Louisiana's kids are not OK
Louisiana ranks second to last in the U.S. for overall child well-being, according to new data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Why it matters: The numbers offer a yearly check-in on how well the state is serving its youngest residents and where it's falling short, especially in areas like child poverty and health.
The big picture: The annual Kids Count report shows how children are faring overall, based on economic well-being, education, health and family/community factors.
Louisiana improved its fourth grade reading proficiency scores and its on-time high-school graduation rate, the report found.
But, the overall news is not great for the state's children.
The foundation found that children in Louisiana experience less economic stability, worse health and more concerning community conditions than peers in most other states.
Zoom in: The states with the biggest challenges are generally in the South and Southwest. New Mexico ranked last, with Louisiana and Mississippi rounding out the bottom three.
Many Northeast and Midwest states rank near the top, with New Hampshire ranked 1st.
Zoom out: Some of the bright spots nationally were reductions in child poverty, fewer teen births, an increase in on-time high school graduation and more children with health insurance, the organization said.
Education continues to be a problem nationally, the report found.
Reading and math scores have declined since 2019, chronic absenteeism is a "major challenge" and preschool participation hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Between the lines: The foundation argues that a child's future success often depends on where they grow up.
"Geographic disparities around the country have persisted for years, shaped by differences in state and local policies, economic conditions, infrastructure, resources, neighborhood characteristics and community investment," the report says.
Concerning stats for Louisiana:
The child and teen death rate ranked 49 out of 50, based on 2023 data. Louisiana averaged 48 deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-19. Leading causes of death are vehicle crashes, drowning and homicide.
25% of children live in poverty statewide, compared to 16% children nationally.
79% of 8th graders were below proficient in math, which is higher than the national average of 73%.
The bottom line:"Moving our state from 49th in overall child well-being won't be easy, but we do know what works: improving families' economic security, making sure children have nutritious food, and building safe, opportunity-rich communities," said Jen Roberts, CEO of Agenda for Children, in statement.
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Axios
24-06-2025
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Louisiana's kids are not OK
Louisiana ranks second to last in the U.S. for overall child well-being, according to new data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Why it matters: The numbers offer a yearly check-in on how well the state is serving its youngest residents and where it's falling short, especially in areas like child poverty and health. The big picture: The annual Kids Count report shows how children are faring overall, based on economic well-being, education, health and family/community factors. Louisiana improved its fourth grade reading proficiency scores and its on-time high-school graduation rate, the report found. But, the overall news is not great for the state's children. The foundation found that children in Louisiana experience less economic stability, worse health and more concerning community conditions than peers in most other states. Zoom in: The states with the biggest challenges are generally in the South and Southwest. New Mexico ranked last, with Louisiana and Mississippi rounding out the bottom three. Many Northeast and Midwest states rank near the top, with New Hampshire ranked 1st. Zoom out: Some of the bright spots nationally were reductions in child poverty, fewer teen births, an increase in on-time high school graduation and more children with health insurance, the organization said. Education continues to be a problem nationally, the report found. Reading and math scores have declined since 2019, chronic absenteeism is a "major challenge" and preschool participation hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels. Between the lines: The foundation argues that a child's future success often depends on where they grow up. "Geographic disparities around the country have persisted for years, shaped by differences in state and local policies, economic conditions, infrastructure, resources, neighborhood characteristics and community investment," the report says. Concerning stats for Louisiana: The child and teen death rate ranked 49 out of 50, based on 2023 data. Louisiana averaged 48 deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-19. Leading causes of death are vehicle crashes, drowning and homicide. 25% of children live in poverty statewide, compared to 16% children nationally. 79% of 8th graders were below proficient in math, which is higher than the national average of 73%. The bottom line:"Moving our state from 49th in overall child well-being won't be easy, but we do know what works: improving families' economic security, making sure children have nutritious food, and building safe, opportunity-rich communities," said Jen Roberts, CEO of Agenda for Children, in statement. Go deeper
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Indiana's overall child well-being improves, with high rankings in economic and education
Research suggests that children and youth engaged in formal mentoring programs, especially those involved for a year or more, reported significantly fewer behavioral problems and fewer symptoms of depression and social anxiety when compared to non-mentored youths. (Getty Images) A state-by-state report shows Indiana child well-being has improved with its highest rankings in over a decade for both economic and education categories. But it remains in the bottom half for health and family and community — indicating progress and opportunities to do better for Hoosier children. The 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book ranked Indiana 25th overall for child well-being, slightly improving from 27th in 2024. In 2022 and 2021, the state ranked 28th and 29th. The report is developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in partnership with organizations across the country, including the Indiana Youth Institute. It aims to evaluate where there is progress and what needs greater support among four domains: economics, education, health and family and community. It ranks the national and state data among 16 indicators which are combined under the four domains. This year, Indiana ranked 11th in both economic and education, an increase from 15th and 17th last year, respectively. 'This year's KIDS COUNT rankings reflect encouraging momentum … demonstrating that investments in children and families make a meaningful impact,' said Tami Silverman, president and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute. 'We know what kids need to grow up healthy and connected so they can thrive as adults: stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to learn, play, and grow. Programs that meet these needs are smart investments, fostering long-term gains like workforce development and economic growth.' Nationally, states showed the most improvement in family and community. However, education worsened across the board, with declines in student proficiency in math and reading. New Hampshire and Vermont were ranked among the best in overall child well-being, while New Mexico and Louisiana were ranked lowest. Indiana's economic indicators showed slight increases and was better than the national data in all four categories. In 2023, the number of children in poverty — 239,000 or 15% — remained similar to prior data in 2019. Meanwhile, fewer teens were out of school or work, and more parents had secure employment in 2023. However, the percentage of children living in households burdened by high housing costs increased from 21% in 2019 to 23% in 2023. Indiana data showed better performances in education than national averages, ranking 11th among other states. But individual indicators were worse compared to prior year data. Eighth-grade math proficiency dropped, with 69% not being proficient compared to 63% in 2019. Similarly, 66% fourth graders were not proficient in reading, as compared to 63% in 2019. The percentage of high school students not graduating on time improved slightly, similarly to national trends. Indiana also performed worse in the percentage of young children ages 3 and 4 not in school, 60% compared to 59% in prior data. Indiana's health rankings align with national trends in children and teens between 10 and 17 who are overweight or obese and low birth-weight babies. The state is below average for children without health insurance showing 6% are without. Nationally 5% of children don't have health insurance. Indiana averaged 34 deaths for children and teens per 100,000, marking an increase compared to 29 deaths in prior data. Indiana remained near the bottom nationally in family and community ranking 31st — unchanged from last year. Although each indicator improved and is performing slightly better than national data. In 2023, the state was home to more than 1.59 million children under 18. Of that, 33% are children in single-parent families and 7% of children live in high-poverty areas, which decreased from years before. Nationally, 34% of children are in single-parent families and 11% of children live in high poverty areas. 'When Indiana's kids and families thrive, our entire state moves forward,' Silverman said. 'These rankings are a reminder that while we're seeing real gains in key areas, we must continue to focus on what works—ensuring that every child and every family has the support they need to grow, contribute, and thrive.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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Missouri continues to lag behind most states in children's health, report finds
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