Ariz. falls to bottom 5 in child welfare ranking
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona has fallen nine spots in an annual ranking of child welfare, putting the state in the bottom five nationwide.
The 2012 Kids Count Data Book was released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report shows Arizona ranked 46th overall, a drop from its spot last year at 37.
The report shows that conditions for Arizona children worsened in seven out of 16 categories since 2005, including the number of children living in poverty and teenagers who neither are in school nor working.
Arizona did show improvements in health care and in decreasing the number of teen births.
The president and chief executive of Children's Action Alliance says the economic recession is partly to blame.
The states that ranked below Arizona overall are: Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and Mississippi.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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