Report: Well-Being Of Montana Children Declining

A new report shows the well-being of Montana's children has declined compared to other states.

Montana ranked 33rd in the annual Kids Count report released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

That's one spot lower than 2010 and a 12-spot drop since 2002, when the state ranked 21st.

The report ranks states based on 10 indicators of child welfare.

It says Montana surpassed the national trend in the percentage increase of children in poverty, teens not in school, infant mortality rate, low-birthweight babies and children in single-parent families.

But the report says child and teen death rates in Montana dropped faster than the national average.

It also says 6,000 Montana children, or 2 percent, have been affected by home foreclosures since 2007.

Associated Press