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Status of Johnson County's Children
Johnson County is home to 144,600 children, one-third of whom are under the age of 6 years, according to 2015 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data from the Census and the
2016 Kansas KIDS COUNT report indicate that child poverty decreased in 2015, the most recent year that data is available. Additional health and education outcomes include:
- 96% of children in Johnson County have health insurance coverage.
- 90% of pregnant women receive prenatal care. On a related note, the infant mortality rate is less than 5%, representing a small decline in the last five years.
- 25% (1 in 4) children in Johnson County public schools participate in the free and reduced lunch program.
- 88% of 3rd through 8th graders read proficiently at grade level.
In Johnson County, 28,200 children in Johnson County still live in poverty or in low-income households (9,600 and 18,600 children, respectively). These children are more likely to have poor health, education, and social outcomes than their more affluent peers.
The Framework for Reducing Poverty and Creating Opportunity provides a roadmap for how the community, through policies and programs, can help families in poverty with children to sustainably meet household needs, plan for the future, and avoid the negative outcomes associated with poverty.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1 year estimates 2015; Kansas KIDS COUNT 2015; KS Dept. for Children and Families EES Monthly Caseload Detail Report SFY 2012-2016
This publication was produced with funding support from United Way of Greater Kansas City.
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