Some more great news for the Granite State – for the fifth year in a row, New Hampshire has been named “Healthiest State for Children in the Nation” by the Ann E. Casey Foundation. Check out this report reprinted from today’s Portsmouth Herald:
Study: N.H. the healthiest state for kids
By Dave Choate
dchoate@seacoastonline.com
PORTSMOUTH — New Hampshire retained its title of the best place in the United States to raise children, while Maine hovered just outside of the top 10 in an annual report.
In the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report, New Hampshire was declared the top state for the fifth year in a row, while Maine was 12th. The report uses 10 different measures to determine the general well-being of children in all 50 states.
Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire President Ellen Fineberg said that New Hampshire owes its success to the fact that the state in general is comparatively wealthy and boasts a high rate of well-educated people. With the economy changing and the state attracting new residents all the time, Fineberg said New Hampshire needs to continue to battle childhood poverty in order to continue to provide a safe, healthy environment for children.
“We have to keep working really hard to stay there,” she said.
Fineberg noted that the data only measures up until 2007, which means the recent recession is not included in the calculations. The high school dropout rate, teen birth rate, child death rate and teen death rate all declined for the state in this report, while the infant mortality rate, child poverty and children whose parents have secure employment all increased somewhat. Fineberg said those areas are a concern for New Hampshire.
In materials provided by the alliance, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said he was pleased with the state’s ranking.
“It is important that we continue to provide the opportunities for a better future for our children,” Lynch said.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Tags: Ann E. Casey Foundation, Children's Alliance of New Hampshire, Ellen Fineberg, Portsmouth Herald