Louisiana Has Another Poor Score

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual liste of children in poverty, is again, not any good news for Louisiana.  Each year, Louisiana is either at or near the bottom, and this year is no expection.

In general, the amount of children that are considered to live in poverty is much higher than even a decade ago.  The Annie E. Casey foundation reports, more children are living in poverty. 

The poverty rate for children in the United States was was 18-percent higher in 2010 than in 2000.  The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual "KIDS COUNT Data Book" indicates that increase put more than two-million additional American children below the federal poverty line.

So how is it that these children all fall under the poverty level?  Well part of the statistics show eight-million kids have a parent that does not have a job.   Laura Speer, the foundation's associate director for policy reform, says that measure of child well-being has doubled since 2007.

The "KIDS COUNT" report says Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi rank lowest on well-being measures that include child poverty rate and percentage of kids living in single-parent families.  States that rank highest for child well-being are New Hampshire, Minnesota and Massachusetts.  The Casey Foundation says U.S. policymakers need to find the will to make sound investments that can improve the economic prospects of struggling families and prepare children for the future.  It recommends strategies such as extending unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, promoting foreclosure prevention and ensuring pregnant women receive prenatal care.