GOSHEN — The Indiana Youth Institute presented to Elkhart and St. Joe counties youth advocates on Tuesday its 2026 State of the Child data.
IYI has been presenting the information since February with plans to share the information at a total of 16 locations across the state before they’re through.
The information used to develop the presentation was based on the 2026 Indiana Kids Count Data Book, which examines the overall wellbeing of Hoosier youth using four areas — Family & Community, Health, Education and Economic Well-Being. While some of the information is more current, from 2025, some information is as old as 2014 depending on how it’s received. Most of the information, though, was based years following 2022, and seeks to show trends in the region, state and nationally.
People from dozens of organizations came to Ivy Tech Community College in Dunlap to learn about the most recent research. While by some markers, Hoosier kids are doing better than previous years and showing tremendous growth, some trends show more negative numbers and by virtually every single marker, Indiana’s kids are worse off than the national average.
For example, Indiana’s overall infant mortality rate continues to decline, at just 6.6 deaths per 1.000 for the available 2023 numbers. While that’s significantly lower than the 2022 number of 7.2, it’s still higher than the national rate of 5.6 per 1,000 live births.
Locally, both Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, among all areas, tended to fall roughly in line with the averages across the state.
Attendees learned about the teen birth rates and juvenile incarceration rates, about health provider availability, children’s insurance coverage, mental health and economic disparities including rent and food insecurity.
Ashley Haynes, vice president of Communications for the Indiana Youth Institute, noted that suicide remains a top three cause of death for Indiana children.
According to the Indiana Youth Survey, in 2022, 35.7% of youth reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two or more consecutive weeks that they stopped doing their usual activities. In 2024, the number declined to 29.9%. Haynes called it measurable improvement and also noted that youth who seriously considered suicide dropped by 4%.
“These are meaningful shifts that suggest prevention efforts, school-based supports and increased awareness may be contributing to reported symptoms,” Haynes said. “While we are seeing an increase in reported symptoms, suicide remains a leading cause of death.”
While substance abuse overall decreased, overdose deaths increased.
She also noted that while poverty was identified as the lowest it’s been in over a decade, at just 15.3% statewide down from 4% the previous year, and in Elkhart County 18.8%, food insecurity has been increasing.
“This increase is not subtle, it reflects real financial strain,” Haynes said.
The amount was alarming given that roughly 30% of those children statewide were identified as ineligible for federal nutrition programs. In Elkhart County, food insecurity increased by 6% from the year prior. In Elkhart County, however, the majority of food insecure families can qualify for assistance, something that is not universally true across the rest of the state.
For households renting their homes, 47% are paying more than 30% of their income for housing.
Literacy, general education and postsecondary education were also addressed. Chronic absenteeism, which spiked during the pandemic, dropped from 18.3% to 16.8, marking the third straight year of improvement.
This matters, Haynes said, because attendance is closely tied to reading skills, math growth and graduation. Third grade reading proficiency has been improving though, with 87.3% of students proficient in 2025, a return to pre-pandemic levels. Students didn’t score quite as well in math though, and that trend continued into high school.
“In other words, roughly one in four students are meeting readiness expectations in math,” Haynes said. “Academic progress is happening, but it’s happening unevenly.”
At the state level in 2025, 54% of students met their SAT benchmark in reading and writing, a substantial increase from 2024; however, only 25.4% met the SAT math benchmark. Elkhart County students, on average, were below the state’s average.
Despite all of that, students are graduating from high school at a historic rate, at 91.8%, and the 2025 dropout rate in 2025 just 4.8%, down from 5.4% in 2024. Post secondary enrollment has a near flat trend, with about 51.7% of students, generally seeking out college or other credentials. For each of those statistics, Elkhart County sat below the state average.
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