New Jersey is one of the top five states to raise kids – even as more and more of them are living in poverty.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report shows New Jersey has been leading the nation in education and child health in recent years.

But Cecilia Zalkind the Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New Jersey says the state’s high cost of living is driving more families into economic distress, especially in cities like Newark.

“You are really talking about families who are very, very poor, who really struggle to do the basics of putting food on the table and a roof over their families’ heads.”

Zalkind says increasing funds for school meal programs and restoring the earned income tax credit can make them more self-sufficient.