Gov. Peter Shumlin announced July 25 the results of a survey
that ranked Vermont the third-best state for overall child
well-being, noting that in one category - health indicators -
Vermont leads the nation.
"I'm proud to continue Vermont's long-standing commitment to our
children, ensuring they have access to health care, great
education, and a safe environment," the Governor said at a news
conference at the Family Center of Washington County.
The 2012 KIDS COUNT report, by the Annie E. Casey Foundation,
analyzed the latest information on child development and well-being
using 16 indicators organized into four categories: Economic
Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community. Among the
indicators released Vermont ranked:
#1 for Health, with significant decreases in children without
insurance, child and teen deaths and teens who abuse drugs or
alcohol.
#2 for Family and Community, with improvements in children
in single-parent households, in families there the household held
lacks a high school diploma, and teen births.
#3 for Education, with improvements in reading proficiency and
high school students graduating on time.
#12 on Economic Well-Being. Rates remained low, but there were
increases in poverty and children living in households with a high
housing cost burden.
Gov. Shumlin said ranking 12th on economic well-being is a solid
position for Vermont, but he added that he's already moving forward
to improve that statistic by focusing on creating and keeping
good-paying jobs to Vermont.
"Vermont's great ranking is the result of our policies and
commitments to making sure children do well, and our strong
community partnerships with organizations like the Family Center of
Washington County and others," said Human Services Secretary Doug
Racine. Racine noted that federal budget cuts to important services
and tough economic times have made the task more challenging, but
he said Gov. Shumlin continues to push for even more improvement on
this front.
Joined by Human Services Secretary Doug Racine, Education
Commissioner Armando Vilaseca and Dave Yacavone, commissioner of
the Department of Children and Families, the Governor said his
administration remains committed to ensuring Vermont is among the
very best states in the country to raise children.
Gov. Shumlin also thanked Lee Lauber, executive director of the
Family Center, and the staff for their hard work on behalf of
children in Washington County.
"We are proud of Vermont's investment in comprehensive child
development and family support services," said Lauber. "KIDS COUNT
results prove investments in our children and families make
statistical differences in their wellbeing."
Tagged:
children, well-being
