Two reports released recently show the need for Indiana to make improvements on behalf of the youngest and oldest Hoosiers.
A report released by the Gallup organization last week showed Indiana as No. 46 out of the 50 states for the well-being of people 55 and older. The KIDS COUNT report released this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Indiana No. 32 in the country for overall child well-being.
These two reports suggest that policy makers aren’t focused on those in the state who need their help the most.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index looked at areas such as sense of purpose and community, social lives, financial stability and physical health. Only Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia ranked worse than Indiana.
The poll showed older Hoosiers in the middle of the pack at No. 24 when it comes to financial stability, No. 35 when it comes to purpose, but in the 40s for social lives, sense of community and physical health.
This suggests the need for more programs that engage older Hoosiers and help them live more healthful lifestyles.
The No. 32 overall rank in the Kids Count state-by-state report certainly is a better ranking, but still solidly in the bottom half of the states. It’s troubling that Indiana dropped five places from the 2014 report.
Officials of Indiana Youth Institute, which promotes healthy development of the state’s children and highlighted the report, pointed out that Indiana’s conditions have not worsened, but rather other states made significant improvements. Indiana improved in 11 out of the 16 indicators in the areas of health, education, economics, and family and community.
That’s looking at the glass half full. But No. 32 is worse than No. 27, which means other states have made more progress in problem areas than Indiana has.
This also remains true: about 22 percent of Indiana children, more than 1 out of 5, were living in poverty in 2013, the most recent year for which data was available. There has been no improvement. In overall economic well-being, 30 percent of parents lack secure employment. Alarmingly, that’s a higher percentage than in 2008 in the midst of the recession.
Legislators need to focus on the issues of older and younger Hoosiers when they return to Indianapolis.