Welfare of Utah Kids is Strong

None by Eric Ray

Study Says Utah Ranks 4th In Nation

(KCPW News) Utah ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to the welfare of its children. That's according to the 2007 Kids Count, a study released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Utah was tops in several areas, including the fewest children living in single-parent homes, and in homes where parents hold down full time employment. The latter ranking could be deceiving though, according to Terry Haven of Voices for Utah Children. Haven says that while just 10% of Utah kids live below the federal poverty level, 40% live in low-income households.

The only area of the report where Utah falls below the national level is the child death rate for kids one to 14 years old. Utah sits 20th and the rate rose 5% from 2000 to 2004. Haven says car accidents are the major cause of most child death in Utah. Recreational vehicle accidents are causing an increasing number of those deaths.

To hear more details about how Utah ranks in the Kids Count study, download a podcast of today's Midday Metro.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW