America's Shamefully Inconsistent Treatment of Children to be Exposed in Report Detailing...

America's Shamefully Inconsistent Treatment of Children to be Exposed in
Report Detailing 'Deadly Differences' Based on Geography

Report to Show Huge Gap Among 10 Bottom and 10 Top States for Children; States
With Worst Indicators for Nation's Youths: AR, AZ, LA, MS, NM, NV, OK, SC,
SD, and TX

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 10 states with the worst
performances and the 10 states with the best performances for U.S. children --
based on a diverse set of 10 child well-being standards, including lack of
access to prenatal care, premature deaths, malnutrition, poverty, child abuse
and teen incarceration -- will be identified in a major new report to be
released by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Every Child Matters Education Fund
(ECMEF).

In revealing a nation that is starkly divided with what are often "deadly
differences" in how it treats its youths, the report will show that "geography
matters" greatly when it comes to the ability of U.S. children to be healthy
and survive to adulthood. For example, children in the bottom states are three
times more likely to die before the age of 14; five times more likely to be
uninsured; and eight times more likely to be incarcerated as teens.

The full 50-state ranking will be released at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 2, 2008
during a live, phone-based national news conference (with full two-way Q&A).
Every Child Matters will also call on the presidential candidates and others
seeking election to address the often deadly gaps between the states.

The states with the worst performance for children are: AR, AZ, LA, MS, NM,
NV, OK, SC, SD, and TX. The states with the best performance for children
are: CT, HI, IA, MA, ME, MN, NH, RI, VT, and WA. (These lists are shown here
in alphabetical order and do not reflect the actual, in-order rankings in the
ECM report.)

News event speakers will be:

-- Michael R. Petit, author of "Geography Matters; Child Well-Being in the
States," and founder of Every Child Matters;

-- Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, founder, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, and clinical
professor of pediatrics emeritus, Harvard Medical School; and
-- Elizabeth J. Clark, Ph.D., ACSW, executive director, National Association
of Social Workers, Washington, D.C.

TO PARTICIPATE: Join this live, phone-based national news conference (with
full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 2, 2008 by dialing 1 (800)
860-2442. Ask for the "Geography Matters/Child Well Being in the States" news
event.

CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of this news event will be
available on the Web at lending http://www.everychildmatters.org as of 6:30
p.m. EDT on April 2, 2008.

The Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF) is a 501(c)(3) organization
focused on making the needs of children and youth a national political
priority and promoting the adoption of smart policies for children, youth, and
families--including stopping child abuse, helping working families with child
care, expanding pre-school education and after-school programs, and ensuring
that children receive good health care.

SOURCE Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF), Washington, D.C.

Ailis Aaron Wolf, +1-703-276-3265, aaaron@hastingsgroup.com, for Every Child
Matters Education Fund (ECMEF), Washington, D.C.