Critical Facts About Young Children and Early Childhood Programs in the United States

Critical Facts About Children and Families

• How many children under age 18 are in the United States?

• What is the racial/ethnic diversity of children in the United States?

• How has the racial/ethnic diversity of children under age 18 changed from 1990 to 2000?

• What is the racial/ethnic diversity of public school students enrolled in grades K-12?

• How many non-native English-speaking students are enrolled in the public schools?

• What are the poverty rates for children and adults?

• What are the economic conditions of children and families in the United States?

• How many mothers are in the labor force?

• What are the primary child care arrangements for employed parents?

• How many children with disabilities are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Parts B and C?

How many children under age 18 are in the United States?

• There were more than 72 million children under age 18 in the United States in 2000. One-third (23 million) were under age five.

Source: Estimates of the Resident Population by Selected Age Groups for the United States and for Puerto Rico: July 1, 2005, U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.aiea.ualr.edu/research/demographic/population/SC-EST2005-01res.xls

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What is the racial/ethnic diversity of children in the United States?

Racial diversity1 for children under age 18 in 2000:

• 68.6% - White
• 15.1% - Black or African American
• 1.2 % - American Indian & Alaska Native
• 3.4% - Asian
• 0.2% - Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander
• 7.6% - Some other race
• 4.0% - Two or more races

• 17.1% of children under age 18 identified their ethnic origin as Hispanic.

1 The terms used to describe racial/ethnic groups are those used by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Population Reference Bureau, analysis from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census.

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How has the racial/ethnic diversity¹ of children under age 18 changed from 1990 to 2000?

• The racial diversity of children under age 18 in the United States changed significantly from 1990 to 2000. The percentage of white children has decreased from 74.9% to 68.6%; while the percentage of Hispanic children has increased from 12.2% to 17.1%.

¹The terms used to describe racial/ethnic groups are those used by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Source: Population Reference Bureau, analysis from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Summary File One (Tables P12, P12h, and P12i)

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What is the racial/ethnic diversity¹ of students enrolled in grades K-12?

In 2003-04,

• 60.3% - White, non-Hispanic
• 16.8% - Black, non-Hispanic
• 17.7%  - Hispanic, regardless of race
• 3.9%  - Asian/Pacific Islander
• 1.3% - American Indian/Alaska Native

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Characteristics of Schools, Districts,Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey. (April 2006) http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006313.pdf

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How many non-native English-speaking students are enrolled in the public schools?

From a survey of state education agencies, it is estimated that:

• 4,584,946 English language learners were enrolled in public schools (Pre through Grade 12) for the 2000-2001 school year, representing approximately 11.7% of the total public school student enrollment
• Since the 1990-91 school year, the limited English proficient student population has grown approximately 105%. During this same period, the general school population has grown only 12%.

Source: Office of English Language Acquisition, Enhancement and Academic Achievement Limited English Proficient Students. Kindler, Anneka, Survey of the States' Limited English Proficient Students and Available Educational Programs and Services 2000-2001 Summary Report. http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/

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What are the poverty rates for children and adults?

• The poverty rate for children and adults was 12.6% in 2005.
• The number of people in poverty was 37.0 million.
• Real median household income1 rose 1.1% ($509) between 2004 and 2005 to $46,326.

1 Income for families with and without children.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Report. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005. http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf#search='Income%2C%20Poverty%2C%20and%20Health%20Insurance%20Coverage%20in%20the%20United%20States%202005

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What are the economic conditions of children and families in the United States?¹

• 17.6% of children under age 18 are living in poverty.1
• 7.7% of children under age 18 are living in extreme poverty (income below 50% of poverty level).2
• In 2004, 40% of children under age 18 were in low-income working families.3
• The median income of families with children in 2004 was $50,800.4

Notes:
1 Percent of Children in Poverty is the share of children under age 18 who live in families with incomes below the U.S. poverty threshold, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The federal poverty definition consists of a series of thresholds based on family size and composition. In 2005, the poverty threshold for a family of two adults and two children was $19,806.  U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2005.
2U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005. Current Population Report: Consumer Income.
3Low-income is defined as 200% of the federal poverty level.
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation. 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book. (2006)  http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/db06_pdfs/entire_db.pdf  
4Median Income of Families With Children is the median annual income for families with related children under age 18 living in the household. “Related children” include the householder’s (head of the household) children by birth, marriage, or adoption; as well as other persons under age 18 (such as nieces, nephews, or grandchildren) who are related to the householder and living in the household. The median income is the dollar amount that divides the income distribution into two equal groups—half with income above the median, half with income below it. Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation. 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book. (2006)  http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/db06_pdfs/entire_db.pdf  

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How many mothers are in the labor force?

• In 2005, 58.5% of mothers with children under age six, and 73.2% of mothers with children ages six to 17 were in the labor force.
• In 2005, 53.8% of mothers with infants (under age one) were in the labor force.

Note: The Labor force participation rate is defined as the percentage of people in a specified population group who are either employed or looking for work.
 
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families in 2005. Employment Characteristics of Families Summary http://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.nr0.htm
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families in 2005. Table 5. Employment status of the population by sex, marital status, and presence and age of own children under 18, 2004-05 annual averages http://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.t05.htm

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What are the primary child care arrangements for employed parents?

Primary Child Care Arrangements of Employed Parents: Findings from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families by The Urban Institute:

• One-quarter of all children under the age of 5 with employed mothers were cared for in center-based settings
• Four in five children under the age of 5 with employed mothers were cared for by someone other than their parents

Source: ChildStats.gov, Child care: Primary child care arrangements for children ages 0–4 with employed mothers by selected characteristics, selected years 1985–2002.  http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables/pop8b.asp

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How many children with disabilities are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Parts B and C¹?

During the fall 2002 school year,

• 647,420 children with disabilities between ages 3 to 5 years received services under IDEA Part B.
• 2,759,522 children ages 6 to 11 years received services under IDEA Part B.
• 265,145 children ages birth to 2 years received early intervention services under IDEA Part C C. This number represents approximately 2.2% of the total population of infants and toddlers in 2002.

1IDEA is the federal education program that assists states in developing and implementing systems of comprehensive services for all eligible individuals with disabilities, birth through 21 years of age. Part B provides services to children ages 3 to 21 years of age. Part C provides services to infants and toddlers (birth to 2 years of age).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Twenty-Sixth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004. Vol. 1. http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2004/26th-vol-1.pdf

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