National Council of La Raza - THOUGH TEEN MORTALITY RATES DECREASED, CHILDREN IN PUERTO RICO STILL FACE GREATER RISKS THAN CHILDREN ON THE MAINLAND U.S.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today joined the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in announcing the release of the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The book contains new findings on various issues affecting the well-being of children living in Puerto Rico. Of particular concern, the data show that children in Puerto Rico face higher levels of risk than children in the main U.S. on eight of ten key indicators.

“The KIDS COUNT Data Book haslong been thought of as a continuous and dependable source of information on the status of children across the United States. This 2008 release marks yet another breakthrough for Puerto Rico, since it is the second consecutive year this publication provides benchmarks to document opportunities for leaders to plan and help improve on the needs of Puerto Rico’s children,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

Among the report’s findings:

* In 2006, there were an estimated one million children on the island of Puerto Rico. This represents a larger child population than that of about half of the states in the United States.
* On eight of the ten key measures regarding child well-being, these children face higher levels of risk overall than the U.S. average.
* The child poverty rate for Puerto Rico (56%) is more than three times the level in the United States as a whole (18%).
* Babies born in Puerto Rico are far more likely to be of low birth weight (12.8%) and born to teen mothers (61 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19) than in the U.S. overall (8.2% and 40 per 1,000, respectively).
* The rate of deaths among children ages 1 to 14 (13 per 100,000) and teens ages 15 to 19 (63 per 100,000) are both lower than the national rates.

NCLR has housed the KIDS COUNT – Puerto Rico Project for the last six years and has contributed to reducing the information gap by publishing several reports, providing information free of charge through an online database, and engaging in multiple initiatives regarding children on the Island.

“KIDS COUNT provides a great opportunity to raise awareness, shape policy, and discuss current social policy concerns based on solid information to help improve the lives of families,” concluded Murguía.

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