That's the number of states where children's well-being declined in the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book compared to just 15 states where it improved. The report introduces a new 0-to-1,000 scoring system for the first time, with state scores ranging from 271 in Mississippi to 838 in New Hampshire, a gap the Annie E. Casey Foundation says reveals "substantial disparities in child well-being" that rankings alone obscure.
