A comprehensive annual report on children’s well-being in the U-S ranks Missouri 28th out of the 50 states. That’s a slightly lower ranking than last year, when the state was 26th. For 30 years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has measured indicators in four areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. Tracy Greever-Rice with Missouri Kids Count says one in five children in the state lives in poverty, and no discernible progress has been made to decrease those numbers.
She says more resources are needed to help families lift themselves up economically, including federal and state earned-income tax credits and child tax-credit programs, both of which allow working parents to keep more of their take-home pay and help meet their children’s needs.