For the first time since 2012, an annual report ranks Ohio in the bottom half of states in child well-being. The 2016 Kids Count Data Book from the non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation shows improvements in health and educational indicators, but declines in economic well-being. Ohio is ranked 26th for overall child well-being. The child poverty rate of 23 percent has worsened since 2008. Between 2008 and 2014, Ohio saw teen birth rates drop 36 percent, teen drug and alcohol use drop by 38 percent, and the number of teens not graduating on time fell by 29 percent. The report suggests expanding high-quality pre-K and early childhood services; increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit; and implementing paid family leave.
The data book may be accessed through this link:
http://www.aecf.org/resources/the-2016-kids-count-data-book/
