Massachusetts Second in Nation for Child Well-Being

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Mass. Second in Nation For Child Well-Being, Economic Challenges Persist Massachusetts leads the nation in Education and ranks second in child Health (with the highest percentage of insured children), according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book Like so many across the nation, however, children in Massachusetts face significant economic hurdles. Fourteen percent of all Massachusetts children--200,000 children--are currently living in poverty. Twice that many—424,000 children--live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round work. Even parents who can find work face very high housing costs. The Data Book evaluates all 50 states on a range of different measures, all organized into four domains (in each case, one is best and 50 worst.) Economic Well-Being: Massachusetts ranks 11th overall, but it has a large number of households with high housing costs. Education: Massachusetts ranks first overall, thanks to top ratings for reading and math proficiency. Health: Massachusetts ranks second overall, and first in health care coverage. Family and Community: Massachusetts ranks 10th overall—third in teen birth rate but 21st for children in high-poverty areas. The Data Book is the signature report of The Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT initiative, and MassBudget is now the KIDS COUNT group for Massachusetts. That means that in addition to our long-standing work on economic and fiscal issues affecting low- and middle-income people, we are going to produce additional research on the well-being of children in Massachusetts. If you want to learn more about our role with KIDS COUNT, visit the KIDS COUNT area of our website. See a Summary of the Findings for Massachusetts Read the 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

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