COLUMBIA –  South Carolina’s future prosperity depends upon all children having the opportunity to reach their full potential. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2017  Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children  report shows South Carolina’s children trailing national outcomes of child well-being within every racial and ethnic group, and there are particularly persistent challenges hindering the success of African-American and Hispanic/Latino children.   
 
“All children, regardless of race and ethnicity, should have the resources and supports they need to thrive," Children’s Trust CEO Sue Williams said. “The color of a child’s skin should have no determination on the trajectory of his or her life.” 
 
In South Carolina, children of color represent 45 percent of all children in the state, the majority being African American or Hispanic/Latino. While there has been some progress, children of color continue to struggle, particularly in areas of economic opportunities and education.  
 
African-American children and Hispanic/Latino children are more likely to be living in poverty than their white counterparts. Thirty-five percent of white children lived in families below 200 percent of the poverty level ($46,566 for a family of four) from 2013-2015. Twice as many African-American (71%) and Hispanic/Latino (70%) children lived in the same conditions.

All children in South Carolina struggle to meet educational benchmarks, but while only eight percent of African-American children scored at or above proficiency in eighth-grade math in 2015, nearly three times more Hispanic/Latino children (22%) and nearly five times more white children (36%) scored at those levels.

For fourth-grade reading proficiency, the disparities are even greater. Only 15 percent of African-American children and 21 percent of Hispanic/Latino children met reading proficiency in third grade in 2015. White children fared better at 46 percent.  
 
This is the second  Race for Results  report by the Casey Foundation. The first was released in 2014. The report measures children’s progress on the national and state levels on key education, health and economic milestones by racial and ethnic groups. The report’s index uses a composite score of these milestones on a scale of one (lowest) to 1,000 (highest) to make comparisons. 
 
The 2017  Race for Results  shows persistent, significant disparities among South Carolina’s African-American children (328) and Hispanic/Latino children (416) compared to Asian and Pacific Islander (775) and white children (652). While the scores do not tell the story of individuals, as each child has his or her own experiences and talents, the data show disparity in opportunity and highlight the barriers that exist for different groups of children.  
 
“Reports such as this give us the tools to make informed decisions. While pointing to the most pressing needs, they help us to identify programs and policies that can make a positive difference for all children,” Williams said.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s children by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safe and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit  www.aecf.org . KIDS COUNT® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.