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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Indiana Slips in Child Well-Being Report

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Tuesday, July 21, 2015   

INDIANAPOLIS – A new national snapshot of child well-being finds Indiana continuing to struggle with high rates of child poverty.

According to the Anne E. Casey Foundation's 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book, one in five children in the Hoosier State lives in poverty, and 12 percent live in 'high poverty' areas.

Glenn Augustine, interim CEO and vice president for advancement with the Indiana Youth Institute, says the state is still feeling the effects of the recession.

"Wages in Indiana have not kept pace with the rest of the nation, so even people who have gotten back into the workforce after the recession are maybe not earning as much as they did before," he says. "It makes it challenging for them to provide adequately for their children."

The report looks at four specific categories: family and community, education, health and economic well-being. Overall, Indiana dropped five spots from last year, and now ranks 32nd nationally – but Augustine says it's important not to get "too caught up" in the numbers. He says Indiana's decline is partly attributed to gains in other states.

Augustine also notes there are bright spots in the report for Indiana, including a higher education ranking, a drop in the number of low birth weight babies and fewer children without health insurance.

"There are good things happening in the state of Indiana. We know people are working on these issues," he says. "But not all of Indiana's children are thriving, and we need to look for ways to get those children served by either the public or private sectors that can help them get a better chance in life."

Indiana now ranks 25th for education – its best ranking to date. The state is also seeing improvements in the math performance of all students, and a shrinking gap in performance between white and Hispanic students.



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