The 10 Safest States For Kids
In January, Fit Pregnancy named the Top 10 Cities To Have A Baby. Now, Parents magazine tells us the safest states to raise our kids.
While no state has a perfect track record, Parents’ investigation turned up a top 10 ranking of those that are at least trying hard.
With the exception of California and Oregon, it appears that the North East seems to be the place to live.
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- New York
- California
- Maine
- Pennsylvania
- Mass.
- Maryland
- Oregon
One of the major deciding factors in this survey was safety. The magazine points out the inequality in standards across the country, noting those who are outstanding and others who lag behind.
Kids are six times more likely to die from a violence-related injury in Alaska than they are in Massachusetts. In California, public playgrounds must meet all federal government safety recommendations, but 34 states offer no standards for where your kids climb, jump and swing. Connecticut and 20 other states have made big improvements in school-bus crossings, while 13, including Nebraska and Arizona, are way behind.How they came to these numbers:
From October 2007 to January 2008, Parents analyzed state-level data on more than 30 criteria that impact a child’s safety. The data was supplied by leading organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Safe Kids Worldwide.
It is worth mentioning that with the exception of Oregon, the remaining 9 states listed in this survey are among the top 20 highest taxed states. It is possible that these states are safer because they have more money to spend on improving regulations and implementing them.
Comments