Organizations find themselves asking similar questions when it comes to conducting a needs assessment: Where can I find reliable data? How do I know if it’s relevant to my community? Is the information up to date?

These are important concerns. Accessing meaningful data can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to make it applicable to the specific work you’re doing.

Today, we address these questions by giving you an overview of one key data source: the Kids Count Data Book, which provides state and county-level indicators on child and family well-being.

This resource is particularly valuable for organizations focusing on children, youth, and human services. We’ll walk through how this data can inform needs assessments and decision-making for programs and policies.

And stay tuned—this is just the start. Upcoming conversations will highlight additional data sources to support our assessments and the impact of our work.

You’ll hear:

(01:56) What the Kids Count Data Book is and why it’s relevant for nonprofits focusing on child and family services.

(03:52) What key trends and indicators in child well-being are highlighted in the 2024 Kids Count Report.

(12:19) How to navigate the website and access the data at both the state and county levels.

(17:30) What an example of using this data effectively at the state level looks like, featuring the Georgia Family Connection Partnership.

Watch the video version of the episode for the visual aids.