A Data-Driven Exploration of Child Well-being in Allen County
Communities are strengthened when people who care deeply about children and families come together, helping create a community where everyone has the chance to thrive.
On April 29, 2026, we partnered with Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) to present the 2026 IYI’s State of the Child Allen County event. The gathering brought together community members who support, influence, or care about the well-being of young people, including frontline youth workers, educators, nonprofit leaders, funders, advocates, and decision-makers.
Data Presentation
At the event, IYI representatives shared the latest data published in the 2026 Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a trusted, data-driven resource on child well-being across Indiana. Sherri Lauver, Ph.D., Vice President of Data, Research, and Professional Education at IYI, led the presentation and highlighted what the information revealed about child well-being in Allen County across four key areas—Education, Economic Well-being, Health, and Family & Community—to better understand where we’re making progress and where more focus is needed.
“For nearly a decade, Indiana Youth Institute has been bringing communities together through local State of the Child events, and for more than three decades we’ve served as Indiana’s KIDS COUNT® Network affiliate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation,” said Tami Silverman, DPA, President and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute. “That experience has shown us the power of data when it’s shared locally and used by youth-serving organizations for action. Through our partnership with Foellinger Foundation, we were excited to continue amplifying this year’s State of the Child Allen County, welcoming those who joined us before and those who were there for the first time, as we work together to ensure every child feels seen, supported, and set up for success.”
After each key area’s data was presented, attendees had the opportunity to discuss insights and takeaways at their tables.
Andrew Gritzmaker
President and CEO of YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
“A major takeaway for me was how low Indiana ranks nationally—in 25th place—in overall child well-being and even lower in the area of health (30th), even with 94% of Indiana children covered by some level of health insurance,” shared event attendee Andrew Gritzmaker, President and CEO of YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. “At the YMCA, we seek equitable access to health and wellness for everyone in our community. A major measure of success as a community must be the health of our most vulnerable populations, including our children.”
Geoff King
CEO of Love Fort Wayne
“There is great value in events like State of the Child,” said Geoff King, CEO of Love Fort Wayne. “Most of us don’t know the hard data or truths outside of our areas of care, and events like this give us an opportunity to dive deeper into realities facing children in our community.” He added, “We plan to use the insights and data to help guide and inform our efforts at Love Fort Wayne within the ‘Love Our Schools’ and ‘Love Our Families’ organizational pillars. It is vital that we have a better understanding of child well-being so that youth-serving organizations can better identify partnerships and collaborative efforts based on need and opportunity.”
Ermina Mustedanagic
CEO of Wellspring Interfaith Social Services
“I was encouraged to see progress in reading literacy across our community during the presentation,” shared Ermina Mustedanagic, CEO of Wellspring Interfaith Social Services. “For the past three years, Wellspring has made increasing literacy a primary goal within our After School Program, and our internal reading assessments have shown tremendous improvement among the children we serve. Learning that students across Allen County are also making gains in reading skills was incredibly encouraging and reinforces the importance of continuing to invest in literacy programs. It was wonderful to learn about the Indiana FIVE by 50 initiative. Wellspring will begin incorporating this goal into our planning and programming as we continue to support children and families in Allen County.”
Data shared in the 2026 Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book revealed areas where Allen County is improving and areas where attention is needed.
Allen County’s high school graduation rate in 2025 was 93.2%, which surpassed the state average.
18.2% of Allen County children experienced food insecurity in 2023, up from 12.7% in 2021.
Allen County students report higher rates of alcohol use, vaping, cigarette use, and marijuana use than Indiana overall.
The number of children in need of services (CHINS) cases in Allen County increased from 1,171 in 2024 to 1,369 in 2025.
“At Foellinger Foundation, we believe that outcomes are most powerful when supported by data,” said Sarah Strimmenos, President and CEO of Foellinger Foundation. “We hope the conversations sparked at the event continue—fueling collaboration, shaping decisions, and inspiring new ways to support children and families.”
Panel Discussion
Following the presentation, Tami Silverman moderated a panel discussion featuring community leaders and educators. The panelists included Susan Baier, Executive Director of the Allen County Public Library; Mark Daniel, Ph.D., Superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools; and Drew Williams, CEO of Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana. They shared their insights on the information presented and how their organizations are working to create positive change for Allen County youth.
Susan Baier
Executive Director of Allen County Public Library
“Events like State of the Child are incredibly valuable because they allow us to compare and contrast what we’re seeing within our own organization with what other local service providers are experiencing,” said Susan Baier, Executive Director of the Allen County Public Library. “Just as impactful and as powerful as seeing the numbers and our ranking among the state and peer counties, was seeing a packed room of community leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who are willing and able to show up for Allen County youth. Seeing all that interest and support for the work that we are doing as providers was truly humbling and inspiring.”
Susan also shared that the library is supporting kids in many ways. She highlighted specialized offerings such as the neurodiverse teen hangout and the library’s Team Read summer employment program, which provides teens with income, social and soft skills, communication training, financial literacy, and additional lifelong skills. “Go to any of our 14 libraries across Allen County,” Susan added, “and you will find caring library staff who are invested in supporting the success of the youth of our community.”
Get Involved
Understanding the data is just the beginning. If you’re looking to learn more about what you can do to improve child well-being in our community, the resources below will help you get started in this work.
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Dive deeper into the data discussed today by downloading the 2026 Indiana KIDS COUNT Data Book.
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IYI’s interactive County Dashboard makes it easy to gain insight into child well-being within Allen County. Learn how to navigate the dashboard here.
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This statewide vision strengthens the web of relationships surrounding every child in Indiana by ensuring each has a network of at least five supportive, caring adults by the year 2050. Learn more about this Indiana Youth Institute initiative here.
Photo Gallery
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event. We’re grateful to be in community with so many youth workers, educators, and community leaders who share a dedication to improving outcomes for children and families in Allen County.