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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Children and youth

Traffic Safety Facts, 2024 Data: Children
Fact sheet containing information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes involving children 14 years of age and younger. Includes statistics on child traffic fatality rates per 100,000 child population and fatality rates by age group from 2015-2024, passenger vehicle occupants by survival status, age group, and restraint use in 2024, driver's blood alcohol level in fatal crashes, and percentages of child pedestrian and child pedalcyclist fatalities with breakdowns by urban and rural location. Features tables with child fatalities by state and age group in 2023.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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2026 Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being
Reports on the trends in overall child wellness, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community support for children nationwide. Includes state-by-state comparisons for each category.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
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The 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress
Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Victimization At and Away From School Among Students Ages 12 to 18, 2013-2023 - Statistical Tables
Describes theft and nonfatal violent victimization rates among students aged between 12 and 18 both at and away from school between 2013 and 2023. Compares rural, suburban, and urban data in Table 1 and Appendix Tables 7 and 9.
Author(s): Erin Tinney
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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A Look at New or Expanded Medicaid and Public Health Partnerships from 2025: Findings from A Survey of State Medicaid Programs
Identifies themes from a survey of state Medicaid directors regarding new or expanded public health initiatives that were implemented in fiscal year (FY) 2025 or planned for FY 2026. Summarizes initiatives related to maternal and child health, child and youth mental health, opioid use disorder (OUD), lead screening, infectious disease, and workforce. Describes rural-related initiatives and examples throughout.
Author(s): Alisha Rao, Anna Mudumala, Elizabeth Hinton, Cory Caldwell
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Access to and Provision of Child and Youth Behavioral Health Services in the Rural and Urban U.S.
Compiles findings from 9 reports on youth behavioral health in the rural U.S. Describes prevalence of behavioral health conditions, the youth behavioral health workforce, behavioral health licensure and reimbursement policy, and provision of youth behavioral health services. Features statistics with breakdowns by 7 levels of population density.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Lisa A. Garberson, Sara C. Woolcock, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Economic Stability of Children, a Key Social Determinant of Health, in the United States: Differences by Rurality
Presents a study exploring economic security as a social determinant of health for rural children. Compares rates of economic security for rural and urban children by three different measures: housing instability, food insecurity, and income inadequacy.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Emma Boswell, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70164
Date: 05/2026
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Challenges Associated With Rural-Urban Stratification for Generalizing Birth Outcomes: Insights From the ECHO Cohort
Analyzes the validity of preterm birth (PTB) prevalence and generalizability related to rural versus urban stratification within the Environmental influences on Child health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Examines PTB prevalence during the 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 ECHO cohorts as compared to county-level PTB prevalence from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), further broken down by rural versus urban location and demographic variables. Discusses similarities and differences in PTB prevalence proportions using ECHO versus NCHS and the importance of further context when defining rural places.
Author(s): Daniel Beene, Debra A. MacKenzie, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70163
Date: 05/2026
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Occupant Restraint Use in 2025: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
Presents results from the 2025 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2024 and 2025 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 3
Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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