Survey shows Nevada lagging in youth programs

Monday, May 5, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The state ranks 34th overall this year, compared to 29th a year ago in the study that includes areas such as the rate of teen pregnancies, dropouts and child deaths.

One of the most ominous signs was in the area of the state's death rate for children ages 1 to 14. Nevada is now ranked 44th in the nation, compared to 31st last year.

The teen birth rate ranked 42nd and increased more than twice as fast as the national average.

And the teen dropout rate ranked 44th.

The rate of teens neither attending school nor working ranked 39th, up from 45th a year ago.

The rate of single parents heading families with children ranked 31st.

The state ranked better than the national average in two of 10 areas. Nevada was seventh best in infant mortality rates, dropping 24 percent since 1985. And it was 17th best in the percentage of children in poverty.

The report uses 1994 statistics.

The study, known as Kids Count, was conducted on a grant from the nonpartisan Annie Casey Foundation in Baltimore, a charitable endowment that funds programs aimed at improving conditions for American children.