Kids Community Conditions
School Readiness,
Early Childhood
Education and Care
- More than 43% of teachers say children enter school not ready to learn. Research shows that children who start behind are
more likely to stay behind. - Children who live in poverty are even less likely to succeed: 8%
of our families with children live in poverty. - Head Start—proven to be effective—is available only for 25% of 1,964 eligible children.
Fortunately, research also shows that investing in quality early education pays off with success in school, higher graduation rates and job productivity. Early learning is one of United Way’s top priorities.
Working Parents
- Nearly 63% of parents with children under age 18 are juggling work and family. Single women with children make up 6.5% of all households.
- Fifteen licensed childcare slots exist for every 100 children under age 13. Childcare providers are working poor. Their earnings range from $650 to $875 per month.
United Way invests heavily in areas that parents have identified as important: family support systems, safe childcare and purposeful activities for their children while they work.
Adolescent Behavior
- Nearly 7 % of all youth ages 16-19 in our county are not working, not looking for work, or not in school.
- The juvenile arrest rate is declining, according to the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. Our county the rate has dropped, too, however it is still higher than the national and state average. Prevention is driving rates down, according to the committee.
- Good news: In our county the percentage of births to women under 18 has significantly decreased in the past five years. In 2001 the percent of births to school-aged teens was 2.3%.
Risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking, drug use, and irresponsible sexual activity among adolescents tend to occur during after school hours. Data shows that children living in poverty are more at risk for behaviors such as drinking while driving and youth violence. United Way supports 17 programs specifically for youth.
Children in Foster Care
- Children in foster care are up to 6 times more likely to have emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems.
- The number of children in foster care is increasing while dual income families and the divorce rate have depleted the pool of foster care homes.