A company that provides educators and therapists online through school districts, says a state-by-state statistical comparison of various aspects of how children fare in each one shows “Connecticut families have the happiest and healthiest children in the nation.”
The study was released by the company, VocoVison, for National Childrens Mental Health Awareness Day, today, May 9.
Here’s the news release:
New research finds that Connecticut has the happiest and healthiest children in the nation, while Mississippi has the least. The Happy Child Index from VocoVision ranks all 50 states on ten factors that impact children’s mental and physical health.
Connecticut, the overall happiest and healthiest state for children, has the fifth highest rate of children living in neighborhoods with a library. In addition, children in the state have the sixth best access to parks and recreation facilities in the nation.
Connecticut has the fifth lowest youth suicide rate and the seventh best mental health provider per population ratio, meaning children and teenagers in the state have the support they need to stay in school, start careers, and live healthy lives.
The state has the sixth lowest disconnected youth rate in the nation, meaning only 4.75% of teens and young adults ages 16-19 who are neither working nor in school, therefore at an increased risk of violence and emotional deficits.
The Top 10 Happiest & Healthiest States for Children
1. Connecticut
2. Massachusetts
3. New York
4. Maryland
5. Rhode Island
6. Illinois
7. Utah
8. New Jersey
9. Nebraska
10. Minnesota
The top-ranking states best meet the mental health needs of the child population, for example, by providing emotional support and sufficient access to exercise opportunities so that children can engage in good mental health practices (scroll down for a description of the methodology).
The analysis is based on the following 10 categories: access to neighborhood libraries; child sleep quality; access to mental healthcare providers and counselors for children; mental health provider to population ratio; youth suicide rate; disconnected youth rate; access to parks and recreation facilities, such as a YMCA; access to healthy foods; level of difficulty children experience when making friends; and air pollution.
“At VocoVision, we believe that every child, regardless of their geographical location, deserves equal access to resources, care, and opportunities to cultivate their overall well-being,” Voco Vision President Jessica Marlow said. The “Happy Child Index provides an in-depth analysis of the crucial aspects affecting our children’s daily lives, such as access to quality healthcare, nutritious food, and emotional support networks.
“By examining these factors, we aspire to spark a nationwide conversation on the importance of understanding and addressing the varying needs of children in different communities.”
For a full breakdown of where each state ranked in the index, please visit the Happy Child Index, here.
About VocoVision
Founded in 2011, VocoVision’s mission is to find imaginative solutions to ensure that education and special services are more accessible. VocoVision offers a state-of-the-art network that makes it possible for schools and school districts to connect with highly qualified educators and therapists in any part of the country.
VocoVision teleservice solutions empower students to experience the face-to-face connections they need to break down barriers and go further than they ever imagined. For more information, visit vocovision.com.
Methodology
For the full methodology, please visit the Happy Child Index. The 10 categories and data sources utilized in the Happy Child Index include:
1. Limited Access to Healthy Foods: Percentage of the population who are low-income and do not live close to a grocery store in 2019. Retrieved from USDA Food Environment Atlas.
2. Mental Health Provider Ratio: Ratio of population to mental health providers, retrieved from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Provider Identification Registry.
3. Suicide Rate of 15-24 Age Group: The average number of intentional self-harm deaths per 100,000 in the 15-24 age group from 2018-2021, retrieved from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics National Vital Statistics System.
4. Disconnected Youth Rate: Percentage of teens and young adults ages 16-19 who are neither working nor in school, therefore at an increased risk of violence, smoking, alcohol consumption and marijuana use, and may have emotional deficits and less cognitive and academic skills than their peers who are working and/or in school, retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), 5-year estimates.
5. Access to Exercise Opportunities: Percentage of population with adequate access to locations for physical activity, such as public parks and exercise facilities, retrieved from Business Analyst, ESRI, YMCA & U.S. Census Tigerline Files.
6. Air Pollution: Average daily density of fine particulate matter in micrograms per cubic meter (PM2.5), retrieved from the CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.
7. Access to Friendships: Percentage of respondents choosing “No Difficulty Making or Keeping Friends” in response to the question, “Compared to other children their age, how much difficulty does this child have making or keeping friends, age 6-17 years?” Retrieved from the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
8. Child Sleep Quality: Percentage of children (age 3-17 years) receiving the recommended age-appropriate hours of sleep each night, retrieved from the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
9. Access to Neighborhood Libraries: Percentage of children who live in neighborhoods with a library or bookmobile. Retrieved from the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
10. Access to Mental Healthcare for Children: Percentage of respondents who say getting the mental health treatment or counseling that this child (age 3-17 years) needed was not difficult. Retrieved from the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.