Concord, NH, July 25, 2012 - New Hampshire ranks number one in overall child well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was published today.  

KIDS COUNT is a national and state-by-state project to track the status of children in the U.S. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book includes the latest data on child well-being for every state, the District of Columbia, and the nation. This year's report card was based on an index of 16 indicators grouped into four domains: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community.

New Hampshire earned the top cumulative score in the nation, followed by neighboring Massachusetts and Vermont, while Nevada, New Mexico and Mississippi rank lowest in this year's Data Book. New Hampshire has ranked first in the Data Book nine out of the last 10 years. This year's achievement is even more notable since the Foundation increased its research criteria from 10 to 16 indicators (as noted above) to better serve the needs of decision makers and child advocates.

New Hampshire, known for its quality of life, shows progress in eight of the 16 indicators, particularly in the child education and health categories. For instance, the state improved on time high school graduation rates and maintains one of the best records of children covered by health insurance. And the state has a very high rate of children living in families where the head of household holds a high school diploma.

But that doesn't mean there aren't areas for concern and improvement. Six of the child well-being indicators declined and two remained unchanged. While NH was ranked number one in the report's Family and Community domain, the state shows an increase of children living in high poverty areas and in single parent families. On the educational front, more than 50 percent of New Hampshire fourth and eighth graders rate below proficient in math and reading-although the numbers are improving. A more troubling indicator reflects the climate of economic uncertainty, highlighting a 19 percent increase in children whose parents lacked secure employment.

Ellen Fineberg, executive director of The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire (the state's KIDS COUNT grantee partner) said the data reveals there is still much to be done to improve the prospects for the next generation. "NH did very well overall, with improvements in academic achievement and health. But we remain concerned about the economic security of our children, with a rise in the poverty rate, and the percent whose parents lack secure employment," she said. "We have to ensure that the 'NH advantage' encompasses all of our families and children."

The national assessment was a similar mix of good and bad news. Between 2005 and 2011, improvements in children's health and education included a 20 percent decrease in the number of kids without health insurance; a 16 percent drop in child and teen death rates; an 11 percent reduction in high school drop outs; and an 8 percent reduction in eighth-graders scoring poorly in math.

Yet the Data Book confirms that kids and families nationwide are still struggling economically in the wake of the recession. In 2010, one-third of youths had parents without secure employment - a 22 percent increase in just two years. From 2005 to 2010, the number of children living in poverty rose by 2.4 million.

"This year's findings reveal signs of hope in the midst of tough economic times for millions of families across the country," said Patrick McCarthy, the Casey Foundation's president and CEO. "While we've made progress in some important areas, we must work together to make sure every child, not just a select few, has the opportunity to succeed. We can help children reach their full potential by ensuring they stay on track in school and grow up healthy in strong financially stable families surrounded by supportive communities."

The KIDS COUNT Data Book is available immediately in the KIDS COUNT Data Center, http://datacenter.kidscount.org , which also contains the most recent national, state and local data on hundreds of other measures of child well-being. The Data Center allows users to create rankings, maps and graphs for use in publications and on websites, and to view real-time information on mobile devices.

Follow the Annie E. Casey Foundation on this issue on Twitter @aecfkidscount and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KIDSCOUNT. 

About the Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private national philanthropy that creates better futures for the nation's children by strengthening families, building economic opportunities and transforming neighborhoods into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

About the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire

The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire promotes policies and practices that enable all children to lead healthy and productive lives and to reach their full potential. For almost 25 years, the Alliance has worked to improve children's health, promote educational opportunity, ensure child safety, and encourage family economic security. Through research, coalition building and advocacy, the Alliance cultivates support for public policies and strategic investments benefitting New Hampshire's children, families and communities. For more information, visit www.childrenNH.org.