S.C. listed 6th-worst state for children
South Carolina is one of the worst states in the nation to be a kid, according to a new report.
"Geography Matters, Child Well- Being in the States," which was released Wednesday, ranked the state 45th overall based on 10 child well-being standards, including poverty, child abuse, teen incarceration and premature deaths.
The report was released by Every Child Matters Education Fund, a Washington-based nonprofit organization focused on making the needs of children and youth a national political priority.
"The report looks at 10 commonly recognized measurements of child well-being, mostly from official government sources," said Michael R. Petit, author of the report and founder of Every Child Matters. "There exists a huge gap between states on a wide variety of child well-being indicators, especially between the bottom state and the best state. The state that American children live in should not adversely influence life chances, but it does."
For instance, compared with the highest-ranking state, children in the lowest-ranked state are:
--Twice as likely to die in their first year.
--Three times more likely to be born to a teenage mother.
--Three times more likely to live in poverty.
--Eight times more likely to be incarcerated.
--Thirteen times more likely to die from abuse and neglect.
While South Carolina ranked 45th overall, its best finish was 32nd in the number of uninsured children. The state's worst ranking was 50th in per capita child welfare expenditures.
Petit said the child welfare category includes "spending to protect children from abuse and neglect, to treat children who have been abused and neglected, to support the foster care system and support
adoption of children who cannot be returned to their families. It is the principal funding source for dealing with child abuse and neglect."
At the same time, he said, "Why the state of South Carolina is 50th, I don't know."
Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, founder of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, also spoke at the conference where the report was released and speculated that "in South Carolina, minorities and the poor are particularly 'throw-aways.' If we had programs which really treated people with respect and looked at what they can do rather than what they can't do, I think we could bring South Carolina back."
Petit said there are areas where even the top states need improvement.
Other issues are "widespread extensive child abuse," inadequate and low-quality child care and mental health issues that affect children.
He said the purpose of the report is to call attention to these issues during an election year.
"For example, last week, the press reported extensively that we've reached the 4,000 mark in soldiers killed in Afghanistan an Iraq. During that same five-year period, some 30,000 American children either took their own life, died in their own homes of child abuse or were murdered on the streets, and no attention, as a practical matter, was paid to that 30,000 figure."
Petit said residents should pressure elected officials to increase spending on children and to correct disparities between the states.
"As Americans, we need to ask ourselves: Does every child in the U.S. deserve an equal opportunity to be healthy and survive to adulthood?" he said. "Is there a floor below which no American child should fall, regardless of the accident of geography that accounts for where they are born and raised?"
Reach Brenda Rindge at 937-5713 or brindge@postand courier.com.
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Comments
jammer (anonymous) says...
this state places close to last in too many things, the only time we place near first is for being the worse at something
they need to stop putting swimming pools in the larger schools and start putting the actual necessities into the rural schools
maybe we lack so much because we give too much to those that already have all and don't take care of those that really need it... back to the hall of shame
I'm all for pulling all of the lipstick and rouge money out of the suburban schools and putting it in to the rural areas that desperately need our help IMHO
April 3, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kma71 (anonymous) says...
Does every child in the U.S. deserve an equal opportunity to be healthy and survive to adulthood?" he said.
Absolutely they do! But growing up I had a mother who was at home and a father that worked to support me and my 4 siblings. Not once did my family ever go on welfare or ask for state assistance. The only monetary help my mother ever asked for was from our church so I could continue to go to Catholic school after my dad had to retire because of medical problems. We lived from "paycheck to paycheck" but never once received any money from the government! Never! I've been working since I was 16 and I have never asked for assistance from the government! And I don't have kids that I can't afford! If you have children, be adult enough to pay for them yourself! I shouldn't have to pay your children!!
April 3, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hey_U_Guys (anonymous) says...
This article is poorly written.
April 3, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Some polls come out of nowhere and may or may not be valid. To me, others, like this one, are so evident as to trigger a "No Joke, what a waste of time to study what I already know" response. Highlighted here are several problems that our elected representatives could tackle and solve. Anybody think that they will? I don't think that they have the backbone or really care.
April 3, 2008 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Did everyone notice that the state ranks 32nd in insured. The state ranks 50th in welfare. I'm just placing two and two together here. The states best ranking is a derivative of welfare - medicare and medicaid.
April 3, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
Well said Jammer.
April 3, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
If SC really ranks so poorly in practically everything, then why do so many people choose to move here?
I still haven't figured that one out.
April 3, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newto843 (anonymous) says...
I was curious as to who the top states were and who the other bottom feeders were. I found the full rankings here.
http://everychildmatters.org/homeland...
April 3, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
Excellent point 8thiestic. I have often wondered that myself. You could look at it this way. If you were to get in your car and drive too fast, get too many speeding tickets, etc., you could not only have your license revoked, but you could potentially have your vehicle impounded. And as you should considering that wrecklessness is a public safety issue.
On the other hand, you can continue to procreate and help bring kids into the world no matter what the situation. It doesn't matter if dad is a dope pusher or mom is a crack addict, we let people like that to continue havings kids (most of which we are probably paying for)
You want to reduce poverty? Require that those on public assistance use birth control. In other words, we will provide the financial support for your existing children. We'll help you with job training, etc. After all, it's not their fault as to what kind of family they were born into and we're not going to punish them for the mistakes and irresponsibility of their parents. But one thing we will not allow is for them to continue having children while they're on public assistance.
April 3, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newto843 (anonymous) says...
I like that one iceman. If your on welfare you may not have any further children until you are off of assistance.
April 3, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Petit does not address the effects created by the welfare state and his Every Child Matters group sounds like a liberal socialist welfare/Medicaid/public schools need more money think tank. The needs of children should be provided by married mothers and fathers. Instead, our sick welfare state distorts this into a government responsibility. The term "throwaways" is slyly used as an attempt to make us feel ashamed when "throwaways" are the result of women having new children to justify their everlasting belonging in the welfare state.
April 3, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newto843 (anonymous) says...
Ok kid but how do we support the children that are here and prevent more from being born into that situation? I don't agree with leaving it at the parents are idiots so the kids deserve it. How is that not calling the kids "throwaways"?
April 3, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
raregar, no need to be nasty or condescending. I have never told anyone on this board to go back from where they came.
I am just curious as to why people would choose to move to a state that "supposedly" ranks so poorly in almost all aspects. I, personally, love my state, and have no wish to move elsewhere.
There is a great deal of negativity published about our state on one hand, and then you turn around, and there is an article boasting about manners or friendliness.
Are you saying that this state is only good for retirees?
Why did you take my simple comment and get so offensive?
The remark concerning the Mensa article was not only unnecessary, but it was provoking.
You, my friend, have a good day.
April 3, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Edwin435 (anonymous) says...
Raregar.... While you certainly revel in your assumed high IQ, I would not lump all local people into the stupid category. As for calling someone boss.... I don't recall ever calling anyone from up north boss nor do I much care if you all live here (not a problem for me)...it is a free country. With that being said, the reason why a lot of people dislike your ilk is because of that crappy attitude and lack of civility. Have a happy day and remember where you got that....
April 3, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Why not take the kids from them and give them to someone who wants them and can and will support them. Stop giving the birth mothers money, so they can enter the work force unencumbered. Things will work out in a few years.
April 3, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChrisPia (anonymous) says...
Edwin, It Goes Both ways. I for one love the people,the climate,flowers etc....I would like to See some improvement in many areas of our wonderful County..
I recently went to the North Charleston fire House on Dorchester road for a meeting of the Candidates..I decided to speak at the end and was met with some Nash and Boatwright supporters...I stood and watched them praise Ray Nash For Being the Best Sheriff in the world and then praising Mr Boatwright..In Between Most of the Questions were about How The town gets Newcomers to pay for the infrastructure of New schools.There was a deep negativity towards Newcomers...When I spoke an elderly man jested at me being from NY.(the same gentleman that said Nash was the best sheriff ever). I explained whom I was and that I researched all three candidates and said that L.C. Knight was by far the candidate with the best integrity and experience.....As I left 1 Young Lady said as I passed Her 'Go Back to NY where you came from'.. I turned around and smiled as her friend said 'He Heard you'...She said "I don't care'....I took no offense to the comment, But I would like to say the animosity could go both ways without real diologue.
April 3, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChrisPia (anonymous) says...
OUR Children Deserve the Best.
April 3, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
glevans (anonymous) says...
We were poor when we were growing up but we didn't realize it until we were adults. How poor were we? We had an outhouse, a pump at the kitchen sink that had to be primed to get water out of, we strained tadpoles out of the water so we could wash clothes in it and I wore handed down clothes from my older brother and I am a girl. It never stopped me from doing anything. I always felt respected and loved by my parents so being poor doesn't always mean you will turn to violence or free money programs. My parents refused to take financial help from anyone and we turned out just fine.
I think there is a lack of discipline and respect for others running rampant nowadays. That is what caused the downturn in society. Teach love, respect and kindness and it will be returned - teach anger, disrespect and selfishness and it will also be returned.
April 3, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
glevans, very well said. Thanks for sharing your past and showing no shame.
Money does not make for good character, but being raised with the proper values most certainly does.
April 3, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Edwin435 (anonymous) says...
I agree Chris...It does go both ways. I don't condone it on either side...I do not insult people that way nor will I tolerate that treatment from others.
April 3, 2008 at 4:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
We're not a heartless society which operates under a Darwinian system of economics; at least I hope that's not the direction in which we are heading. Things happen. Whether it be a job loss, a medical catastrophe, or a family situation, there are any number of scenarios that could take otherwise prosperous individuals and plunge them into poverty. It doesn't mean that we dismantle the social safety net which was designed specifically for the purpose of helping people get back on their feet. There is a large group of people in this country today who play by the rules, work to the best of their ability, and conduct their lives in a manner that is both honest and professional, and they still struggle for one reason or another.
But there is another group of people who routinely take advantage of this and continue to do so year after year. It is these people that I get upset over. It is for this reason why I believe that when one is on public assistance that they should agree to use birth control as a stipulation of them getting money. When they're on welfare it means that they are unable to care for themselves. The State (taxpayers) would be completely within their rights to require that they use birth control. We're not a heartless people, and we're not going to let families go hungry. The children that they already have should be cared for, educated, and their parents should be provided with job training so that they will acquire the skills to better their life. When the kids grow up in poverty, it increases the likelihood that they themselves will be poor as they get older. By letting people on the welfare rolls continue to have kids you're only feeding the cycle of poverty which goes from one generation to the next. While increasing money to provide job training will cost us in the short run, it will save us money in the long run if we can break the cycle of poverty.
Only through education on the use of contraceptives, the use of such items as a requirement of getting public assistance, and better job training can we really help make a difference. I was fortunate enough not have been born into poverty, and smart enough to keep myself out of it as I've gotten older. I've known people who are in a different boat however, and many of them have had families that are too large for them to take care of. Despite their financial predicament, they continue to have more children. I consider such individuals to be deplorable to say the least, since I believe that you have a moral obligation to provide a life for your child that is to the best of your ability. While you have the right to have as many children as you like, what you don't have the right to do is to demand that someone else finance this choice.
April 3, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChrisPia (anonymous) says...
All States whether from the North or South Need Improvement in many areas..The Key is to find out what is not working and fix it..I hope and Pray SC will improve in many areas.(Schools,Employment,Crime,infrastructure,Race Relations etc..)...We Need to start by holding people accountable for their actions or inactions in Government. We need to put people in these postions that care.We Need People that get the job Done!
April 3, 2008 at 5:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Posted by raregar67
"As usual your post resembles 2 monkeys getting frisky w/ a football."
Dumb Dumb,
What did you not understand about my comment? Was it too difficult for you to understand the correlation, Dumb Dumb?
I'll make you feel at home and reference you as "Dumb Dumb" from this point forward. It's obvious that someone gave you insecurity about your intellect. That figure was probably a man. This is probably why you are gay. You were not born gay. Yours is a sad case. You constantly seek attention from those that you cannot gain approval. Enjoy your miserable existence Dumb Dumb.
April 3, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
allwoman, you read me correctly, and thank you.
I welcome all people to our wonderful state, and I am not blind to the improvements that need to be made here.
All in all, SC is a pleasant place to live.
Where else can you get the best collards in the country? :)
April 3, 2008 at 7:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
StonoRebel (anonymous) says...
The problem with S.C. well the Charleston area in my opinion is the government. And the media always pushing racial and economic stats down our throats. Want to stop crime in Charleston. Easy fix end Section 8, EBT. Stop locking up people up for child support and driving under suspenion. Bring religion back in our schools. Dont be fooled into thinking oh its the black community. Its the government creating a welfare state. To make us all dependent. This welfare state is making money for someone. Who builds the prisons the jails. Who has deadbeat fathers doing all kinds of jobs for what 3 bucks a day for 6 months and none of that money goes to that child support. Stop electing do nothing politicians. Get out and get involved in your community talk to your neighbors.
April 3, 2008 at 7:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
That last comment was exactly why SC rates last or near last.
People from the north come to Charleston and South Carolina because the cost of living is lower. The money is made in the north and brought where its purchase power is greater. Anyone with school age children would not willingly chose to educate them here: bible thumpin' redneck anti-scientific, anti-education, anti-evolution, keepin' em ignorant and improbably abstinent....
But luckily for all those that have no school age children, a regular retirement and minimal taxes... we all join in the Ole tyme Charleston Chant: I got mine, so you go scratch back on the plantation.
April 3, 2008 at 8:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rollo (anonymous) says...
There is no hyperlink to the report, there are a few statements pulled from the report(out of context) standing next the opinions of people we have never heard of. We have no way of knowing from the article if the pulled statements are even accurate!
Typical crap from the P&C.
April 3, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammer (anonymous) says...
ditto StonoRebel...
if the govt pays a kid to have kids, that kid will continue to have more
the feds pay the local govt to pull dads off of good paying jobs and lock them up for child support instead of just garnishing their wages
the govt won't let you discipline your children anymore, so now many do what they want without fear
spare the rod and spare the child? you mean spare the jail for the parent...
all those moving in? mostly retiree's coming from the midwest and north after making their nest eggs much larger than we can here, lucky them but it hurts the locals because prices rise above what locals can afford
where's the vocational schools for those that will never go to college? they don't really exist, so just where do you think all these young studs are going to end up with no viable opportunities?
takes both parents working to make ends meet, and if you don't have both parents in the house then the kids raise themselves... things go from bad to worse
teachers not able to discipline the kids either, they will never learn to be intelligent or responsible
govt judges that let hard criminals out time and time again to harm and influence our children
______
the govt has a choke hold on every angle
stop paying kids to have kids
leave working dads on their jobs and garnish their wages
give us back our rights to discipline and protect our children
do your job of keeping the criminals put away and build schools that will give our kids a fighting chance at opportunity
kids have three options today, welfare go to college or sell dope
a factory job in the south sure can't feed a family like it can up north, neither can most skilled jobs these days
40 yrs ago you could work your way up, not today... the "top" is full until someone dies, the whole country is top heavy
down here it's top heavy with uneducated bubba's, with 8th grade educations in every corner
others talk about electing better people... who chooses who will be a candidate? certainly not the public, most candidates are close to being worthless so you always end up voting for the lesser of two evils or not at all
there's no way out my friends, we're stuck in a rutt with no way out and no one's listening
when I retire I vow to build a shop just to train those rural young men and women the trades I know well, free of charge of course, so they can atleast make enough money to have a chance at an honest living
I say rural kids because they are the one's in this state at the biggest disadvantage IMHO
no one's listening....
April 3, 2008 at 9:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Larz13 (anonymous) says...
SHOCKER! Vermont is #1 and most of the NE is in the top 10.
I smell a credibility deficit.
April 4, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Slick50 (anonymous) says...
Ranked 45th, we should thank Gawd for Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
April 4, 2008 at 5:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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