The Annie E. Casey Foundation released their annual report, compiling data from between 2000 through 2008, which claims the state of New Hampshire is currently the healthiest state in America for children. Data compiled took into consideration child poverty, but because of the time frame during which data was collected, numbers do not reflect the current economic crisis.

Ranking second and third were Minnesota and Vermont, with Mississippi coming in last.

New Hampshire saw a 50 percent increase in child poverty over the eight year period, but despite that increase it still ranked lowest in overall child poverty statistics. According to MSNBC, during the span of that eight year period, child poverty rates rose from 6 percent to 9 percent, translating roughly to approximately 26,000 children. Low-income families are considered families consisting of two parents and two children at an overall income level of $21,834 or lower. Imagine all the families who make that amount or less, but have more than two children. The thought itself is devastating, and there are hundreds of thousands of children nationwide who live under these circumstances.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charity designed to help assist disadvantaged children in the United States. Developed in 1948 by Jim Casey, they focus their resources on U.S. children and families in need.