Report: Indiana Ranks 28th For Child Well-Being

Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 7:00 AM

Most neighboring states found themselves in the middle of the pack as well.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – According to a new study, Indiana ranks in the middle of the pack for child well-being.

The national 2018 Kids Count Data Book was released on Wednesday, which ranks Indiana 28th in the nation for child well-being.

The annual book measures child well-being with 16 indicators in four domains, including family and community, economics, education and health.

According to the report, nearly 20 percent of Indiana children are living in poverty, ranking the state 31st in the nation for child poverty — Indiana’s lowest ranking for this indicator since 2010. Additionally, Indiana is ranked 27th for the percentage of children living in families without secure parental employment, with 15.4 percent of children living in working-poor households.

Indiana ranked 32nd in the family and community category, 24th in overall economic well-being, and 31st in health. Despite some shortcomings, Indiana ranked 14th overall in education

Among neighboring states, Illinois ranked the best for child well-being at 22nd in the nation. Ohio followed at 25th, while Michigan and Kentucky ranked below Indiana at 33rd and 37th in the nation, respectively.

Early access to the full digital copy of the 2018 Kids Count Data Book can be found here.