BEND, OR — According to the recent Kids Count report, Oregon has made major progress in a few areas that affect the health and financial strength of families, and in others, it still has a long way to go. New findings from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Oregon jumped from 17th to 7th in the nation for children’s health. While that seems like a dramatic leap, Tonia Hunt with Children First for Oregon said it’s more the result of steady and sustained efforts to insure more kids since 2009, when the Oregon Healthy Kids program was passed by the Legislature.
“When Oregonians put their mind to something, and doing the right thing for kids, we absolutely can make progress. And we can become those national leaders, those national models for other states. And our kids benefit from that collective will and commitment.”
The report estimates only about 55,000, or 6%, of Oregon children are still uninsured. Hunt pointed out that since compiling the data, the Affordable Care Act has most likely covered more families. The report said child and teen deaths and teenage abuse of drugs or alcohol also decreased.
Click Here to read the Kids Count Report.
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