The 2024 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book by Kentucky Youth Advocates highlights the state of child well-being across the Commonwealth notably through 16 key indicators, with a specific focus this year on spotlighting Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the transformative power of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). The 2024 book takes a retrospective look at how Kentucky has progressed from the recommendations made in the 2014 County Data Book. This year’s findings are both a source of hope and call to action.

Key Findings from the 2024 Data Book
Some of the critical data highlights include:

  • Child Poverty: While child poverty rates improved in 89 counties since 2017, 21% of Kentucky children still live in poverty, with racial disparities persisting.
  • Educational Readiness: Just 48% of kindergarteners entered school ready to learn, and only 37% of eighth graders scored proficient or higher in math.
  • Food Insecurity: A staggering 21% of children lived in food-insecure households, with rates worsening in 118 counties since 2020.
  • Health Insurance: Although 96% of children had health insurance in 2022, rates worsened in 90 counties compared to 2017.
  • Increase in Adversity: A decade later, data shows us that 23.2% of Kentucky kids have experienced at least two ACEs. 

These findings underscore the interconnected nature of ACEs with broader systemic issues like economic security, health access, and educational readiness.

Source of Hope 

While ACEs are well-documented predictors of long-term adversity, the book emphasizes the emergence of new research around the protective power of positive experience—from mentorship to community engagement—showing how positive experiences can buffer the impact of trauma and foster resilience. The 2024 Data Book outlines critical steps to ensure every child has access to a nurturing environment through recommendations, such as: 

  • Safe and affordable housing, 
  • Access to mentorship and health care services, and 
  • Prioritizing relative and fictive kin care placements if a child cannot safely stay in their home of origin. 

Call to Action 

Reflecting on the recommendations from 2014, Kentucky has made notable progress in reducing the impact of ACEs. Yet, the data shows we must do more to foster Positive Childhood Experiences and address systemic inequities.

The Bounce Coalition is committed to advancing this vision by building the resilience of children, adults, and families by improving knowledge about the impact of ACEs and the skills to help people bounce back from adversity. Through partnerships, training opportunities, intentional interventions, and evaluative services, we aim to create environments where every Kentucky child has the opportunity to thrive.