Geography Matters

05/06/2008

Learning patience can be a difficult experience, but once conquered, you will find life easier.
Catherine Pulsifer

The Every Child Matters Education Fund has published a report, "Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States", that compares statistics among the 50 states on 10 indicators of child well-being such as infant mortality, child poverty, uninsured children, and child welfare expenditures. What the report reveals is that a "widening investment gap in health and social programs is contributing to a wide 'child well-being gap among the states." Children in the ten lowest ranking states are...

Twice as likely to die in their first year as children in the highest-ranking states
Three times more likely to die between the ages of 1 - 14
Three times more likely to live in poverty
Thirteen times more likely to die from abuse and neglect

Top Ten States
1. Vermont
2. Massachusetts
3. Connecticut
4. Rhode Island
5. New Hampshire
6. Hawaii
7. Iowa
8. Minnesota
9. Washington
10. Maine

Bottom Ten States
41. Arizona
42. South Dakota
43. Nevada
44. Arkansas
45. South Carolina
46. Texas
47. Oklahoma
48. New Mexico
49. Mississippi
50. Louisiana

States with Job Opportunities

The Exchange Job Opportunities service lists positions available for teachers and directors in Colorado, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, California, Utah, Maryland, and Massachusetts at www.childcareexchange.com/jobs. If you are looking for staff, this is also an extremely cost-effective way to get the word out to a blue chip audience of candidates.

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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.