Kids Count Survey Gives Louisiana Low Rating For Child Welfare

Lousiana ranks next to last among states for the well-being of its children, according to this year's Kids Count survey; done annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Foundation president Patrick McCarthy says the two main determining factors are poverty and single parent homes, but other factors are also considered including single parent families.

This is Louisiana's tenth straight year at 49th of 50 states for child welfare. McCarthy says another reason our state rates so low on the list is the high number of children who die before their time.

McCarthy says the Kids Count survey is not all bad news for Louisiana. He says there are factors of the study in which our state shows year-to-year improvement. McCarthy says better child health initiatives and more focus on basic learning before 4th grade is key to rising higher on the Kids Count survey.