Kansas Action for Children has released their 2016 KIDS Count Report and it includes some good news for the youngest Kansas residents. Nearly 83 percent more pregnant women are receiving prenatal care and, as a result, the percentage of low-birth weight babies declined to just over 7 percent. However, some of the indicators don't show the kind of growth that the group would like to see. Annie McKay with Kansas Action for Children says they hope to work with lawmakers next year on improving the health and welfare of the state's children.
McKay says Kansas Action for Children is encouraging lawmakers to restore funding for the Children's Initiative program which works on early childhood, mental health, and child welfare issues. The group would also like the Legislature to expand Medicaid to extend health insurance coverage to more Kansas kids.