Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Are Things Looking Up for America's Children?

Aired July 19, 2001 - 07:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: A big report by the U.S. government on the well-being of America's children is out today. But we've got details for you now.

CNN's Kathy Slobogin is in Washington with all the details -- Kathy.

KATHY SLOBOGIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Colleen.

This is the fifth year the government has issued this report. It's a collaborative effort of 20 different federal agencies who pooled their statistics to see how America's 70.4 million children are doing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice over): Things are looking up for American children, according to the federal report released today. Child poverty is down to its lowest level in 20 years. The number of children with health insurance is up.

DR. DUANE ALEXANDER, CHILD HEALTH ADVOCATE: The big news in this report is that children's status is improving and continuing to get better.

SLOBOGIN: Dr. Duane Alexander says the boom economy of the last few years has lifted children along with everyone else.

ALEXANDER: In addition to the lower percentage living in poverty, we also see a higher percentage of children that have a parent employed full time all year. And the number of children in female-headed households who are in poverty has declined considerably.

SLOBOGIN: One of the most dramatic trends documented by the report is the sharp drop in teen pregnancy -- now at a record low.

ALEXANDER: Teen pregnancy is a particularly significant success story. Beginning in 1991, we've had a 25 percent decline in teen pregnancy, in teen births. This is a significant improvement on a major national concern.

SLOBOGIN: Although there was no improvement in the rate of alcohol and drug use by American teenagers, there are fewer who smoke. After peaking at 25 percent in 1997, the number of high school seniors who smoke went down to 21 percent in the year 2000.

Similarly, 10 percent of eighth graders reported smoking in 1996. Now that's down to 7 percent. While, in general, children's health benefited from more access to health insurance and a significant increase in those getting vaccinations, there is one disturbing health trend: more asthma. And nobody knows why.

ALEXANDER: Asthma is a puzzle. There is clearly an increase in prevalence of asthma in children. This is a long-term trend. It's gone up from about 3 percent to 5 percent prevalence in children -- and in African American children, 7 percent.

SLOBOGIN (on camera): Almost most of the news is good, there is still about 10 million American children with no health insurance, still more than 11 million who are living in poverty. And, increasingly, those children have parents who work.

DEBORAH WEINSTEIN, CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND: We have a new face of child poverty in America. And that is one where the parents work. Now almost eight out of 10 poor children in America live in a family where somebody works. And increasing numbers live in a family where somebody is working full time year round.

SLOBOGIN (voice-over): What worries child advocates is that not only do jobs fail to lift the poorest families out of poverty, but that so many of the gains for children in this report flow from a strong economy, an economy that may now be weakening.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SLOBOGIN: Another interesting change noted in this report is that right now kids make up about a quarter of our population. That's down from a baby boom peak of 36 percent. So that's a significant change -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: And, Kathy, that point about this good news being somewhat pegged to a good economy is an interesting one. I mean, what are officials saying people should be most worried about?

SLOBOGIN: Well, it is mostly good news. But what really worries the experts is that there are some areas that need improvement where nothing's changed -- for example, alcohol and drug use.

Right now 25 percent of 12th graders report elicit drug use. Thirty percent say that they drink heavily. And the experts would like to see some sort of movement in those numbers before they declare victory.

MCEDWARDS: All right, Kathy, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com