National survey ranks Wyo. low in child well-being

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A new national survey ranks Wyoming 37th
overall among the states for child well-being.

The survey was released by the private philanthropic
organization Foundation for Child Development.

Using data from 2007, it rated states on 25 different criteria
for child well-being. Those criteria are divided into subcategories like family
and economic well-being, educational attainment and health.

Wyoming placed in the bottom 10 overall in three subcategories:
safety/risk (49th), social relationships (48th) and emotional/spiritual (43rd).

Marilyn Patton, of the state Health Department, tells the
Wyoming Tribune Eagle (http://bit.ly/A106gh ) that the situation in Wyoming has
improved since 2007 in many areas looked at by the survey, such as teen alcohol
use.