Health News
"In the face of poverty and other economic woes, Kentucky is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to children's health," reports Jenna Mink of Bowling Green's The Daily News.
- Improving Kentuckians' Health Will Require Education, Fighting Poverty; Poor And Less Educated Have Poorer Health, Study Shows
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Increased access to insurance is just one part of the equation to improve the health of Kentuckians, improving poverty and increasing education levels are disparities that must also be addressed if Kentucky ever...
- Ky. Shows Health Improvements In Kids Count Report, But Is Still Held Back By Poverty; 1/4 Of Children In State Live In Poverty
Overall Child Well-Being by State: 2015By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky ranks 34th in the nation for overall child well-being, showing the most improvement in health and a significant decrease in teen births in recent years, according...
- Kids Count Report Says Hard Times In Early Childhood Are More Likely In Ky. Than Rest Of U.s.; Bad Times Have Long-term Effects
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News One of every five children in Kentucky, by the time they are 5 years old, has experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences such as child abuse, economic hardship, exposure to violence, living in a household...
- Kids Count Report Shows Where Children In Your County And School District Rank, In A Huge Number Of Measures
Conditions have improved slightly for Kentucky children, especially in education and health, and the state's overall well-being ranking has gone up one spot, from 35th to 34th in the nation. But economic conditions for young Kentuckians have...
- Children's Health And Education Improves In Kentucky, But One In Four Kids Lives In Poverty, Report Shows
New data show one in four Kentucky children live in poverty, a sharp increase since 2005, but the state is improving when it comes to children's health and education. These were the latest findings in the influential Kids Count report by the Annie...
Health News
Kentucky ranks 41st in nation for child welfare, report finds
"In the face of poverty and other economic woes, Kentucky is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to children's health," reports Jenna Mink of Bowling Green's The Daily News.The state ranked 41st, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2011 Kids Count Data Book. "We no longer are close to being a bottom-10 state. We are among the bottom 10 states," said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.
Kentucky scored particularly low when it came to child poverty, ranking third highest in the country. The study found 26 percent of Kentucky children live in impoverished homes. Kentucky also ranked low because of its poor economy and because it ranked high in the number of babies that are born with low birth weights, which can cause anything from infant death to behavioral and learning disorders. "While some causes are associated with chronic diseases among mothers, such as diabetes, Kentucky tends to have a high rate due to smoking during pregnancy," Mink reports.
The state also ranked high in terms of the number of children who have at least one parent unemployed. In 2010, about 122,000 Kentucky children had at least one parent who was looking for work. Only four other states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.
Brooks said Kentucky can improve its standing, and improve the welfare of its children, by doing three things. "First, Kentucky families should be given more information about benefits for which they qualify ? last year, Kentuckians left $300 million in unclaimed benefits, such as food stamps and tax credits," Mink reports.
Brooks said he is also strongly in favor of passing a state earned income tax credit, which he said would help families make ends meet. Lastly, he recommends cracking down on businesses that advertise payday loans. "Those kinds of predatory practices contribute to the high price of being poor in Kentucky," he said.
The results of the report were not all bad, however. Kentucky improved on the number of teenagers who stay in school. The average number of kids in Kentucky affected by foreclosure was also lower than the rest of the country. Compare 2.3 percent, or 38,000 children, to the nation's average of about 4 percent. Brooks said the disparity is due to the fact that many Kentuckians rent and live in rural areas. (Read more)
- Improving Kentuckians' Health Will Require Education, Fighting Poverty; Poor And Less Educated Have Poorer Health, Study Shows
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Increased access to insurance is just one part of the equation to improve the health of Kentuckians, improving poverty and increasing education levels are disparities that must also be addressed if Kentucky ever...
- Ky. Shows Health Improvements In Kids Count Report, But Is Still Held Back By Poverty; 1/4 Of Children In State Live In Poverty
Overall Child Well-Being by State: 2015By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky ranks 34th in the nation for overall child well-being, showing the most improvement in health and a significant decrease in teen births in recent years, according...
- Kids Count Report Says Hard Times In Early Childhood Are More Likely In Ky. Than Rest Of U.s.; Bad Times Have Long-term Effects
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News One of every five children in Kentucky, by the time they are 5 years old, has experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences such as child abuse, economic hardship, exposure to violence, living in a household...
- Kids Count Report Shows Where Children In Your County And School District Rank, In A Huge Number Of Measures
Conditions have improved slightly for Kentucky children, especially in education and health, and the state's overall well-being ranking has gone up one spot, from 35th to 34th in the nation. But economic conditions for young Kentuckians have...
- Children's Health And Education Improves In Kentucky, But One In Four Kids Lives In Poverty, Report Shows
New data show one in four Kentucky children live in poverty, a sharp increase since 2005, but the state is improving when it comes to children's health and education. These were the latest findings in the influential Kids Count report by the Annie...