By CASSANDRA MICKENS / Associate Editor

Shelby County ranks first in Alabama for the well-being of its children, according to the 2013 Alabama Kids Count Data Book released Nov. 20.

Kids Count, compiled by VOICES for Alabama’s Children, ranked the state’s 67 counties based on five indicators: low birth weights, births to unmarried teens, children in single-parent families, children in poverty and high school graduation rates.

Among bordering counties, St. Clair County ranked No. 7, Chilton County ranked No. 26, Jefferson County ranked No. 35, Bibb County ranked No. 37, Talladega County ranked No. 44 and Coosa County ranked No. 55.

“Despite the Great Recession and other challenges, Alabama is making progress for its children,” said Linda Tilly, executive director of VOICES. “Over the past 20 years, data has given both advocates and policymakers a true picture of how our children are doing and where we need to make improvements if Alabama is to be all that is can be in the future.”

VOICES will make the report available for each county in the state and will quantify needed improvements for county leaders, according to a news release.

The data book can be viewed online at alavoices.org. Hard copies of the publication also may be ordered online.