Washington Drops in National Child Well-Being Rankings

It’s tough being a kid today, and even tougher having and caring for a kid in today’s world. And according to new reports, the wellness of children has declined, especially in Washington State. We have the details below.

No Kids For Me

When my wife and I married, one of the topics of discussion (like with many marriages) was children. She didn’t want them, and I had the attitude, ‘If it happens, great; if it doesn’t, great.' I figured, if I didn’t have to grow up and be a mature adult, then cool. I'll keep being nerdy kid at heart.

kids in spiderman and Captain America costumes

And looking at these new reports, I’m okay with the fact that we decided to get a child with 4 legs (our dog, Rusty).

Washington Has Declined In Child Well-Being

It has been reported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, that Washington (along with several other states) was worse for kids in data from 2024 than it was before the pandemic.

Even though that is a sad fact, it does need to be noted that, overall, Washington is still on the higher end compared to the rest of the country.

boy standing near dock

READ MORE: What Does The Turtle On The Side Of A School Bus Really Mean?

We ranked 17th in overall well-being for children, and that is down from the previous year, coming in at 16th, but a pretty substantial drop from our 12th position in 2020, as reported by AXIOS.

Why The Washington Drop?

A big reason for this drop seems to be the number of children who are uninsured in this state. Lack of insurance can lead to fewer visits to medical professionals, which can be problematic for growing children.

Let's hope our state change this trend and continue to stay in the top percentage of the country. Our children are the future, so we as adults (even those of us like myself who do not have children), can't let them down.