NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A recent report on the welfare of children in Tennessee highlights the importance of public programs.
State health and child welfare experts today released the latest Kids Count report, which this year examined challenges to raising children in Tennessee, and whether state programs are doing enough to help them.
Among the report's findings was that nearly half of the state's pregnant women don't receive adequate prenatal care, and less than a third of teens from poor families are finding work.
Linda O'Neal is executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth and was among those discussing the report.
According to The Tennessean, O'Neal said the poor economy has hurt the welfare of children in Tennessee, which "highlights the importance of public programs" like the one that provides in-home visits for families with newborns.