The best and worst states for children

(RNN) – New Hampshire tops a list of overall child well-being in the United States. New Mexico is last.

The findings were released this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its annual look at child welfare across the country.

The 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book measures child well-being in four areas: economic well-being, education, health and family and community. It’s based on data collected in 2016.

The report shows improvement in the economy with fewer children living in poverty than five years ago.

Other areas of improvement:

• More children have health insurance.
• The teen birth rate is at its lowest level ever.
• The nation’s graduation rate is at an all-time high at 84 percent.

The report says it found mixed results or stalled progress in other areas:

• Troubling disparities continue among children of color and those from low-income and immigrant families.
• One in five children live in poverty and 13 percent of kids live in a high-poverty neighborhood.
• No progress in the percentage of teens who are neither working nor in school.

Five of the top 10 states are in the Northeast:

1. New Hampshire
2. Massachusetts
3. New Jersey
4. Minnesota
5. Iowa
6. Utah
7. Connecticut
8. Vermont
9. Nebraska
10. Virginia

Bottom five states are: 

• Alaska
• Nevada
• Mississippi
• Louisiana
• New Mexico

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