5 Children’s Health Statistics Policymakers Need to Know

When policymakers make decisions about health care, children are too often an afterthought.

But children aren’t just a smaller slice of the population. Their health care needs, systems of care, and outcomes are fundamentally different from those of adults.

Decisions made in Washington, D.C., and state legislatures today will shape whether children can access care, whether hospitals can sustain specialized services, and whether families receive the support they need to help their kids thrive.

At the Children’s Hospital Association, we work with hospitals across the country to bring data, research, and real-world experience together to inform policy decisions.

The numbers tell a clear story: When children’s health isn’t prioritized, the consequences are real. Here are five data points policymakers shouldn’t ignore.

1. Nearly 50% of U.S. children rely on Medicaid and CHIP

Public health programs are the backbone of children’s health care in America, with Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) insuring nearly half of all children in the U.S.

For millions of families, this coverage determines whether a child can see a pediatrician, access specialty care, or receive treatment for complex conditions.

When policies threaten Medicaid funding or restrict access, the impact is immediate. Children don’t have alternative coverage options, and children’s hospitals are left with fewer resources to meet growing demand for care.

What it means: Medicaid is more than a safety net for kids. It’s the foundation of their care.

2.  Less than 10% of federal spending supports children's health

Children represent roughly 23% of the U.S. population, yet only about 9% of federal spending is directed toward programs that support them.

This imbalance has long-term implications. Underinvestment in children’s health leads to higher costs down the road, poorer health outcomes, and missed opportunities to support healthy development early in life.

What it means: Prioritizing children’s health isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s a smart investment in the nation’s future.

3.  Children's hospitals provide 95% of pediatric cancer care

Children’s hospitals are uniquely equipped to care for the most complex and serious pediatric conditions.

In fact, children's hospitals serve the majority of kids with serious, complex, and chronic conditions and provide 95% of all pediatric cancer care, according to our analysis of the HCUP KID database.

From specialized teams to pediatric-focused research, children’s hospitals provide services that aren’t available elsewhere.

Policy decisions that impact children’s hospitals, whether through reimbursement changes, funding cuts, or regulatory shifts, don’t just affect institutions. They affect access to life-saving care for the children who need it most.

What it means: When children’s hospitals are strong, children with the most complex medical needs have a chance to heal, grow, and thrive.

4.  Only 1.7% of graduate medical education funds support training pediatricians

Despite the critical need for pediatric specialists, only a fraction of federal graduate medical education funding supports training in children’s hospitals.

Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) accounts for just 1.7% of total federal graduate medical education (GME) spending, leaving pediatric physician workforce training chronically underfunded.

This gap limits the number of pediatricians and subspecialists entering the workforce at a time when demand for care — especially for mental health and complex conditions — is growing.

Without sustained investment, the result is predictable: longer wait times, limited access to specialty care, and increased strain on providers and hospitals.

What it means: Supporting the pediatric workforce isn’t optional. It’s essential to ensuring children can access the care they need when and where they need it.

5. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adolescents has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition

Children’s mental and behavioral health needs have increased in recent years, and the data underscores the urgency. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adolescents has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition, including anxiety, depression, or conduct problems.

Children’s hospitals are seeing this trend play out in real time, with rising demand for services and increasing complexity among patients. Yet access to mental health care has not kept pace, driven in part by workforce shortages, fragmented systems, and insufficient investment in pediatric-focused care. According to the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, 55% of American children face difficulty obtaining mental health care.

What it means: Children’s mental health is a growing public health crisis — and without stronger support, too many kids won’t get the care they need when they need it most.

The bottom line: Children’s health must be a priority

These five data points reinforce a simple truth: Children’s health can’t be an afterthought in policy decisions.

From coverage and funding to workforce and community support, every decision by policymakers has downstream effects on children, families, and the systems that care for them.

Children’s health should be a national priority, not just in name, but in action. That means investing in the programs that serve kids, strengthening the hospitals that care for them, and ensuring every policy decision considers the unique needs of children from the start.

Because when children are healthier, our communities and our future are stronger.