NASHVILLE (AP) — A national report shows Tennessee is taking better care of its children.

The report released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Tennessee 39th in child well-being.

Linda O'Neal, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, says the ranking is the state's best ever and "first above the 40s." She says it's evidence that public policies and public-private and state-local partnerships serving children are producing improved outcomes.

Tennessee improved in five areas: infant mortality, child death, teen death, teen birth and percent of teens not in school and not high school graduates.

It dropped in the percent of children in poverty and those in single-parent families.

Tennessee made improvements despite challenges of the recession, which the report said affected most states.