State gets poor marks for kids

A combination of deficient policies and a lack of investment in improving the health and education of children is undermining the economic prosperity of California, according to a report set to be released today by Children Now. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

The annual report card found that policies and funding priorities that shortchange children are not only increasing the state's health-care costs and decreasing economic output but jeopardizing its future.

"Children in this state are not faring well, and in fact the condition of children is going in the wrong direction," said Ted Lempert, president of the Oakland-based nonpartisan research and advocacy organization.