The 2010 data book provides data from either the 2009 calendar year or the 2010 state fiscal year. Based on our finidings we see that the recession has taken its toll for the economic wellbeing of Montana children. Both teen and overall unemployment rates were up compared to 2008.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), TANF, and WIC is up, as is the number of children qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch.
Total school enrollment in the state continues on a downward trajectory, a reflection of a smaller child population. However, growth can be seen in the number of young children (age 5 and under), suggesting that school enrollment will level out, if not increase, by the end of the next decade.
Teen drivers in Montana continue to improve on their record of fewer accidents, down by more than one-third since 2000. Additionally, the rate of seatbelt use is going up, reaching 87 percent among high school studetns in 2009, the highest rate on record.
