INDIANA (WOWO) — A new report ranks Indiana among the states facing significant challenges when it comes to child welfare and poverty.
Personal finance website WalletHub released its 2026 report on the states with the most underprivileged children, comparing all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 25 indicators related to child hardship.
The study looked at factors including child poverty, food insecurity, maltreatment, access to health care and other measures of childhood well-being.
Indiana ranked 19th overall in the report, with higher rankings indicating greater challenges.
According to WalletHub’s analysis, Indiana ranked:
- 21st for the percentage of children living in households below the poverty line
- 8th for the percentage of maltreated children
- 21st for child food insecurity
- 15th for the percentage of uninsured children
- 16th for infant mortality rate
- 10th for the percentage of children in foster care
- 26th for the percentage of children living in single-parent families
WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said addressing child hardship requires a broad approach, including reducing poverty, improving access to nutrition and health care, protecting children from abuse and supporting education.
“Tackling the problem of underprivileged children in America requires a multifaceted approach,” Lupo said. “On top of lifting children out of poverty and making sure they have access to adequate nutrition and medical care, we also need to look after their mental health, protect them from abuse and ensure they receive quality education.”
The report comes as August is recognized as Child Support Awareness Month. WalletHub noted that about one in seven children in the United States live in poverty.
Mississippi ranked as the state with the most underprivileged children, while WalletHub’s report examined conditions across the country to highlight areas where children face the greatest challenges.
Read the full WalletHub report here.
