Raising America: How Does Texarkana Measure Up with At-Risk Youth?
Simply put, Arkansas has some work to do in this area.
When you think about it, the future of our state lies in the hands of those we are raising. I feel very fortunate to have had parents who were extremely involved in my life. They supported all of my endeavors and weren't afraid to call me on my faults. My mom and dad have definitely had a huge impact on the person I am today.
They set me up for success early on.
Not every kid gets that and in all honesty, not every kid respects that kind of raising even when they have it. This leads to at-rick youth. WalletHub says these kids have a hard time transitioning into adulthood and could easily trend down an unsuccessful road.
So how is Texarkana doing with our kids?
Not well. WalletHub looked at every state across the country and compiled a list of states with the most at-risk youth. Arkansas came in at number six on the list overall. Texas fell into the top half of the list as well at number 22.
To take it a step further, Arkansas landed in the top five for states with the highest percentage of disconnected youth. This could be a major reason why we landed so high on the overall list. It's not exactly what we want to hear, but the good news is that we can make strides to fix it.