The Indiana Youth Institute released information June 21 stating Indiana children are leading definitively healthier lifestyles, but there are still a high number living in poverty.
Indiana ranks 30th in the nation for overall well-being, as compared to 32nd in 2015. The state improved in two other categories, earning 23rd in education and 31st for child health, but dropped slightly in the categories of economic well-being and family and community, placing 24th and 32nd, respectively.
“It’s encouraging to see Indiana move up in the overall child wellbeing, education and child health rankings,” said Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, in the release. “When we see improvements in these key areas, it means there is hope for a brighter future for our youth, our state and all Hoosiers.”
In addition to these statistics, the Youth Institute reported fewer Indiana teenagers are getting pregnant, fewer are abusing drugs and alcohol and more are graduating high school.
In the release, Silverman called a high school diploma “the first step in setting Hoosier students up for success in their postsecondary plans.” That doesn’t have to mean college, either, but could be going straight into the workforce or earning an internship, she said.
However, it isn’t all good news, Silverman said.
Twenty-two percent of Hoosier children live in poverty, according to national data. According to the release, that’s a 22-percent increase from the percentage at the height of the recession in 2008.
The Youth Institute reports also showed a 63-percent increase in the number of children living in high-poverty areas and general increases in the number of children living in single-parent or low-income homes.
“Historically, poverty tends to lag behind other indicators in a post-recession recovery, which means many families are still struggling to provide for basic needs such as food, medicine, shelter and clothing,” Silverman said in the release.
The KIDS COUNT Data Book compiles all of this information in one source and is now available for public viewing online.
Anicka Slachta
