When it comes to kids' well-being, Kentucky ranks in the bottom ten states.

Kentucky Youth Advocates say the annual "Kids Count" data book showed Kentucky on its way up for more than a decade, but the trend reversed in the past few years.

Kentucky slipped one spot to 41st in the annual "Kids Count" data book's national ranking of child well-being. The number of children living in poverty, up five percent since last year, highlights the downward trend as does a spike in low birth weights and child deaths.

"They forecast a future that unless we do something about it, in a couple years we're going to be talking about being one of the bottom five," said Terry Brooks, Executive Director of the Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Outreach workers fighting poverty on the front lines say problems like inadequate housing and unemployment often snowball, leaving children in unstable situations and more likely to get into trouble. They say the down-turning economy makes it a tougher battle.

"Without knowing that we are doing the right things to change the situation, it would be very easy to just get burned out," said Adrienne Bush with the Hazard-Perry County Community Ministries.

Kentucky Youth Advocates say going after predatory lenders can help keep more money in parents' pockets and believe increasing the cigarette tax could reduce the number of pregnant smokers. Kentucky did show improvements in infant mortality, teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates.

"It does show that Kentuckians, when we put our mind to it, can tackle very difficult problems," Brooks said.

Officials say the problems yet to be solved offer no easy solution.

This year's "Kids Count" data book also takes an in-depth look at the juvenile justice system and child advocates say Kentucky needs urgent reform. The book ranks Kentucky second highest in the nation for incarcerating juveniles for non-violent offenses and says that's expensive and is causing kids more harm than good. Advocates recommend interventions and community based services, but one Eastern Kentucky judge believes in some cases, jail time is necessary.

"We're not just throwing kids in jail for not going to school. We exhaust ourselves reviewing the truancy cases," said Perry County District Judge Leigh Anne Stephens.

Judge Stephens says cases where kids are sent to jail often involve serious family and drug problems and at times, juveniles must be removed for their own safety.

For more information on the Kids Count statistics, log on to http://www.kidscount.org/datacenter/2008databook/.