In Maryland, Children of Color Face Disparate Outcomes, Jeopardizing Their Well-Being and America’s Future
2024 Race for Results Report Identifies Gaps in Child Well-Being That Persist Across Race and Ethnicity, Caused by Policy Choices That Shortchange Young People
Baltimore — Children in Maryland fare relatively well compared to their peers nationwide, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2024 Race for Results report. However, the state still sees the same stark gaps in well-being that affect children of color nationwide. The report reflects the context of a nationwide failure to equip all children to succeed, with policy choices and lack of support for families resulting in particularly dire outcomes for Black, Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native children.
“While Maryland’s efforts to reduce childhood poverty and provide a great education for every child are paying off, it is clear our policymakers have more work to do,” said Benjamin Orr, President & CEO of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, a member of the Race for Results network. “We know what works when it comes to improving children’s well-being – we just need state and federal leaders to commit the resources that allow every child to thrive, regardless of what they look like or where they live.”
The Race for Results index standardizes scores across 12 indicators that represent well-being milestones from cradle to career, converting them into a scale ranging from 0 to 1,000 to make it easy to compare and see differences across states and racial and ethnic groups. Indicators are grouped into four areas: early childhood, education and early work experiences, family resources and neighborhood context. Scores in Maryland ranged from 808 for Asian Pacific Islander children and 768 for white children – the fourth highest score in the nation – to 499 for Black children and 434 for Latino children, indicating significant disparities.
Nationally, Asian and Pacific Islander children have the highest index score at 771, followed by white children at 697 and children of two or more races at 612. Scores for Latino (452), American Indian or Alaska Native (418) and Black children (386) are considerably lower. Calculations of the index for all 50 states show that experiences vary widely depending on where a child lives, from a high of 877 for Asian and Pacific Islander children in New Jersey to a low of 180 for American Indian or Alaska Native children in South Dakota.
Young people are missing critical developmental milestones as a direct result of choices to fail to invest in policies, programs and services that support children, especially in under-resourced communities and communities of color.
This is clear in Maryland’s standardized test scores as well. About 31% of 4th graders scored at or above proficient in reading, but this average obscures stark differences in outcomes by race. Just 20% of Black students and 15% of Hispanic or Latino scored at or above proficient, compared to 54% Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander students and 47% of white students.
Similarly, 25% of 8th graders scored at or above proficient in math with 63% of Asian or Pacific Islander students and 40% percent of white students having proficient scores, compared to 9% of Black and 10% of Latino or Hispanic 8th graders.
The Casey Foundation introduced the Race for Results index in a 2014 report and updated it in 2017. This third edition of the report carries data from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that demonstrate both the urgency of ensuring all children can thrive and the promise of policy prescriptions for achieving that goal. Race for Results contends that young people are missing critical developmental milestones as a direct result of choices to not invest in policies, programs and services that support children, especially in under-resourced communities and communities of color.
The Casey Foundation makes several recommendations in Race for Results toward improving outcomes for all children:
- Congress should expand the federal child tax credit. The temporary, pandemic-era expansion of the CTC lifted 1 million children out of poverty, with the share of kids in poverty falling to 5.2% in 2021, the lowest rate on record.
- States and Congress should expand the earned income tax credit.
- Lawmakers should consider baby bonds and children’s savings accounts — programs that contribute public funds to dedicated accounts to help families save for their children’s future.
- Policymakers must create targeted programs and policies that can close well-being gaps for young people of color, because universal policies are important but insufficient for continued progress.
The 2024 Race for Results report is available at http://www.aecf.org.
ABOUT THE MARYLAND CENTER ON ECONOMIC POLICY
The Maryland Center on Economic Policy advances innovative policy ideas to foster broad prosperity and help our state be the standard-bearer for responsible public policy. We engage in research, analysis, strategic communications, public education, and grassroots alliances promoting robust debate and greater public awareness of the policy choices Maryland residents face together. mdeconomy.org
ABOUT THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION
The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s young people by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. Race for Results® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Contact: Kali Schumitz, kschumitz@mdeconomy.org, 410-412-9105 ext. 701
