Florida’s Child Wellbeing Ranks 35th Nationally, Showing Mixed Results

NewsWK — In the latest Kids Count Data Profile, Florida has been ranked 35th among states for child wellbeing, indicating no overall improvement in this vital area. However, there are some positive developments in specific categories, such as education and family support.

This year, Florida made notable strides in its education ranking, moving up four spots to 15th place, a significant change from the fifth place it held two years ago. The family and community category also saw a slight improvement, climbing to 29th. Conversely, the children’s health category experienced a decline, dropping three positions to 35th.

The report, compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, highlights various factors affecting child wellbeing, including reading abilities, obesity rates, and parental financial stability. According to Norín Dollard, Kids Count director at the Florida Policy Institute, “Florida is making some progress towards improving the state’s child well-being, but the level of investment is not moving the needle in helping Florida families with affordability in housing, access to childcare, and access to medical care, namely Medicaid.”

Despite these challenges, the 2026 report reveals some encouraging trends: fewer teens are giving birth or living in poverty, and there was one less teen death reported compared to last year. However, the rate of children living in households burdened by high housing costs has increased by 1% from the previous year, now affecting 39% of children.

While the overall graduation rate improved, reading and math proficiency scores have declined, placing Florida 19th nationally in education. The state remains at 43rd for economic wellbeing. As Lisa M. Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation stated, “Behind every number in this report is a child who is either hungry or fed, housed or homeless, progressing academically or falling behind. No state is consistently getting this right.”