Massachusetts is One of The Best States for Children

Massachusetts is the second best state in the nation for U.S. children, based on a diverse set of 10 child well-being standards, including lack of access to prenatal care, premature deaths, malnutrition, poverty, child abuse and teen incarceration, according to a major new report released by the non-profit and non-partisan Every Child Matters Education Fund.
In revealing a nation that is starkly divided with what are often "deadly differences" in how it treats its youths, the report shows "geography matters" greatly when it comes to the ability of U.S. children to be healthy and survive to adulthood.
For example, children in the bottom of all the states are three times more likely to die before the age of 14; five times more likely to be uninsured; and eight times more likely to be incarcerated as teens.
The states with the best performance for children are (in order) Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, & Maine.
In fact, all 6 New England states made the top 10, making it the best region in America for children.
In Massachusetts. there are 1,458,036 children under age 18.
According to the Fund's report, here is the Bay State's ranking in the categories:

Deaths of infants per 1,000 live births -- #4
Deaths per 100,000 Children Aged 1-14 -- #2
Deaths per 100,000 Teens Aged 15-19 -- #4
Births to Teen Mothers (15-19) per 1,000 Teen Girls -- #3
Births to Women Receiving Late or No Prenatal Care --#6
Children Living in Poverty --#5
Uninsured Children - #11
Juvenile Incarceration Rate (per 100,000) -- #12
Child Abuse Fatalities per 100,000 Children -- #6
Per Capita Child Welfare Expenditures -- #7
Child Vulnerability Index -- #2


To read the entire report, visit: http://www.everychildmatters.org/homelandinsecurity/index_geomatters.html

The Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF) is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on making the needs of children and youth a national political priority and promoting the adoption of smart policies for children, youth, and families-including stopping child abuse, helping working families with child care, expanding pre-school education and after-school programs, and ensuring that children receive good health care.