Georgia ranks 42nd on this year’s "Kids Count" report on the welfare of the nation’s children, slipping two places from last year.

The state’s low birth-weight rates worsened, as did the percent of children living in poverty and the percent of children living in a families where no parent has a full-time job. But Georgia did improve in the percentage of high school dropouts, the teen birth rate and the child death rate.

Chattooga County saw an increase in the number of students who graduated from high school on time according to the study.  Also according to the study conducted, Chattooga County saw a decrease in the number of child abuse cases reported.  However, their was an increase in the teen birth rate for girls aged 15-19 and an increase in STD’s for the same age group.

The annual study was released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It looks at changes in well being indicators from 2000 to 2006.

New Hampshire topped the list, and Mississippi was ranked last.