This contrast compels us to direct our attention and resources to the inner-city neighborhoods that have less to offer children in the way of a healthy and promising start. Toward this end, the Annie E. Casey Foundation centers its work on the proposition that children do best when their families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive neighborhoods. The Foundation will continue its work with partners in cities across America to rebuild neighborhoods that support families raising children. Improving birth outcomes and changing the circumstances of pregnancy clearly require a mix of effective public policies, improved services, and responsible personal choices. As this report illustrates, for each measure of a healthy and promising start to life, there is a diverse group of states that outperforms the nation as a whole, setting a standard for other states to meet.
Further progress is well within our reach.
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