Study: Louisiana ranks near last in child well-being

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A new report shows that the well-being of Alabama's children has failed to keep pace with the rest of the country.

The report released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Alabama 44th in the nation in the quality of life it provides for its children.

The annual ranking measures states on 16 indicators from 2017 data covering topics like health, education and economic well-being.

Alabama stayed the same or improved in all indicators, but its ranking still dropped because other states improved at a faster pace.

New Hampshire and Massachusetts received this year's top rankings. Louisiana and New Mexico are the lowest-ranked states.

Alabama showed the most progress in the education domain. It made small improvements in graduation rates and math and reading proficiency.