At a glance: Study ranks Conn. 7th for child well-being

BOSTON (AP) — Connecticut has been ranked the seventh-best state for child well-being by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2012 Kids Count Data Book . The study weighs 16 indicators in the following areas:

— HEALTH: Connecticut was ranked No. 6 for child health. In 2010, 3 percent of Connecticut children lacked health insurance. The number of child and teen deaths and teens who abuse alcohol and drugs decreased from previous years. The number of low birth-weight babies stayed the same.

— FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: Connecticut was ranked 12th for family and community. The number of children in single-parent families rose to 32 percent in 2010 from 29 percent in 2005. Children living in high-poverty areas also rose from 6 percent in 2000 to 7 percent in 2006-2010. Meanwhile, teen births decreased. Children living in families in which the household head lacks a high school diploma remained unchanged.

— EDUCATION: Connecticut was ranked No. 5 for child education. The number of children not attending preschool fell to 38 percent in 2008-2010 from 42 percent in 2005-2007. The number of fourth-graders not proficient in reading and number of eighth-graders not proficient in math also dropped to 58 and 62 percent, respectively, in 2011. But the number of high school students not graduating on time increased in 2008-2009 from previous years.

— ECONOMIC WELL-BEING: Connecticut was ranked 10th for economic indicators, with the number of children in poverty increasing and the number of teenagers not in school or working declining. Meanwhile, the number of children whose parents lack secure employment increased to 28 percent in 2010, up from 24 percent in 2008, and the number of children living in households with high housing cost burdens went up to 43 percent in 2010.

LINKS: Read more about the report

Full Data from KidsCount.org