The Scorecard provides a comprehensive picture of children's well-being, tracking 26 indicators over time, by race/ethnicity and relative to other California counties.

How does the well-being of children living in Santa Cruz County compare with the well-being of children in other counties?

The graphic above indicates how children in Santa Cruz County are faring compared to children in 57 other counties. The 57,353 children living in Santa Cruz County are in the bottom third (red) of performance on 3 indicators, the middle third (yellow) on 14 indicators, and the top third (green) on 9 indicators of children's well-being.

Compare how all counties are performing on 26 indicators of children's well-being

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 Is the well-being of children in Santa Cruz County improving over time?
The well-being of children in Santa Cruz County is getting worse on 3 indicators, staying the same on 10 indicators, and improving on 11 indicators of children's well-being.

HOW TO USE THE SCORECARD

  • Click on any indicator title to view the county's performance on that indicator relative to other similar counties in terms of population density (i.e., rural or urban) and per capita income of families with children (i.e., low, middle and high income).
  • Hover over any "i" icon to view a complete definition of the item.
  • Additional resources, including definitions, tutorials, and notes and sources, are available here.
How are you promoting children's well-being in your community? Share your story in our discussion here.
Indicator   Tercile   Race
      Bottom Middle Top Trend   Latino White African American Asian Other
     Range 48% |-----------------| 85%              
1. Children who report "very good" to "excellent health" status       71%   +5%   54% 83% NA NA 81%
      82% |-----------------| 99%              
2. Children who have health insurance         97% +4%   100% 93% NA NA 100%
      76% |-----------------| 94%              
3. Children who see a dentist regularly     83%     +2%   83% 83% NA NA 100%
      13% |-----------------| 85%              
4. Newborns who are breastfed exclusively while in the hospital         69% +6%   58% 84% NA 67% 83%
      44% |-----------------| 100%              
5. Children who have asthma that does not require an Emergency Room visit       88%   -12%   NA 100% NA NA NA
      62% |-----------------| 76%              
6. Middle and high school students who are not at risk for depression         71% +1%   67% 77% 67% 74% 65%
      61% |-----------------| 80%              
7. Children who are in a healthy weight zone       71%   +10%   62% 80% 70% NA 72%
      63% |-----------------| 95%              
8. Children who live within walking distance to a park, playground or open space       78%   -5%   69% 84% NA NA NA
      0% |-----------------| 35%              
9. Schools that have a school nurse or health center         10% NA   NA NA NA NA NA
      57% |-----------------| 82%              
10. Adolescents who feel connected to an adult       71%   +4%   63% 80% 51% 69% 68%
      35% |-----------------| 58%              
11. Elementary and middle school students who are supervised by an adult after school       51%   +4%   NA NA NA NA NA
      60% |-----------------| 87%              
12. Elementary and middle school students who feel safe in their school       72%   1%   NA NA NA NA NA
      25% |-----------------| 46%              
13. High school students who feel safe and have not been victimized at school       34%   +26%   31% 37% 29% 37% 34%
      54% |-----------------| 93%              
14. Children who are safe on and around roads       78%   +2%   73% 81% NA 100% 75%
      78% |-----------------| 100%              
15. Children who have no report of maltreatment within six months of an initial report       92%   +1%   89% 93% 100% NA NA
      46% |-----------------| 76%              
16. Adolescents who are substance-free     56%     +2%   56% 59% 32% 63% 51%
      72% |-----------------| 100%              
17. Children and youth who are safe from homicide         97% +10%   100% 92% NA NA NA
      78% |-----------------| 100%              
18. Youth who are arrested but not for violent crimes         96% +2%   NA NA NA NA NA
      53% |-----------------| 91%              
19. Women who receive prenatal care by the end of the first trimester       80%   -13%   72% 92% NA 88% 86%
      69% |-----------------| 100%              
20. Young children who are read to often         100% +18%   100% 100% NA NA NA
      25% |-----------------| 81%              
21. 3- and 4-year-olds who are enrolled in preschool         55% NA   47% 71% NA 72% 81%
      31% |-----------------| 87%              
22. Children who are not truant         81% +7%   NA NA NA NA NA
      29% |-----------------| 63%              
23. Children who feel connected to their school       45%   +32%   40% 54% 36% 43% 40%
      46% |-----------------| 81%              
24. 4th-graders who meet or exceed state standards in English Language Arts       57%   +46%   37% 79% 55% 81% NA
      13% |-----------------| 77%              
25. 8th-graders who are enrolled in Algebra     42%     +92%   34% 52% NA 41% 26%
      69% |-----------------| 90%              
26. 10th-graders who pass the English portion of the California High School Exit Exam       79%   +20%   65% 93% 89% 85% 78%
NA - Not Available