An annual assessment of child well-being in the United States finds Tennessee has made some strides forward in the last decade, but not in every measure.
Tennessee's children are faring better in education and health care, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count report, issued this morning. The report compared child welfare in Tennessee according to sixteen standards measured in 2005 and again in 2012 and 2013. The state improved in ten of those 16 categories, worsened in five categories, and remained unchanged in one.
The improvements were enough to boost Tennessee from 39th in the nation last year, to 36th this year.
Among the measures by which Tennessee's children saw improvements were reading and math proficiency, the percentage of children with health insurance and infant mortality rates. The number of low-birthweight babies born in the state has also fallen since 2005.
“Good public policies and wise investments in improving outcomes for children over the years have made a difference in the overall well-being of children in Tennessee,” said Linda O’Neal, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, in a statement released shortly after midnight.
But the news was not all good. Tennessee fell short in five categories, mainly related to the economic well-being of children and families. The number of children living in poverty in the state has risen since 2005. The number of children whose parents don't have steady employment has gone up from 30 percent in 2008 to 33 percent in 2012.