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The best places in America for kids to grow up — and the biggest gains are coming in red states

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 763 words · By Anthony Blair
Child Well-being Metrics Regional Economic Disparity Partisan Political Divide
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The best places in America for kids to grow up — and the biggest gains are coming in red states See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 21
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left33%
Center34%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The best places in America for kids to grow up — and the biggest gains are coming in red states See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleFour red states are leading the pack when it comes to improving the lives of children since the COVID pandemic, according to a new report.

Common ground

South Carolina saw the biggest overall improvement in child well-being between 2019 and 2024, according to the 2026 “Kids Count” study by the Annie E.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, False Cause, Cherry Picking: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/us-news/the-best-places-in-america-for-kids-to-gro…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
False Cause 70% confidence
Assuming causation from correlation or temporal sequence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing false cause helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Cherry Picking 80% confidence
Selectively presenting evidence that supports one side while ignoring contrary evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing cherry picking helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
schedule
Claim 1: “The Magnolia State is now ranked 16th in education nationwide”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 2: “North Dakota, Maine, Delaware, Iowa, and Oklahoma saw the steepest losses in educational attainment.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 3: “The other major gainers were Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky and New Mexico.”
CORROBORATED
The same source that confirms South Carolina's improvement explicitly lists Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and New Mexico as the other major gainers.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Acrolophus cressoni (Cresson's grass tubeworm moth) is a moth of the family Acrolophidae. It is found in North America, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrolophus_cressoni
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane, lit. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This con…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mississippi River is the primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri. From its traditional sourc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 4: “Biggest decline in childhood well-being, 2019-2024: Maine, Nebraska, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 5: “Among the 15 states that saw an improvement in child well-being between 2019 and 2024, eight of them were in the South”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the specific count of Southern states among the 15 that saw improvement.
schedule
Claim 6: “Maine saw the biggest drop in child well-being since 2019”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 7: “Educational attainment remained stable in South Carolina, while improving in only two states: deeply red Louisiana and Mississippi”
CORROBORATED
A web search result from Yahoo explicitly states that only Louisiana and Mississippi recorded improvements in education during the period, while South Carolina remained stable.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of South Carolina. Republican state attorney general Alan Wilson and Democratic state repres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_South_Carolina_gubernator…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_South_Ca…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on the plantation…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_South
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 8: “Overall best childhood well-being scores, 2024: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Utah, Vermont, Minnesota”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source confirms New Hampshire ranked top in the nation. Another source lists New Hampshire as part of the overall best scores for 2024, but the full list of five states is not fully corroborated across multiple independent sources in the snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Children's well-being declined across much of the United States between 2019 and 2024, according to a new report that found nearly three in five states are now performing worse than they were before t…
https://www.newsweek.com/where-life-is-getting-better-and-wo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Overall best childhood well-being scores, 2024. New Hampshire.Maine saw the biggest drop in child well-being since 2019, followed by four Midwestern states: Nebraska, North Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota…
https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/us-news/the-best-places-in-ame…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New Hampshire ranked top in the nation for overall child well-being, according to a new Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private philanthropy based in Baltimore.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/10/metro/nh-child-well-b…
schedule
Claim 9: “New Mexico... was also highlighted for expanding the state child tax credit in 2023.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 10: “The Palmetto State experienced a 38-point jump in its overall childhood well-being score”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general trend of improvement for South Carolina is corroborated, the specific '38-point jump' is not explicitly mentioned in the provided evidence snippets, though it aligns with the reported 'biggest overall improvement'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent South Carolina. The Democratic nominee is pediatri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elec…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Carolina ( KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern, South Atlantic and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South Carolina Gamecocks football program represents the University of South Carolina in the sport of American football. The Gamecocks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the Nationa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Gamecocks_footb…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 11: “While there were reductions in teen births and child poverty, reading and math proficiency declined between 2019 and 2024”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “there were strong improvements in Virginia, Indiana, and New Jersey [in child health outcomes].”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 13: “Lowest childhood well-being scores, 2025: Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alaska, Nevada, Texas”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the lowest childhood well-being scores for 2025.
schedule
Claim 14: “The data also shows that 29 states saw overall declines in well-being since 2019.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 15: “New York saw a decline in its childhood well-being score, while California was flat between 2019 and 2024.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results for a TV series and a dating app; no data regarding the score trends for NY and CA between 2019 and 2024 was provided.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Between is the story of a small town called Pretty Lake and surrounding rural area under siege from a mysterious disease that has wiped out everybody aged 22 and older. The series also explores numero…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_(TV_series)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Between is a private space where you can share each moment only with that special someone. Create, share, and remember all your moments with each other. Get started now!
https://between.us/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of BETWEEN is by the common action of : jointly engaging. How to use between in a sentence. Between vs. Among: Usage Guide
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/between
schedule
Claim 16: “Mississippi... passing the Literacy-Based Promotion Act focused on reading proficiency by third grade”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 17: “Of the five states highlighted for their improvements between 2019 and 2024, only New Mexico voted for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 18: “South Carolina—which voted 58 to 40% in favor of President Trump in 2024— was one of only three states that did not see a decline in its education ranking since 2019”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided for this claim includes general information about Donald Trump and South Carolina elections, but does not provide the specific 2024 voting percentage (58 to 40%) or the specific education ranking statistics for the three states.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of South Carolina. Republican state attorney general Alan Wilson and Democratic state repres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_South_Carolina_gubernator…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Barron William Trump (born March 20, 2006) is the fifth and youngest child of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and his only child with his third wife, Melania Trump, whi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barron_Trump
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There has been significant academic and political debate about whether Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, can be considered a fascist according to consensus definitions of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_fascism
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 19: “South Carolina saw the biggest overall improvement in child well-being between 2019 and 2024, according to the 2026 “Kids Count” study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results explicitly state that South Carolina saw the biggest overall improvement in child well-being between 2019 and 2024 according to the 2026 'Kids Count' study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States senator from Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Democratic Party. B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Casey_Jr.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Beta, often shortened to Gen Beta, is the proposed name for the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Alpha. The name was coined by futurist and demographer Mark McCrindle, who also coin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Beta
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) is a nonprofit organization based in Wichita, Kansas, U.S., but is statewide in its focus and grantmaking abilities. Its mission is to improve public health and well…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Health_Foundation
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 20: “Maine also saw the greatest decline in child health outcomes”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 21: “New York comes in at no. 30, California is no. 33 out out of 50 states, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s list.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm New York is ranked 30th and California is ranked 33rd according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's list.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York comes in at no. 30, California is no. 33 out out of 50 states, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s list.The Magnolia State is now ranked 16th in education nationwide, with the report…
https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/us-news/the-best-places-in-ame…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 30th edition of the Kids Count Data Book that explores 16 areas of child well-being in 2017 -- tracked across four domains.
https://www.silive.com/news/2019/06/when-it-comes-to-a-child…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks us 33rd among all states in child well-being.But they only came to be when kids were truly prioritized and fought for, which happens far less often than it needs to…
https://www.childrennow.org/blog/california-can-lead-on-kids…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.