MBPC Welcomes Xanna Burg as New KIDS COUNT Coordinator

Jan 21, 2020

By Tara Jensen

MBPC grew this month by adding a new program and new staff member. MBPC announced in October that we will be the new host agency for the KIDS COUNT program in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. MBPC will be the first grantee in the country to assume the responsibilities for KIDS COUNT in a three-state regional area. With that new responsibility, MBPC welcomed Xanna Burg as the KIDS COUNT Coordinator. Xanna comes to MBPC with a background in public health and experience working across a variety of sectors to improve the health of children. She started her career implementing nutrition education programs in communities before pursuing a graduate degree in epidemiology and transitioning to research and evaluation work. Prior to joining MBPC, Xanna worked as a data analyst for the Colorado WIC program where she used administrative data to evaluate the impact of WIC for Colorado families. Xanna loves working with data and is excited to share that passion to improve the lives of children in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. As the KIDS COUNT Coordinator, Xanna will be responsible for compiling and publishing KIDS COUNT data and ensuring that data is used to inform better policies for children and families. If you have questions or would like to learn more about her plans for this work, you can contact her here. KIDS COUNT is a national program funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that provides timely and reliable data on the well-being of children. KIDS COUNT seeks to provide state legislators, public officials, and child advocates with the reliable data, policy recommendations, and tools needed to advance sound policies that benefit children and families and to raise the visibility of children’s issues through a nonpartisan, evidence-based lens. Each year, the Foundation produces a comprehensive report — the KIDS COUNT Data Book — that assesses child well-being in the United States. The indicators featured in the Data Book are also available in the Data Center. KIDS COUNT has grantees in all 50 states and three territories. As a state grantee of KIDS COUNT, MBPC will provide detailed data at the state level and a local perspective on key policy issues. MBPC is excited about this new role and the opportunity to provide high-quality data on the well-being of children across the three-state region.