Texas earns an ignominious ranking when it comes to caring for its youngest citizens.
The release of the national rankings on child well-being just happened to coincide with a legislative briefing hosted by the Lubbock Area United Way focusing on the successes and failures of lawmakers when it comes to caring for the state's children. The 2016 Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count ranks Texas 43rd.
Texas was ranked 41st in such categories as children with healthcare insurance and children living in poverty. Lubbock state representatives say improvement will be coming because an overhaul on programs for childcare is expected this legislative session.
"I think this session will be a CPS and foster care review system. So it's going to have a direct impact on our kids," State Senator Charles Perry said.
"We see how the case workers are overloaded typically, they're doing about a third more than they should," State Representative John Frullo said. "We need to look at the bureaucracy involved there and make sure we actually get the work done. that the outcomes are good."
United Way is ready to help push that legislation.
"Public policy is an incredibly part of how we make systems change, how we improve our communities," President and CEO of United Way of Texas Adrianna Cuellar Rojas said. "In Lubbock we know the statistics are there to support the on children abuse and neglect, the prevention of child abuse. We will definitely have some kind of focus on that."
According to the Kids Count statistics Texas is dead last in children covered by health insurance, that's 784,000 children without coverage. Sen. Perry argues there is work on that issue already taking place.
"I don't know about the specific study you're talking about or the specific benefit. As far as CHIP goes we've funded CHIP every session. So it's not a CHIPs issue. There are more kids on CHIP than there has been in the past," Perry said.
The lack of work on the cost of health care is one of State Representative Dustin Burrow's biggest disappointments.
"It has become unaffordable to most people, their health insurance they can't afford and in the states budget we're having a hard time to afford it," Burrows said.
Actually the number of uninsured kids is an improvement. Since 2008 the number has decreased by more than 400,000. Burrows says he will introduce legislation that will hopefully continue that trend.
"My bill that I'm coming up with is dealing with the cost of health care in particular what I want to see is some market based solutions to get people engaged in what things cost, get some price transparency out there so we can start driving that cost down making it more affordable not only people here but in this district," Burrows said.
When it comes to educating our kids the Lone Star State is leading, according to Perry.
"Texas' graduation rate is second in the nation," Perry said. "Just less than 15 years ago I think we were in the bottom of the nation."
The Kids Count study shows a four percent graduation increase from 2010 to 2014. The average high school graduation rate in Texas is now just a tad over 88 percent.
