SC Ranks 45th in Nation for Child Well-Being

The overall well-being of children in South Carolina has worsened, according to a national report released Monday.

The annual Kids Count Data Book, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, ranks South Carolina 45th in the nation — down two spots since data was released a year ago. The state fell from 43rd to 45th out of 50 states.

Kids County ranks the well-being of children based on four areas: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

The number of children living in poverty, have parents who lack secure employment and come from single-parent homes have all increased, according to the report. 

The number of children living in poverty has increased 28 percent since 2005, according to the data. In the United States, the number of children in poverty increased 23 percent.

The number of teens not in school and not working rose 11 percent from 2008 to 2011.

In 2011, 42 percent of the state's children were in single-parent families — up from 38 percent in 2005. 

South Carolina did show some improvement in the areas of education and heath.
 
The number of children not attending preschool decreased from 59 percent to 55 percent from 2005-2007 to 2009-2011.

The report also shows that more children in grades 4 and 8 are proficient in reading and math, respectively. The number of fourth graders not proficient in reading dropped from 74 percent in 2005 to 72 percent in 2011. Eighth graders not proficient in math showed a decrease from 70 percent in 2005 to 68 percent in 2011.

The low birthweight of babies dipped slightly from 10.2 percent in 2005 to 9.9 percent in 2010.

The 2013 data book shows South Carolina was ranked higher than Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada, Mississippi and New Mexico in overall child well-being. The top five states were New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.

To read the full report, click here.