Baldwin County ranks as the fourth-best county for the overall health of children in Alabama.

The coastal county also saw a 1,000% increase in the number of child abuse and neglect reports in 2021 and a marked decline in the number of women receiving adequate prenatal care.

These are just a few of the statistics noted in the Alabama Kids Count Data Book, an annual report compiled by the statewide nonprofit Voices for Alabama Children. The report uses county-level data in 70 key indicators across the areas of health, safety, education and economic security to determine overall child well-being across Alabama.

Save for two counties, the entire state saw the percentage of children living in that county decrease compared to the overall population.

Officials said the hyper local data can help determine the effect of state and local policies and programs put in place to help families.

"The goal of our research is to identify trends in child well-being and measure the long-term impact policies and funding of programs have on children," said Rhonda Mann, Voices for Alabama's Children executive director, in a press release. "Often, these statistics appear to move slowly, and the counties whose outcomes are ranked at the top and bottom of these reports rarely change.

"What's often overlooked is that the areas with the greatest need are also among the communities reporting the most progress helping children and families get what they need to thrive."

Mann said the organization hopes state leaders will continue to grow efforts to improve the health and safety of Alabama children.

"We hope state leaders will pay attention to these trends and base their decisions on what the data is telling them," Mann said.

Here is a snapshot of some of the studies' results for Baldwin County.

How many children are in Baldwin County?

Total number of children in county 2020: 37,714
2021: 55,680
Under age 5 in 2020: 8,621
2021: 12,252

Ages 5 - 9 in 2020: 9,486
2021: 13,858
Ages 10 - 14 in 2020: 10,144
2021: 15,252
Ages 15 - 19 in 2020: 9,463
2021:14,318
Infant mortality rate 2010: 4.2%
2021: 4.4%
Birth to teens aged 15 - 17, 2010: 19.4%
2020: 6.8%

Adequate prenatal health care

Overall 2010: 79.10%
2020: 75.9%
White mothers 2010: 83.5%
2020: 78.4%

Black mothers 2010: 80.1%
2020: 74.4%
Hispanic mothers 2010: 43.10%
2020: 59.8%
All others 2010: 82%
2020: 69%
Children without health insurance: 4.9%

Education

Total child care center capacity for county: 3,900
Number of licensed facilities: 70

Total number of facilities: 109
Number of Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms: 13
Children participating in First Class Pre-K 2021 - 2022: 745
First grade retention 2016 - 2017: .3 %
2020-2021: 4.8%
Ninth grade retention 2016 - 2017: 0%
2020 - 2021: .6%
Graduation rate 2020 - 2021: 89%
Drop out rate 2020 - 2021: 7.8%
Homeless students 2019 - 2020: .5%
2020 - 2021: 1.1%

Safety

Children abused or neglected 2010: 269
2021: 360
Child death rate 2010 (per 100,000): 6

2020 (per 100,000): 7
Preventable teen death rate 2010 (per 100,000): 8
2020 (per 100,000): 9
Teens not attending school or working 2000: 689
2020: 627
Children in foster care 2014: 118
2022: 183
Children adopted 2014: 15
2022: 14
Children in protective services as of March, 2022: 223
Youth incarcerations 2004 - 2009: 114
2010 - 2021: 284

Economic security

Children living in poverty, 2000: 4,546
2020: 4,629

Children in extreme poverty, 2000: 1,782
2020: 1,657
Single-parent homes, 2000: 6,944
2020: 8,613
SNAP eligible, all ages, 2017: 20,104
2022: 18,554
SNAP recipients, all ages, 19,705
2022: 18,352