“Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States”
Vermont rates as the best state for children and Louisiana as the worst, according to a report that ranks states on indicators of child well-being, including access to prenatal care for mothers, premature deaths, malnutrition, and child abuse.
Michael R. Petit, the author of the report and the founder of the nonprofit Every Child Matters Education Fund, based in Washington, makes the point that where children grow up makes a difference in their health and welfare.
For example, children in the bottom 10 states are three times more likely to die before age 14, five times more likely to be uninsured, and eight times more likely to be incarcerated as teenagers than their counterparts in the top 10 states.
