Young Children and the Rural Information Gap:
The Weaknesses of Major Data Sources for Examining The Well-Being of Rural Children
DEC. 2004

Jeffrey Capizzano
The Urban Institute
2100 M Street
Washington, DC, 20037

Alexandra Fiorillo
The Urban Institute

Prepared for
The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives
Mississippi State University

December 2004

Full Report (pdf version
Report Brief (pdf version)

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help of the administrators of the national surveys featured in this paper. In addition, the authors are also thankful for the comments and advice of Cathy Grace, Elizabeth F. Shores, Signe-Mary McKernan and the participants of the Rural Early Childhood Forum convened by the National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., on September 21, 2004.

Abstract

The devolution of increasing amounts of responsibility for the design and implementation of child and family policy has increased demand for measures of child well-being at lower levels of geography. Currently, however, it is unclear the extent to which commonly used measures of well-being can be estimated for children living in rural areas. To investigate this issue, the authors examined a number of large, national data sets that provide source data for well-being indicators. We find that data confidentiality protocols and small sample sizes limit the extent to which child well-being indicators can be estimated for rural children. While public-use data can be used to estimate many indicators of child well-being using the imprecise “nonmetropolitan” definition of rural, few indicators can be estimated when rural is defined more precisely (areas with populations of less than 2,500 residents). Gaining access to non-public-use data increases the number of indicators that can be estimated with the more precise definition of rural, but at substantial monetary and administrative costs. The authors conclude this discussion with suggestions for next steps to promote analysis and dissemination of child well-being indicators for rural young children. 

 

46 Blackjack Road / P.O. Box 6013 / Mississippi State, MS / 39762

Contact Rural Early Childhood with questions about the Rural Early Childhood site.
© 2004-2006 Mississippi State University

The contents of this web site were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Updated 04/10/2005