A recent study has revealed that West Virginia’s children rank 44th in the nation when it comes to overall well-being. However, there have been significant improvements, particularly in the health category. The state now ranks 35th in this area, thanks to positive changes in various indicators such as the number of children with health insurance coverage, obesity rates, and deaths among young people. These improvements are reflected in the latest data from the Kids Count Data Book, an annual report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that examines how children are faring post-pandemic across the United States.
Despite these improvements, there is still room for improvement in other areas that contribute to overall child well-being, including economic development, education, family support networks, and community resources. Emily Rice of Appalachia Health News is a reporter based in Charleston who covers these topics for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. With experience reporting on various issues since graduating from Marshall University in 2016 and working with newsprint and magazine publications such as Bluefield Daily Telegraph and West Virginia Executive Magazine before joining WVPB, Rice has a strong background in journalism and multimedia storytelling.
