For the second straight year, Kentucky ranks 41st in the nation for the overall well-being of its children.
That's according to the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book compiled by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Kentucky Youth Advocates Executive Director Terry Brooks says Kentucky showed improvement over the past year in four of ten child well-being indicators, but the numbers are worse in five others and stayed the same in one area.
"I cannot imagine that if the Chamber of Commerce's annual report card came out and that 50 percent of its indicators showed a decline that we would not have a state of emergency in the commonwealth," Brooks said.
He said Kentucky showed significant improvement in its teen death rate, thanks to a new graduated drivers license law. However there are higher percentages of low birthweight babies and children living in poverty.
Indiana ranks 31st overall in the data book. New Hampshire is first; Mississippi is last.
The report can be found here.
