United Way of Northern Arizona — The ‘Land of Inopportunity’

A recent report from Save the Children further proves how location can profoundly affect a child’s prospects in this country, and why it is vital that we continue to Step Up for Our Youth in northern Arizona.

The report, called “The Land of Inopportunity,” is a part of the nonprofit’s annual evaluation of how children are faring around the globe. This year, however, Save the Children added a powerful tool that allows regions to see how they measure up – an online interactive map ranking U.S. counties by how well they prioritized and protect children.

The ranking is determined by four factors that “end” childhood: poor education, malnutrition, teenage pregnancy and early death due to ill health, accident, murder or suicide.

The 2020 report and map show we still have a long way to go in northern Arizona.

Coconino County is ranked at 1826 out of 2617 counties examined, well within the bottom third for the nation. The news is worse for children in Navajo and Apache counties, which ranked 2547 and 2565 respectively.

As a state, Arizona ranked 38 out of 50.

Here in Coconino County:

The numbers dispute the assumption by many that child deprivation is an “urban issue.” As the Save the Children report notes, rural child poverty rates are higher than urban rates in most states.

At the United Way, we are committed to Stepping Up for Our Youth and supporting those agencies and programs that help our kids become resilient and successful. By strategically investing resources in initiatives with proven track records, we can ensure that northern Arizona is a place of opportunity for our youth, instead of a place where their childhoods prematurely end.

We invite you to join us and Step Up for Our Youth with a donation of any amount today. Your gift will help us LIVE UNITED and ensure a better future for our children.