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Floyd County ranks higher than the state average in children succeeding in school, but other indicators of child and family well-being in the paint a more troubling picture.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation releases the report annually. Georgia ranks 39th out of the 50 states overall, which is its lowest ranking in seven years.

“This slip in progress is a stark reminder that we must persist in our work toward measurably better outcomes for all our children, families, and communities ... When we dig deeper into the data, itÐÔÊӽ紫ý clear that success for some does not always translate into success for all,â€� said Gaye Smith, executive director of Georgia Family Connection Partnership.

Georgia saw its largest lapse in the economic well-being domain, dropping from 32nd to 37th. The percentage of children living in poverty in 2023 was 18% — higher than the national rate of 16%. In Floyd County, it was 26.4%.

Children living in poverty are less likely to reach standard education milestones and are more likely to develop poor mental health, suffer from asthma and other childhood diseases, and experience poor health later in life, according to the GFCP.

Rome and Floyd County students consistently beat state averages on the Milestones assessment tests, and in graduating from high school on time.

However, Georgia fell one spot in education from 31st to 32nd, due in part to increases in the percent of fourth graders scoring below proficient reading level and eighth graders scoring below proficient math level.

GeorgiaÐÔÊӽ紫ý overall ranking in the health domain improved from 43rd to 40th, still near the bottom nationally.

Floyd County had better rates than the state averages in low-birthrate babies, 9.5% to 10.2%; children without health insurance, 5.5% to 6.9%; and STD rate in youth ages 15 to 19, about 3% to 3.4%.

However, it was slightly above the state averages in the rates of child and teen deaths, teen pregnancies, teen births and infant mortality.

Georgia continues to perform in the bottom 10 states in the family and community context domain, with a national ranking of 42nd.

Floyd CountyÐÔÊӽ紫ý ranking was below even the state average in areas such as adult educational attainment, children with a substantiated incident of abuse or neglect, children whose parents lack secure employment, the crime rate and voter participation.