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Hoosier babies and toddlers worse off in key factors, compared to other states

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In health, Indiana is worse than the national average for infant mortality, preventive medical care received and vaccinations.

Indiana is worse than the national average in many key indicators of child welfare. That’s according to a recent report from Zero To Three, a young child advocacy organization.

The report measures child welfare across a range of factors, from health to early learning and “strong family” policies. And in each of those categories, Indiana babies and toddlers trail their peers from across the country in several indicators.

In health, Indiana is worse for infant mortality, preventive medical care received and vaccinations. And less than 4 percent of Indiana families in poverty get TANF – or welfare – benefits. That’s 400 percent worse than the national average.

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Patricia Cole, Zero To Three senior director for federal policy, said there’s a critical need – in Indiana and across the country – to build an “accessible and affordable, high quality child care system.”

“Our system is near collapse after the pandemic and families are mostly on their own to cover the cost,” Cole said.

Just 7 percent of young Hoosier children in poverty have access to Early Head Start programs.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Copyright 2022 IPB News. To see more, visit .

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.