Each year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Data Book provides information and data trends on the conditions of U.S. children and families. This year's Data Book introduces the new KIDS COUNT index, which provides a more detailed picture of how children are faring. In addition to ranking states on overall child well-being, the 2012 Data Book provides state rankings for four domains: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community.

According to the 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book, kids and families nationwide continue to struggle in the wake of the recession. In 2010, one-third of children had parents without secure employment – an increase of 22 percent, or approximately 4 million children, from 2008. From 2005 to 2010, the number of children living in poverty rose by 2.4 million.  There are, however, positive trends in children's health and education: a 20 percent decrease in the number of kids without health insurance; a 16 percent drop in the child and teen death rate; an 11 percent decline in the number of high-school students not graduating in four years; and an 8 percent dip in eighth-graders scoring less than proficient in math.