Children and teens in Maine have it good but not great, according to the most recent report from Kids Count, the annual, state-by-state review of childhood well-being published by the national Annie E. Casey Foundation.

On Tuesday, Maine’s leading children’s advocate credited the state’s Medicaid program with supporting the physical and mental health of lower-income youngsters and their families, but called on educators to reverse the state’s growing school dropout rate.

Out of the 50 states, the 2005 Kids Count Data Book ranked Maine seventh from the top overall and in the top 10 in half of the survey’s list of 10 major indicators. According to the most recent data available, Maine had the lowest rate of infant mortality, with 4.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births – a total of 59 infant deaths – reported in 2002.

Maine reported the fourth-lowest percentage of births to teens 16 to 19 years old and the fourth-lowest number of teens not in school and not working. It ranked fifth in the percentage of low birth weight babies and 10th in the rate of death from all causes to teens ages 16 to 19.

Maine ranked 13th from the top in three areas: the percentage of children living in single-family households, the percentage of children living in poverty, and the rate of deaths in children ages 1 to 14. It ranked 15th in the percentage of teens who are high school dropouts and 20th in the percentage of children living in a family where no parent has a full-time, year-round job.

Maine’s ranking compared to 2000 data stayed the same or rose in six areas, but dropped slightly in the percentage of high school dropouts, teens neither attending school nor working; low birth weight babies; and children living in poverty.

But meaningful year-to-year comparisons are hard to draw, according to Elinor Goldberg, director of the Maine Children’s Alliance. For example, she said, Kids Count recently changed the way it obtains and calculates dropout numbers, relying on state demographics and vital statistics records rather than on self-reported data from high school principals. The new method is more accurate, Goldberg said, but makes comparisons with earlier data unreliable.

“The numbers are off, but the trends are real. They tell us when we’re doing well and when we have more work to do,” she said.

In addition to the 10 major indicators, Kids Count compiles other information about children’s well-being. According to the new Data Book, children in Maine households are more likely to have health insurance and to receive recommended immunizations than the national average. In fourth and eighth grade, they’re more likely to score at or above proficiency in reading and math. A lower percentage of children in Maine than nationally live in poverty, and a higher percentage live in female-headed households and in households where “all parents” work.

Goldberg said the rankings show that Maine lawmakers have been vigilant in protecting access to health care services for youngsters and their families, even as federal officials prepare to cut billions of dollars in Medicaid funding. “Let’s hope our state legislators continue to make Maine children their priority,” she said.

Despite a number of programs aimed at keeping kids in high school through graduation, Maine’s dropout rate is on the rise, no matter how you slice the numbers, Goldberg said. “The problem is absolutely getting worse,” she said, praising current efforts to reverse the trend. She added that education Commissioner Susan Gendron supports universal early childhood education, starting with pre-kindergarten. “Research clearly shows that quality pre-K programs will decrease dropout rates as well as cut special education costs and other expenses,” Goldberg said.

The best investment to improve the well-being of Maine children and families, Goldberg added, is an improved state economy with opportunities for secure employment. The national report draws a similar conclusion, linking childhood well-being with financial security.

In addition to economic development, the report says states must address personal and social issues that challenge a parent’s employability, including substance abuse, domestic violence, incarceration and depression.

The 2005 Kids Count Data Book, including state-by-state profiles, comparisons and analyses, can be viewed online at www.kidscount.org