Russell County saw some more positive trends in the latest data from the Kentucky Kids Count Survey.
According to the data, Russell County saw a decrease in the number of births to mothers without a high school diploma.
From 2016-2018, that number was 17.3 percent. That percentage decreased to about 14 percent from 2021-2023.
The number of children in foster care decreased from 68.3 per 1,000 from 2017-2019 to 52.4 per 1,000 from 2022-2024.
The number of children exiting foster care to reunification rose significantly. From 2017-2019, that number was 25 percent. From 2022-2024, it rose to 46 percent.
The Kentucky Kids Count Survey is conducted annually by Kentucky Youth Advocates, a non-profit that advocates for public policy to benefit Kentucky children.
