The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its annual  KIDS COUNT report  on child well-being today and ranked Maine 13th among all the states. Maine ranked 1 ^st  in child health and 6 ^th  in the overall well-being of families and the communities in which they live. The annual KIDS COUNT report found, however, that Maine ranks 20th in both education and economic well-being, with nearly one in five children living in poverty.

The 2013 KIDS COUNT report adds to the national conversation on early childhood education with its examination of how America’s youngest children are faring. Younger children are disproportionately affected by the lingering effects of the recession. The poverty rate among children younger than five is higher than the national average for all kids. When compared to our neighboring New England states, Maine continues in its leadership ranking for Health and for Family/Community, but is outperformed by four of the five other states in Economic Well-being, Education and Overall.