
The Worst States for Kids
Using a comprehensive set of indicators, the Foundation for Child Development paints a diverse picture of children’s well-being in the U.S. While some states excelled, these 10 failed miserably.













Oh, children. When will they learn? Never, it turns out, if they happen to live in one of the states in the U.S. with a poor record of quality of life for kids. In the Foundation for Child Development’s latest Child and Youth Well-Being Index, the group looked at 28 indicators (most focusing on children under 18 but some including young adults in their 20s) in seven categories to calculate its state-by-state index. The seven areas include family economic well-being, health, safe/risky behavior, educational attainment, community engagement, social relationships and emotional/spiritual well-being, which were given specific weights to calculate the index, on a scale of -1 to 1. “This report shows that a strong relationship exists between children’s well-being and state policies that drive investments in children,” the report says. “The gap between public opinion and public investments in children remains large.” The study’s findings paint a wide spectrum of childhood well-being in the U.S., indicating that “a child’s well-being is strongly related to the state where he or she lives.” Photo Credit: _Ricky