![]() With the isolation of the surrounding mountains, the dwindling jobs and the steady loss of business, children and families in McDowell County also lack access to critical services. Adolescent girls are 4 times as likely to have a baby. Compared to Putnam, children in McDowell County are twice as likely to struggle with hunger and not graduate on time, and nearly 3 times as likely to not survive childhood. Putnam County, about 100 miles away, is the best ranked county in the state for children. One in every 6 students in the county are not graduating high school on time, and 1 in 21 girls aged 15 to 19 give birth each year – one of the highest teen birth rates in the state. Many kids grapple with hunger – 28% experience food insecurity. The schools, a local prison and the state highway department are now among the county’s largest employers. In the bottom-ranked counties-places like McDowell County, WV-children are up to 14 times as likely to drop out of high school as children in the best counties in their state.Ī once thriving coal industry has experienced a sharp decline in the past 15 years, leaving few job opportunities in McDowell County. Complement to the Global Childhood Report includes a first-ever ranking of counties where children are most and least prioritized and protected. The rankings are based on four factors that cut childhood short, including poor education. Complement to the Global Childhood Report.Įxamining data from more than 2,600 counties and county-equivalents in all 50 states, the 2020 U.S. Surrounded by the Appalachians, McDowell is the Mountain State’s southernmost county, and it’s also the state’s lowest ranked county for children, according to the analysis in Save the Children’s 2020 U.S. In McDowell Country in West Virginia, the state’s poorest county, 17% of children are not graduating from high school on time. Children who grow up in areas without access to early education, for example, are more likely to drop out of high school, become a teen parent, never attend college and be arrested for a violent crime – perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Where a child grows up can determine their prospects in life more than you might guess. When High School–and Childhood–Is Cut Short in America
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