Illinois

Illinois became the 21st state admitted to the United States in 1818; its state capital is Springfield. Various parenting magazines, parenting Websites, and health organizations offer their listings of the best places to raise children or have a baby. One list features Chicago as one of the top 50 places (number 28) to have a baby because, among other reasons, there is high access to obstetricians and gynecologists and children's hospitals. Also, state laws guarantee that a nursing mother has the right to breastfeed in public, and require that health insurance companies provide or offer at least some coverage for fertility-related services. Another list ranks four Illinois cities (Naperville, Springfield, Elgin, and Chicago) as being among the 100 best places to raise a family.