AUGUSTA, Maine — The annual Kids Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation has found that Maine is making strides in some areas when it comes to children, but continues to struggle in other areas.
Maine ranks 14th overall among states according to the national report released Tuesday.
The report found that Maine has made progress in the areas of education, health, and family and community. More high school students are graduating on time and proficiency rates have improved for fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math scores. The teen birth rate is at a historic low.
But when it comes to economic well-being, Maine children struggle.
More than one-third of Maine children live in households where parents lack full-time, year-round employment, while 21 percent of Maine children — or 54,000 — live in poverty.