California ranks 18th in the nation in a new state-by-state look at the well-being of America's children. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
The annual Kids Count report uses ten indicators to measure the well-being of children.
This year's study shows the state is improving in six of the areas, including infant mortality and teen births. However, California continues to have a high number of children living in poverty.
Bill O'Hare wrote the Kids Count report for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
About 19 percent of children in California are below the national poverty threshold, and just to explain that: for an average family of four people, we're talking about 19-thousand dollars a year. So, I think it's a pretty conservative estimate of the number of poor kids.
The report also shows California's eighth graders are lagging behind the national averages in both reading and math proficiency. Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
