The well-being of children in Georgia has improved a bit, according to the latest report compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The annual "Kids Count" ranks states on 10 key indicators affecting the lives of children, such as teen pregnancy, child deaths, and high school dropout rates.
Advocates say while progress has been made, Georgia seems to be unable to break out of the nation’s bottom 10 ranking.
The Family Connection Partnership manages Georgia's "Kids Count" data. Taisa Butler, Director of Public Affairs and Policy, says despite some improvements, Georgia has much work to do.
“We're making slight gains, very small incremental changes. But in the grand scheme, we're just not at the pace of many other states in the nation.”
This year, Georgia ranked 41st in child well-being in the nation. That’s up from last year’s 44th ranking.
Georgia’s high school dropout rate, while slightly better, is still the third highest in the U.S. The number of children living in poverty in Georgia grew by one percent to almost 470 thousand. Georgia’s high school dropout rate, while slightly better, is still the third highest in the U.S.
Georgia did make progress in lowering teen pregnancy, and preventing child deaths.
Georgia has ranked in the bottom ten for the past 17 years.
