Utah ranks 4th for child well-being

Child well-being is strongly related to higher state taxes and robust entitlement programs, according to a study published Wednesday by The Foundation for Child Development.

The report, called "Investing in Public Programs Matters: How State Policies Impact Children's Lives," took an in-depth look at children's cognitive, emotional, social and economic health then compared the results to state tax rates and policies. Overall, researchers observed, the most well-off children live in states that have higher state and local taxes, higher Medicaid child-eligibility thresholds and higher levels of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.

Utah, though, bucks the trend. According to the report, Utah ranks fourth in the nation for child well-being, but also boasts the second-lowest average per-child TANF benefit and has one of the lowest thresholds for Medicaid child eligibility.

Despite being ranked 35th for the proportion of children covered by public and private health insurance and 51st for education spending, Utah scored well overall because the state supports strong families and is economically prosperous, said Ruby Takanishi, president of The Foundation for Child Development, a New York-based nonprofit that supports research and policy development.

Fewer Utah children live in single parent homes than any other state, according to the report. More Utah children live in homes where at least one parent is employed year round than anywhere else in the nation.

"There is a relationship between state investments and the overall well-being of children," Takanishi said. "But that's not to say that families don't matter — because families matter. Utah is a perfect illustration of that fact."

Takanishi attributed Utah's high health marks to the influence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City. Utah has the lowest rates in the country for binge drinking and cigarette use among children ages 12 to 17, according to the report. The state ranked sixth for the percentage of children in "very good" or "excellent health," as reported by parents.

"We know that Mormon practices with respect to the drinking of alcohol and consuming of tobacco and eating of healthful foods is an important part of Utah's health status," she said.

Not all is well in the Beehive state, though, with cultural and religious influences in mind, Takanishi said she was surprised to note that Utah had the 19th highest rate babies born to teenagers. The state ranked low for reading and math scores (28th) and the percentage of young adults who obtain bachelor's degrees (32nd).