Louisiana ranked second to last in worst US state for child wellbeing

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) -- Louisiana landed among the worst states for overall child wellbeing, ranking 49th, according to a new report.

Data was collected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

"A functional child care system that meets the needs of families would ensure parents have care when and where they need it — at a reasonable cost and with family-supporting pay for child care professionals," said foundation President and CEO Lisa M. Hamilton.

The state's ranking was wedged between Mississippi at 48th place and New Mexico at 50th place. The report listed New Hampshire, Utah and Massachusetts as the top three best states for child wellbeing.

"According to one estimate, shortcomings of the child care system cost the U.S. economy $122 billion a year through lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue," said Hamilton.

The report breaks down its overall wellbeing findings by looking at a state's economic wellbeing, education, health and family and community factors for children.

Louisiana ranked last in economic wellbeing, 43rd for education, 49th for health and family and community. According to the Agenda for Children website, 33% of kids in Louisiana live in families without secure employment and 20% were living in households that were food insecure in the last year.

"Every child in our great state deserves to reach their full potential. However, a long history of under-investment in children and families means that Louisiana children face worse outcomes than children in nearly every other state. It’s time for our elected officials to work together across the aisle to make the investments our children need to become economically secure, healthy, and well-educated,” said Agenda for Children CEO Jen Roberts.

Roberts said policies that would help improve children's wellbeing in Louisiana include making early care and education affordable and accessible, improving families' economic stability through a minimum wage, and paid family and medical leave.

Factors in childcare access, according to the report, include the COVID-19 pandemic and care availability.

Agenda for Children, located in New Orleans, offers programs to help children and families in need.