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If I had a dollar for every study and report that finds Louisiana at the bottom of the list of states, I'd have enough cash to fix the potholes in Shreveport.  The only time we finish near the top of a national ranking is if it's for something bad, and I don't thing it's fair.  My family and I have lived in the SBC for close to 4 years now, and I love it!

That being said, the latest data from humanitarian aid organization Save the Children doesn't look good.  Every year, they release a document called the "Childhood Report."  This ominously-titled exposition on the current state of affairs for children in the United States puts Louisiana dead last in regards to childhood-ending factors like hunger, dropping out of school, teenage pregnancy and early death due.

Experts cite issues like a 26.5% state child poverty rate (the nation’s second highest behind Mississippi), inadequate access to food, the nation’s third worst hunger rate, and more as the major threats to a happy and healthy childhood for our kids.  The data points out these and some other horrifying factors actually cut childhood short, lumping the the weight of the world on their tiny shoulders way too early.

When you dig into the data, it can be very disheartening.  No one wants to hear that they are raising their kids in a less-than optimal situation, but this is our opportunity to show our kids something truly magical.  Rather than move to a place that ranks higher on that list, let's fix our home.  Volunteer for an organization that combats childhood hunger.  Become an advocate for kids who have been abused.  Donate time and/or money to an organization that is actively fighting this kind of evil.

 

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