Monday, June 8, 2026 | 2 a.m.
Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
Alexis Marin, the health policy manager for the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, isn’t surprised by the numbers — but she’s not resigned, either.
Nevada ranks 46th out of 50 in the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, a comprehensive report card on child well-being published by Annie E. Casey Foundation that was released today.
The Baltimore-based foundation’s flagship report measures how children are faring across four domains — economic well-being, education, health and family and community — with the goal of helping policymakers pinpoint where progress is happening and investment is needed.
Nevada’s rankings offered little comfort: 44th in economic well-being, 46th in education, 43rd in health and 41st in family and community.
The Children’s Advocacy Alliance — a Nevada-based nonprofit focused on child advocacy and state-level policy — provided some of the data the foundation used in its research. The alliance advances child well-being through policy change, public awareness and coalition-building.
A lifelong Las Vegan and proud eastside resident, Marin can speak for hours about how her community looks out for each other.
The low marks, she says, were expected. But the numbers are just that — data to help policymakers and “an opportunity to grow.”
“Do we have room for improvement? Absolutely,” she said. “People are working around the clock trying to make this state better.”
She then listed off programs around town, like a garden club at the library she visits, and said, “go out in our community and you’ll see some great initiatives.”
The report found that the share of children living in households with a high housing cost burden — defined as spending more than 30% of income on housing expenses such as rent and utilities — climbed from 33% in 2019 to 37% in 2024.
The percentage of eighth graders not proficient in math rose from 74% to 80%, child and teen deaths per 100,000 increased from 24 to 32, and the share of low birth-weight babies grew from 8.8% to 9.7%.
Nevada also lagged on early childhood enrollment: 67% of children ages 3 and 4 were not in school, compared with 54% nationally. The state’s child death rate of 32 per 100,000 exceeded the national rate of 27.
The state showed progress in some areas.
Children living in poverty declined from 17% to 15%, the teen birth rate fell from 19 to 12 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19, and the share of children living in high-poverty areas dropped from 8% to 5%.
“These rankings are not just numbers, they reflect the real experiences of children and families across Nevada,” Marin said. “This year’s data shows that while progress is possible, too many children are still facing barriers tied to educational outcomes, housing affordability, health access and long-term economic stability. I know for a fact Nevada has communities, leaders, educators and advocates working every day to improve these outcomes; I see it every day I am out in the community. But the data makes clear that sustained investment and collaboration are still urgently needed.”
Reasons for optimism
Between state, local and federal sources, Nevada spent an estimated $11,927 per student last year, 47th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the National Education Association’s “Rankings of the States 2024 and Estimates of School Statistics 2025.
Only Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho spent less.
The 2025 national average is approximately $16,526 per pupil, the Education Data Initiative said. New York leads the nation at $33,400, followed by Vermont ($27,000) and New Jersey ($26,600).
Nevada is narrowing the gap. The Legislature passed a $12 billion education budget — Senate Bill 500 — for the 2025–2027 biennium, raising average per-pupil funding to $13,889 in fiscal year 2026 and $13,963 in fiscal year 2027.
“There has to be funding for the resources the community needs to be sustainable,” Marin said.
Elisa Cafferata, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, points to Senate Bill 165 as a reason for optimism.
Signed into law in June following the 2025 Nevada Legislature, the bill targets one of the state’s persistent gaps: a workforce shortage in children’s mental health. Its centerpiece is a new bachelor’s-level degree for a role largely unique to Nevada — behavioral health and wellness practitioner.
The position is designed to intervene early. When a child is experiencing emotional distress, a practitioner at this level can screen them, provide guidance on managing what they’re going through, and refer them to higher-level care if needed.
UNLV, UNR and Great Basin College in Elko will each run bachelor’s programs for the new role, receiving just under $600,000 apiece to launch the effort and fund related scholarships.
For Cafferata, the bill reflects what’s possible when state leaders work together — getting kids the support they need, she said, “before they get to crisis.”
That’s the point of the data — getting children help.