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MEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Annie E. Casey Foundation recently ranked Massachusetts as the second-best state in the nation regarding children's health and education.
According to the organization's annual Kids Count Data Book, Massachusetts received a state score of 775, well above the national score of 547, with the highest score in the childhood health realm. Utilizing national data, the foundation analyzed the impact of policies, laws, and the Fair Share surtax on the well-being of children.
The scores were tracked across 16 indicators in four domains, including community factors, economic well-being, education, and health, with scores ranging from 0 to 1,000. Some residents in the state say they aren't surprised by the results.
"No, I think it makes a ton of sense," one resident said. "I think we put a lot of pressure, not really on our kids, but on our education system to make sure that everything's good up here."
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While the Bay State ranked higher in education than New Hampshire with a score of 722 compared to 600, they received a score of 771 under the family and community category, while New Hampshire received a score of 937, bringing the Bay State in second behind New Hampshire, which received a national score of 838. Some residents say they understand why the neighboring state surpassed them by more than 60 points.
"No, I'm not surprised at all," another resident explained. "I mean, in New Hampshire, there's not really a lot to do, so when you are a kid, they just kind of kick you outside and they say, ' Touch grass for a while."
Some other bright spots in the report include reductions in overall teen births, declines in child poverty rates, increases in parental employment and educational attainment, improvements in on-time high school graduation rates, and a slight decrease in obesity rates.
The report also shows significant disparities when the data is broken down by race, geography, and class. Since 2019, nearly 30 states have seen overall declines in progress, while 15 states improved and six states remain stable.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.