Regionally Speaking: Indiana Youth Institute on child well-being in Indiana

Indiana ranks 24^th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT^® Data Book, a 50-state report developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing recent child- and family-related data. Indiana Youth Institute leads this important data collection and analysis in Indiana as our state’s KIDS COUNT^® Data home. Our country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care short-changes children and causes parents in Indiana to frequently miss work or even quit their jobs, while those who can find care are paying dearly for it. These child care challenges cost the American economy billions of dollars a year. Although last year’s and this year’s rankings cannot be directly compared due to data shifts, an overall child well-being rank of 24^th compared to other states is Indiana’s highest ranking in 10 years. Lakeshore Public Media host Dee Dotson speaks to Indiana Youth Institute President and CEO Tami Silverman about how this information impacts us all in the Hoosier state as well as share what we can do to support youth is .