The Daily Inter Lake

The number of reported child abuse and neglect cases has dropped significantly during the past six years in Flathead County, but juvenile arrests have increased, a new state report said.

The just-released Montana Kids Count data book is a statewide collaborative effort that pools information about the well-being of Montana's children.

Researchers looked at social and economic status, health and health insurance, education and family demographics to identify needs and inform policy-makers about the strengths and weaknesses of systems serving children.

"In many of these policy measures, Montana stands in the middle, often with the majority of states," according to the report.

"In some measures, Montana has yet to move forward, although as with full-day kindergarten, there are current initiatives being considered."

Data for Flathead County was a mixed bag, with improvement in some areas.

There's been a dramatic increase in the number of Flathead County children enrolled in the state-subsidized Children's Health Insurance Program.

In 2000, 858 children were enrolled; that number is now at 1,379.

The number of teen pregnancies has decreased in the Flathead. In 2000, 12 percent of all births were to teens; that percentage dropped to 9 percent last year.

Statewide statistics, however, show that Montana ranks 29th in the nation for births to teens and 20th in births to teens who are already mothers.

In addition, Montana ranks 44th in the nation for the number of mothers who smoke.

A reported 19.1 percent of all births in Montana are to mothers who smoked during pregnancy.

There are more Flathead County students eligible for free and reduced-price school lunches and more students in special education, but the drop-out rate here has declined from 7.7 percent to 4.9 percent of high-school students.

Juvenile arrests for all crimes increased from 1,380 arrests in 2000 to 1,573 arrests in 2004, the most current data given for Flathead County. Juvenile arrests for drug offenses have increased slightly.

Data for the state report was compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is part of a national effort to track the status of children.