic, and social functioning.
Child Abuse and Neglect
Many abusive parents lack essential parenting skills and are struggling with a combination of social and economic issues.
Children are at increased risk of maltreatment if their parents or caregivers are overwhelmed by multiple problems such as inadequate income, lack of a job or a decent place to live, emotional stress, drug and/or alcohol abuse, isolation from extended family or friends, mental illness, or domestic violence.
Children in Out-of-Home Placement
In 2003, 52% of children in foster care homes in Rhode Island were White, 20% were Black, 19% were Hispanic, 2% was Asian, and 2% were American Indian.
Adoption and Permanency
National experience indicates that permanency may be more difficult to achieve with older children, children with disabilities, and minority children.
Of the children adopted in 2002 in Rhode Island, 52% were White, 20% were Black, 14% were Hispanic, and 14% were other racial/ethnic groups or unknown.
Of the children awaiting adoption in December 2002, 49% were White, 25% were Black, 21% were Hispanic, and 5% were other racial/ethnic groups or unknown.

Unaddressed Issues or Concerns
This report confirms the findings of Bradley and Hawkins-León about the disproportionate representation of Black children in foster care and adoption, and the additional difficulty of achieving permanency with minority children. The report fails, however, to address the increasing practice of trans-racial adoption because of the declining number of White children available for adoption, and because White families account for the largest proportion of families that adopt. Bradley and Hawkins-León recommend a greater emphasis on educating adopters about the obvious and subtle implications of trans-racial adoption.

Reference List
Bradley, Carla, and Cynthia G. Hawkins-León. “The Trans-racial Adoption Debate: Counseling and Legal Implications. Journal of Counseling and Development 80 (2002): 433-440

How to Access Report
http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_
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