A new study by WalletHub shows that Georgia ranks among the 20 States with the most underprivileged children. The study was released in connection with Child Support Awareness Month (August) and also points out that the U.S. currently has the seventh highest child poverty rate among economically developed nations.
The study states that in order to bring awareness to the condition of underprivileged children throughout the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key measures of neediness. The data set ranges from share of children in households with below-poverty income to child food-insecurity rate to share of maltreated children. The top three key dimensions were: 1) Socio-economic Welfare, 2) Health and 3) Education.
So how did Georgia rank? Overall, Georgia ranked 18th among the states with the most underprivileged children. The District of Columbia ranked 1st (having the most underprivileged children) and New Mexico followed. Rounding out the five states were: West Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Number from the study: Welfare of Children in Georgia (1=Most; 25=Avg.):
● 11th – Percentage of Children in Households with Below-Poverty Income
● 13th – Child Food-Insecurity Rate
● 9th – Percentage of Uninsured Children
● 9th – Infant Mortality Rate
● 8th – Percentage of Children in Single-Parent Families
Interestingly, other reports issued this year have stated that two-thirds of children in Georgia’s K-12 public schools come from low-income families.
In order to assess the living and economic conditions of children across the nation, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Socio-economic Welfare, 2) Health and 3) Education. The study also reported that — according to the Children’s Defense Fund– a child is abused or neglected every 47 seconds and the total costs of maltreatment per year reach $80.3 billion.
