Study Evaluates Alaska’s Rankings Among Most Underprivileged Children In U.S.

August marks Child Support Awareness Month and children in-need are experiencing even more risk than usual due to COVID-19. A report has designated Alaska as one of the lowest-ranking states in a list of states with the most underprivileged children.

The U.S. has the seventh highest rate of child poverty — over 29 percent — among economically developed countries. And according to the Children’s Defense Fund, a child is abused or neglected every 47 seconds and the total costs of maltreatment per year reach $80.3 billion.

Some states are more successful than others at addressing the problems of underprivileged children. To determine where children are most disadvantaged, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 27 key indicators of neediness. Alaska ranked unfavorably in many categories, including:

• 14^th – % of Maltreated Children
• 20^th – Child Food-Insecurity Rate
• 2^nd – % of Uninsured Children
• 24^th – Infant Mortality Rate
• 1^st – % of Children in Foster Care
• 1^st – Child & Youth Homeless Rate