R.I. ranks 26th in nation in child well-being

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is ranked 26th in child well-being, according a national survey released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Databook.
State rankings are based on an index of 16 indicators in four key domains – health, education, economic well-being and family and community.
Rhode Island ranked in the top five in health, and was tied for first for the lowest child and teen death rate. “Despite continued economic challenges in our state, Rhode Island has continued to protect our most vulnerable children and families by maintaining our commitment to covering kids through RIte Care,” said Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT.
In education, Rhode Island ranked 24th; in economic well-being, 31st, in family and community, 37th.
The top-rated states overall in child well-being were: New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.
Rhode Island ranked last in New England, following New Hampshire (1), Vermont (2), Massachusetts (3), Connecticut (9), and Maine (13).
“Children are our nation’s most precious resource, as well as our future leaders, employees, citizens and parents,” said Patrick McCarthy, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s president and CEO. “The early years of their lives of their lives are a critical juncture in their development. As our economic recovery continues, we cannot lose sight of doing whatever it takes to help kids, particularly kids in low-income families, reach their full potential – and that includes laying a solid foundation from the moment they are born.”
To view the state rankings, vist datacenter.kidscount.org.

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