Vermont rated high on children's issues
The Annie E Casey foundation has come out with it's annual report on children's issues, and Vermont not only ranks high, but continues to improve. Some hilights:
- Vermont had the lowest teen birth rate in the country in 2000 - 10 births per 100,000 females ages 15 to 17, compared to 27 percent for the nation
- About 12 percent of Vermont children lived in poverty in 2000, compared to 17 percent nationally
- 7 percent of Vermont teenagers were high school dropouts - compared to a national average of 9 percent
- In 2000, the child death rate in Vermont was 13 out of 100,000 children ages 1 through 14; the national rate was 22
- The number of children in extreme poverty was 4 percent, compared to a national average of 7 percent
- The report said only 7 percent of Vermont children lack health insurance - compared to a national rate of 12 percent
The report rightly credits Dean's Dr Dynasaur Program with improving the lives and health of Vermont's children. In addition, current Vermont Governor (and Republican) James Douglas gives credit to his predecessors, "Governor Dean and all previous governors, all previous legislatures have had a commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters, and for that we are grateful. We've succeeded, at least in relative terms."
UPDATE (Aziz): Vermont is in stark contrast to Texas, which ranked dead last:
- Vermont had the lowest teen birth rate in the country in 2000 - 10 births per 100,000 females ages 15 to 17, compared to 27 percent for the nation
- About 12 percent of Vermont children lived in poverty in 2000, compared to 17 percent nationally
- 7 percent of Vermont teenagers were high school dropouts - compared to a national average of 9 percent
- In 2000, the child death rate in Vermont was 13 out of 100,000 children ages 1 through 14; the national rate was 22
- The number of children in extreme poverty was 4 percent, compared to a national average of 7 percent
- The report said only 7 percent of Vermont children lack health insurance - compared to a national rate of 12 percent
The report rightly credits Dean's Dr Dynasaur Program with improving the lives and health of Vermont's children. In addition, current Vermont Governor (and Republican) James Douglas gives credit to his predecessors, "Governor Dean and all previous governors, all previous legislatures have had a commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters, and for that we are grateful. We've succeeded, at least in relative terms."
UPDATE (Aziz): Vermont is in stark contrast to Texas, which ranked dead last:
AUSTIN -- Texas again ranks worst in the nation with the highest percentage of uninsured children and near worst in teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates, according to new child poverty data released today.
The 2003 Kids Count Data Book compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore shows Texas lagging behind most other states in a range of indicators of child welfare.
Texas ranks 50th with 22 percent of its children lacking health insurance compared with 12 percent nationally.
"Texas already has the highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation," said F. Scott McCown, executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which participates with a Texas Kids Count program.
"As it stands, the 2004-2005 state budget will mean that even more poor children, and more children in low-income families, will go uninsured," he said.
This spring, legislators cut nearly $10 billion from the upcoming state budget without raising taxes. But advocates for children, the elderly and disabled complained that the cuts were made at the expense of needy Texans.
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