Children aren't faring very well in an annual report on their well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation says 500,000 more American children were living in poverty in 2003 than in 2000.
There are 13 million children in depressed conditions. In addition, the percentage of low-birthweight babies increased and infant mortality was up for the first time in 40 years. The study also finds an increase in families where no parent has a full-time job and a rise in the teen death rate. Four million children are living with parents who haven't held a job in the previous year. That's an increase of 1 million since the start of the decade.
There were some improvements, though. The child death rate was down, as were the teen birth rate and the high school dropout rate.
A news release said that child well-being had rapid and sustained growth during the 1990s (when Clinton was in office), but it has slowed (during Smirky McFlightsuit's tenure).
New Hampshire, Vermont, and Minnesota (all latte-drinking, Volvo-driving blue states, I believe) rank highest when all indicators were compared, and Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi (all family-values red states) rank the lowest.
Italics and snarky editorial comments are mine.
So let's wring our hands and get our panties in a wad about abortion and gay adoption, never mind that the children already here aren't faring so well and their parents can't find work.
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