An annual report shows Maryland’s national rankings in child well-being across four categories with a total of sixteen indicators. 

The Annie E. Casey Foundation released their 2023 Kids Count Data Book where they track child well-being across each state. The research is expressed across four major categories: economic stability, education, health, and community. The Maryland data page showed the state ranked number 21 overall by the foundation which helps young people transition into adulthood. New Hampshire, Utah, and Massachusetts took the top three spots, while Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico were in the bottom three.

The research is intended to inform policies and practices to yield positive results like effective social programs and private-public partnerships with local and state governments. Foundation CEO, Lisa Hamilton, took part in the annual United Way conference last month at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and shared thoughts consistent with some of the findings. As a panelist she reiterated that food, housing, and healthcare disparities for lower income families are a major barrier to children growing up and being able to lead a stable life as an adult.

The issues highlighted in the 2023 report are tied directly to some of the outcomes program participants are experiencing. Hamilton shares in a Maryland Matters article:

“They said they can’t do those things if we don’t have a safe place to sleep, if we don’t have food on the table, if we don’t have health care or mental health.”

The interactive dashboard shows Maryland’s results per indicator. Maryland’s ranking slipped to 25th for the education specific category and 24th when considering specifically health-related factors.

Read the full Maryland Matters article on the United Way conference panel.

Read the Annie E. Casey Foundation 2023 Kids Count Data Book.