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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06242003 - PR.1 Yqf''i . TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONTRA COSTA��t`i w .`: 2.37E � •� ,!� FROM: John Sweeten COUNTY Administrators _ . " 4ti .e DATE: June 24, 2003 tlR, SUBJECT: 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report Card SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION(S): 1. ACCEPT the 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report Card. 2. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Children's Report Card, one of the first in California, progressed from providing a snapshot of the health and well-being of the County's children and families in the first edition to illustrating the changes, successes and persistent challenges for children and families in the County. 3. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Children's Report Card functions as a powerful tool in demonstrating the need for collaborative efforts; informing citizens, service providers and government of the many pressing challenges communities face in creating positive outcomes for children; and highlighting promising practices to meet children's many needs. 4. REQUEST that citizens, businesses, community groups, and other public agencies in Contra Costa County carefully review the report and use it as a resource in the development and implementation of strategies to improve the well being of children and families. 5. ACKNOWLEDGE the hard work of the Children and Families Policy Forum Project Oversight Committee and the Executive Committee, representing a broad base of over 40 individuals from community service agencies and governmental departments in preparing the 2003 Children's Report Card. BACKGROUND/ REASON(S)FOR RECOMMENDATION: The Contra Costa Children and Families Policy Forum began its research on the status of Contra Costa County children in 1997. The second Contra Costa County Children's Report Card was published in 1998, with a data addendum published in 2000. This third Children's Report Card consists of 24 indicators that measure the status of children and families, arranged in four generalized outcome areas: Children are Healthy and Ready for School, Youth are Healthy and Preparing for Adulthood, Families are Economically Self-Sufficient, and Families and Communities are Safe. The Children's Report Card is a collaborative effort of cities, community service providers, County departments, law enforcement agencies, and schools in identifying outcomes, developing indicators, and interpreting and presenting findings. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: —YES SIGNATURE: � 4 ! r RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD C MITTEE ,APPROVE OTHER i SIGNATURE(S): a ACTION OF BOAKD.bN,IIS 24._ 2003 w APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED.X_OTHER r VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A UNANIMOUS{ABSENT ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DISTRICT III SF& VACMIT SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact:Devorah Levine–5-1017 ATTESTED 24, 2003 JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS cc: CAO—Devorah Levine AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Community Services Department–Chris Parkhurst Children and Families Policy Forum Executive Committee BY _,DEPUTY ,s f $ N �f f s r } �s +. f 1 V�h�h t yY t f fir >> r` s}� wr '< f r; f ,�x Acknowledgments The 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report Card represents the coordinated efforts of many individuals. We especially thank the members of the Project Oversight Committee, who had a major role in overseeing the work of this report from initial discussions about outcomes, through indicator selection and refinement, to interpretation and presentation of findings. In addition to the Project Oversight Committee, more than 20 community service providers and professionals contributed valuable expertise to help us develop our list of indicators. We acknowledge the valuable contributions of the Executive Committee of the Contra Costa County Children and Families Policy Forum. We would also like to acknowledge the Applied Survey Research project staff, who worked diligently on all aspects of data collection, analysis, and report production. Policy Forum Executive Scott Tandy Ed Lerman ChiefAssistant County Administrator Community Services Departnwnt Committee Michael Tye Christina Linville John Sweeten Police Chiefs Association formerly of County Administrator,Office County Administrator Executive Committee Chair Dr.William Walker Peggy.Marshburn Steve Bautista Health Services Department Director County Office of Education Chief Probation Officer Project Oversight Committee Chuck McKetney Brenda Blasingame Steve Bautista Health Services Department First 5 Contra Costa Children& Probation Department Karen Mitchoff Families Commission Executive Director Sue Berg Employment and Human.Services Tony Collin Mt.Diablo Unified School District Department Community Services Department Michelle Myers Director Linda Best Workforce Development Board-Youth. Wor�lzforceDevelapmentBoard- policy/JuniorAch.ieveme;zt John Cullen Economic Partnership Employment&Human Services Chris Parkhurst Department Director Stephan Betz Community Services Department Community Services Department Linda Dippel Cheri Pies Department of'Child Support Services Brenda Contra Costa Health Services Department—Family, Director First 5 Contra Costa Children&Families Commission maternal&Child Health Program Lois Haight Doug Prouty Superior Court Judge,Juvenile Division Paul Employment and Hu County Office of Education Employmc,�nt and Hunaan Services Dr.Gloria Johnston Department Pat Stroh West Contra Costa Unified School Lionel Chatman Community Services Department District Superintendent Probation Department Decky Thornton Robert Kochly Jay Daley City of Pleasant Hill Police Department District Attorney IJausin gAuthorit;�y Applied Survey Research Robert McEwan Captain Scott Daly Housing Authority Executive Director Sheriff=Cvroner�s OfficeProject Staff Gary McHenry Susan Brutschy Mt.Diablo School District Dr.Randi Hagen Meg Davidson Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District Julie Fernandez Dr.Joseph A.Ovick Pat Harrington p Health.Services Department— Nancy Goodban,Ph.D. County Superintendent of Schools Children's Mental Health Jennifer Panetta Michael.Ramsey Alana Hogan Kelly Pleskunas Public Managers Associationg Employment and Human Services Javier Saleedo Warren Rupf Department Sheriff-Coroner Caroline Wood Caroline Kelley Patricia Zerounian Dr.Charles C.Spence Department of Child Support Services Community College District Chancellor Executive Summary ':All Contra Costa children will reach, adulthood having experienced a safe, healthy, nurturing childhood which prepares there to be responsible, contributing members q/' the community." Vision Statement,Contra Costa Children and Families Policy Forum,January 1997 The Contra Costa Children and Families Policy Forum began its research on the status of Contra Costa County children in 1997. This third Children's Report Card consists of 24 indicators that measure the status of children and families, arranged in four generalized outcome areas: Children are Healthy and Ready for School, "Youth are Healthy and Preparing for Adulthood, Families are Economically Self-Sufficient, and Families and Communities are Safe. Children are Health.and N More women are receiving prenatal care Ready for School in the first trimester. The percentage of Contra Costa County women receiving prenatal A child's early years provide the foundation for a care in the first trimester increased from 86.0% healthy youth and adulthood. The indicators studied in 1997 to 89.4% in 2001. within this outcome focus on health,pre-literacy and early success in school. a The percentage of kindergartners receiving all required immunizations is In general, children in Contra Costa County are relatively stable. The percentage rose slightly healthier and better prepared for school than children from 92.4% in 1998 to 94.1% in 2001. In 2001, statewide. Infant mortality has decreased in Contra 94.1%n of Contra Costa County kindergartners Costa County and it is lower than in California entered school with all required immunizations, overall. More Contra Costa women received prenatal above the statewide percentage of 90.9%. care in the first trimester of their pregnancies in 2001 than have women in the previous four years. The a Reading scores have increased. The percentage of Contra Costa County kindergartners percentage of third graders reading at or above who receive all of their required immunizations the 50th National Percentile Rank on the SAT-9 exceeds the state leve]., as does the percentage of test increased from 52%in 1998 to 60%in 2002. third graders who read at grade level. The rate of In Spring 2002, 60% of third graders in Contra births to teenagers has steadily decreased from 1997 Costa County scored at or above the 50th through 2002, and is consistently below the state National Percentile Rank compared to 47% rate. However, the number of babies born at low statewide. weight has increased,with the county rate exceeding the statewide rate by a narrow margin. In addition, 2 The rate of births to teenagers has there is a substantial lack of licensed child care space decreased. The rate of births to Contra Costa available to working families. County teenagers decreased from 36.7 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 19 in 1997, to 28.4 in N The infant mortality rate has decreased. 2001, below the statewide rate of 45.1. The infant mortality rate in Contra Costa County has decreased froze. 5.1 per 1,000 babies ages N The percentage of infants born at low 0 to 12 months in 1997 to 4.0 per 1,000 in 2001. weight has remained fairly steady from 1997 The rate has been lower than the state rate to 2001. While the percentage of babies born at since 1999. low weight has increased slightly by 0.3% from 1997 to 2001,the percentage consistently exceeds the statewide percentage by a narrow margin ranging from 0.1% to 0.3%fl. „Children Are Everybody's Business" j ; A Licensed child care slots are in short 0 The percentage of Contra Costa children supply.In 2000, an estimated 119,169 children who are physically fit equals or exceeds ages 0 to 13 potentially needed child care,while statewide levels. In 2001,the percent of Contra 35,132 licensed child care spaces were available, Costa County children in grade 5 who are leaving an estimated 84,037 children who either physically fit is equal to the percentage statewide. receive informal or unlicensed care,or who were Contra Costa students in grades 7 and 9 are unsupervised. slightly more fit than students statewide. Youth are Healthy and Preparing for N Preliminary self-report data about the use Adulthood of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco among 9th and 11th graders show that Contra Costa The adolescent years are a time of profound physical, County use is lower than the state level, social, emotional, and cognitive transformation for Contra Costa County 91h and IVI graders are young people. The indicators reported for this generally less likely to drink alcohol, use outcome reflect measures of health,social behaviors, marijuana, or smoke cigarettes than their peers and performance in school. throughout the state within the last 30 days. Youth health indicator results are mixed. M Results on sexually transmitted diseases Hospitalizations due to asthma have increased, among youth are mixed. Data from 2001 especially for children under age five,which mirrors indicates the rate of chlamydia among Contra the national trend. The physical fitness of school Costa County youth ages 15 to 24 is slightly lower age children is at or better than statewide levels. than the statewide rate, while the rate of Juvenile misdemeanor arrest rates and preliminary gonorrhea is slightly higher. There were nearly data about the use of alcohol,marijuana,and tobacco ten times as many reported cases of chlamydia among 91h and 111h graders indicate fewer arrests and among youth ages 15 to 24 as compared to lower drug and alcohol use than statewide levels. gonorrhea. Unfortunately,the county's high school dropout rate has increased while the statewide rate has decreased. N The juvenile arrest rate has decreased, Both * Preliminarydata indicates that juvenile misdemeanor and felony arrests in Contra Costa. County have steadily decreased hospitalizations due to asthma have since 1997,and have been consistently below the increased. The rate of hospitalization of state level. children age five and under per 10,000 for asthma increased from 2.93 in 1998 to 38.3 in ! High school dropout rate decreased 2000, Children age five and under were more slightly. The four year high school dropout rate than three times as likely to be hospitalized for decreased slightly from 6.4 per lot)in 2000-2001 asthma than the general population in 2000. to 6.1 in 2001-2002, The Contra Costa County rate fluctuated in the past six years from a high * Results on insurance coverage for children of 8.7 to a low of 5.7, while the statewide rate are mixed. Only 4.2% of children in Contra steadily decreased during this time. Costa County were uninsured in 2001,compared to 9.6% statewide. However, the percentage of a The academic performance of college prep those insured by the public insurance programs students has improved, but the number of (Healthy Families and Medi-Cal)for low-income students taking college prep courses has families is lower than the percentage statewide. decreased. While Contra Costa County youth consistently outperformed the state in college preparation exams (SAT-1), the percentage of college-ready students decreased, falling from. 42.9% in 1996-97 to 41.6% in 2000-01. �41 i Contro Costo County Children's Report Corot Families are Economically Self-Sufficient IN The percentage of children receiving free The indicators for economic self-sufficiency include or reduced cost school meals is fairly steady household 'income, unemployment levels, free and and consistently below statewide levels. reduced cost meals for school children, housing The percentage of students in Contra Costa afibrdability, and homelessness. County receiving free or reduced cost meals decreased slightly from 28.2% in 1997-98 to While the Contra Costa County median income is 27.1%in 2001-02. Unfortunately,many families approximately $20,000 above the state level, the struggle to meet their basic needs but still earn rising cost of new and existing homes has made home too much to qualify for meal programs, which ownership less achievable. Since 1997, the are linked to the federal poverty level. unemployment rate has been consistently lower than 9 Housing affordability is decreasing. In the state rate. The percentage of children in Contra Costa County who receive free or reduced cast school February 2003, only 15% of Lantra Costa meals was 27.1% in 2001-2002, compared to 47.1%n households could afford to purchase a median statewide in the same year. More than 40%of Contra priced,single family existing home. Census data Costa families who rent their homes pay more than. Shaw that in 1999, 41% of renters spent thirty 30% (the HUD standard of affordability) of their percent or more of their income on housing casts. monthly income for this expense. The number of IN Requests for admittance to family families seeking emergency shelter almost doubled in the past faun years; meanwhile the number of emergency shelters has increased. The shelter beds decreased, number of families needing emergency shelter on any given night almost doubled from 444 in • Median family income in Contra Costa 1998 to 855 in 2002,while the number of shelter County exceeds the statewide level. In 2000, beds decreased by 18% during this time, the median family income in Contra Costa County was $73,039 compared to a median Families and Communities are Safe family income of$53,025 statewide, However, The indicators chosen to measure family and at least 18.5% of Contra Costa County families community safety include child abuse, foster care, had annual earnings that were below the self domestic violence,and unintentional and intentional sufficiency standard,' and at least 5.6% had injury rates. annual earnings below the federal poverty level. The rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect • Unemployment in Contra Costa County has increased, however, it remains below the remains below the statewide rate. statewide rate. First entries into foster care remain Unemployment in Contra Costa County has steady and until recently,lower than the state level. climbed from a rate of 2.7 per 100 in 2000 to 4.9 The total number of domestic violence incidents in 2002. Although unemployment is on the rise, where children were present decreased significantly. Contra Costa County unemployment has been The unintentional injury hospitalization rates in consistently below the statewide rate from 1997 Contra Costa are higher than the statewide rates through 2002. for age groups 5 to 15 and 16 to 20. Intentional injury rates are higher than the statewide rates for children aged 1 year or less and those aged 5 to 15. The Self-Sufficiency Standard for California is a measure of income adequacy. It provides information on how much income is needed for families of various sizes to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance. ®Children Are Everybody'„ Business" ( 3 • Substantiated reports of child abuse have Summation increased. In 2001, the rate of substantiated Indicators show that positive results have been reports of child abuse and neglect in Contra achieved in each outcome area. Most notable are a Costa County increased to a four-year high of decrease in infant mortality, an increase in women 10.1 per 1,000 children, although it still remains receiving prenatal care in the first trimester, fewer below the statewide rate of 10.7. births to teenagers, an increase in third grade reading scores, a decrease in juvenile misdemeanor • First entries into foster care remain steady. arrests,a median family income that exceeds the state The rate of first entries into foster care in Contra level coupled with an unemployment rate beneath Costa County of 3.1 per 1,000 entries has the state level, and a decrease in domestic violence remained lower than the state rate of 3.5, and incidents where children were present. relatively stable between 1997 and 2001, while the statewide rate decreased during that time. Indicators show Contra Costa children and families would benefit from additional attention to these • The total number of domestic violence areas: incidents where children were present have decreased. In 2001, children were present in 11 The availability of licensed and subsidized 919 or 26% of these incidents, down from 1,015 child care. incidents or 35% in 1997. 11The rate of hospitalization due to asthma. • Unintentional injury hospitalization rates 19 The number of children with health insurance. in 2000 for youth ages 5 to 20 years are W The rate of high school dropouts. higher than the statewide rates. The Contra Costa County unintentional injury rate is lower 2 The availability of affordable housing. than the statewide rate for children less than one year old, and equal to the statewide rate for 1B The access to emergency shelter beds for children. ages 1 to 4 years. families. 11 The incidence of child abuse and neglect. • Intentional injury hospitalization rates in 2000 for children less than one year old and 0 The injury hospitalization rates for children. youth ages 5 to 15 years are higher than 11 The availability of education and employment the statewide rates. The Contra Costa County opportunities to increase economic intentional injury rate is lower than the statewide development. rate for youth ages 16 to 20 years, and equal to the statewide rate for children ages 1 to 4 years. a�;, Contro Costo County Children's Report Introduction Purpose Background The purpose of the Contra Costa County The first Contra Costa County Children's Report Children's Report Card is to: Card was published in 1997 to provide a snapshot of the health and well-being of the county's • Inform and educate the community about the children and families. It was one of the first issues of children and families; children's report cards in California and provided Contra Costa County with a baseline • Track indicators of child, family, and for the status of children and families. The community health, economic strength, and Report Card was developed by the Contra Costa well-being over time; County Children and Families Policy Forum, an interdisciplinary children's council established • Raise awareness of the need to pursue by the board of Supervisors. targeted interventions to improve outcomes for children and families, and to reduce the The second Contra Costa County Children's costs associated with negative outcomes; Report Card was published. in 1998, with a data addendum published in 2000. These subsequent • Stimulate community activities and provide reports show the changes, successes and guidelines for service providers to promote persistent challenges for children and families improved outcomes; and in the county. ® Highlight "what works," or promising The 2003 Report Card reflects the work of over 40 individuals serving on the Project Oversight practices and strategies contributing to Committee and the Executive Committee of the improved outcomes for children and families. Children and Families Policy Forum, both representing a broad-base of community service The 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report agencies and governmental departments. Card is further intended to inform policymakers, Through a series of meetings, outcomes and funders, service providers, and community indicators of past Report Cards were reviewed leaders about the trends in selected indicators for relevance, new indicators were discussed and of community well-being that should be selected for inclusion in the report, and a data addressed when planning and implementing development agenda was developed. services for children and families. It is an excellent starting point for leaders and service providers to begin identifying ways in which - desired r for dollars can be leveraged across sectors tochildren, amilies and address service gaps and overlaps. The information in the Report Card can also be used • data are to develop funding and grant applications. available, achievement of an outcome. "Children Are Everybody's Business" I Report Framework The 2003 Children's Report Card focuses on four trends for these indicators over time, outcomes: stakeholders can decide where to focus their actions. If there are areas that need • Children are Healthy and Ready for School; improvement, a concentrated effort can be • undertaken to improve outcomes associated with Youth are Healthy and Preparing for an indicator over time. Adulthood; • Families are Economically Self-Sufficient; Report Organization The Report Card begins with a brief Overview • Families and Communities are Safe. of Contra Costa County, which provides relevant demographic and socioeconomic information for These outcomes are consolidated from the five contextual purposes. The major sections of the outcomes in the previous Children's Report report present data on the indicators that relate Card, by merging two outcomes — safe families to the four major outcome areas. Each indicator and safe communities — into Families and includes information on the indicator itself and Communities are Safe. The Project Oversight what it measures, a context for why the indicator Committee, with the help of representatives is important, and what the data show. At the end from more than 20 community service provider of each section, "Promising Practices" describe organizations, identified 24 indicators to examples of strategies for outcome improvement measure progress toward these outcomes. that are supported by current research. The 2003 Children's Report Card includes four new indicators: percentage of third graders Programs and s s reading at grade level; percentage of youth whothat credible research indicates self-report using alcohol, drugs and tobacco; effective in improving outcomes for'' asthma hospitalization rates; and number ofchildren, • and families. domestic violence incidents where children are present. The Report Card is based primarily on The 2003 Contra Costa County Children's Report countywide data. It does not contain Card draws on the Results-Based Accountability neighborhood data. While some limited data are {RBA} framework. Under the RBA approach, the available by school district or region of the community identifies the broad outcomes it county, much of the data are only available wants to achieve for its children and identifies countywide. For some important areas of indicators that measure progress toward those concern there is a lack of valid, reliable or current outcomes. Taken together, these indicators data. Those areas of concern are highlighted at provide an assessment of the health and well- the end of this document in the Data being of children and their families in Contra Development Agenda, with the hope that they Costa County.As the community looks at the data will become indicators in subsequent reports. 10I? Contra Costo County Children's Report Card �:_ A County Overview and Maps Geography Contra Costa County is one of nine counties in Contra Costa County is an area of great natural the greater San Francisco Bay Area and is located beauty, featuring rolling hills that are golden in northeast of San Francisco. Its western boundary summer and emerald green in winter and spring, is San Pablo Bay and its northern boundary is surrounded by bays and waterways, and the Carquinez Straits. The county is divided into encompassing Mt. Diablo State Park. regions by its hills, which are dominated by Mt. Incorporated in 1850, Contra Costa County was Diablo, one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area. one of the 27 original counties in California. The The western portion of the county near the San County has 17 cities and three towns. The five Francisco Bay is primarily industrial, and has largest cities,with a total of 46.0%of the county's service and retail sectors as well. The northern population, are Concord, Richmond, Antioch, edge is particularly industrialized with Walnut Creek, and Pittsburg. Other cities are petroleum., steel and chemical plants. The Brentwood, Clayton, E1 Cerrito, Hercules, central part of the county is a major commercial Lafayette, Martinez (the county seat), Oakley, and financial center. The eastern region is Orinda,Pinole,Pleasant Hill, San Pablo, and San suburban, with a rural and agricultural base. Ramon. The towns are Danville, Knightsen, and Moraga. Sixteen percent of the population lives in the unincorporated area of the county. Map 1: Contra Costa County - West, Central, South and East Regions, 2000 WEST CENTRAL Sid,, EAST VIt Legend ra OUT h1dor Roads mc nwnen° Corridor --ounty Regions . `?..L3FetE'a 1oovpLr`a ;>€9t.E�3ty Map data provided by the California Spatial Information Library, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, 2003; and Contra Costa County Community Development Department,2003. "Children Are Everybody's Business' r;��J Population According to the 2000 U. S. Census, the county The household characteristics of Contra Costa is the ninth most populous county in California, County are similar to those of California. with a population of 948,816. Twenty-nine Seventy percent of the households in Contra percent of the population (274,300) are children, Costa County are families with children. including 7.0% under age 5, 7.7% ages 5 to 9, 7.6% ages 10 to 14, and 6.7%c ages 15 to 19. Table A: Contra Costa County Population of Children Ages 0-18, 2002 The California Department of Finance (2002) estimates indicate the following ethnic w distribution: 63.0% Caucasian, 14.3% Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.3% African American, and 0.5% Caucasian 128,600 American Indian. The California Department Latino 48,378 of Finance (2002) estimates indicate that among _ children 0-18,Caucasians make up 53.8%,Latinos Asian/Pacific Islander 33,746 s 20.3%, Asian 14,1%r, African Americans 11.4%, 6 African American 27,238 and American Indians 0.4%. American Indian_. 927 1 Source: State of California, Department of Finance 1970-2046 Population Table B: Household CharacteristicsProjections by Age, Sex,and Race/Ethnic Detail, December 1998, 2003. Family households 242,233 70.4% 68.9% With own children under 18 years 121,884 35.4% 35.8% Married-couple family 187,613 54.5% 51.1% F With own children under 18 years 91,975 26.7% 26,0% Single female head of household 39,683 11.5% 12.6% With own children under 16 years 22,363 6.5% 7.3% Non-family households 141,896 29.6% 31,1% 9 Householder living alone 78,759 22.9% 23.5% Householder 65 year and over 27,559 8,0% 7,15% i Households with individuals under 18 years 133,372 38.8% 39,7% Households with individuals 65 years and over 76,255 22.2% 22.3% Total households 344,129 - 11,502,870 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, 2003. P2� Cor7tra Cosfa Courity ChHdren's Report Card Workforce and Employment Historically Contra Costa County was a "bedroom community" for those who worked in the East Bay and San Francisco. In 2000, more than 40% of the workforce commuted to jobs outside of the county. The mean travel time for working commuters was over 30 minutes. Table C: Contra Costa County Labor Force and Transportation, 2000 t.x , ;};r [ ei4 -x3t =. 3 rs& •- a e i 5s. 55.5°14 13.5°I° 9.0% 34,4 42.4% 8 Source: J.S. Census Bureau,2000 Census,2003. Labor force and transportation data is important Table D: Contra Costa County Percent of when considering the impacts that commuting Workers with Children, 2000 has on families with children. In 2000, over 50% of Contra Costa County families in which both 3 parents worked included children under the age of 6, and over 60% of families in which bothpercent fpopui population With children �itt,children parents worked had children ages 6 to 17 years. 15 years and over, udder 6 yrs, 6 to 17 yrs y in labor force Those workers who do not commute may be employed in the increasing number of service 65,5% 53.s% 64.6% businesses within Contra Costa. County. Other Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census, 2003. employment opportunities within the county are available in petroleum refining, which was the Table E: Contra Costa County Median Family county's first major industry. Additional key income and Per Capita Income, 1999 employment sectors include telecom- munications financial services steel manufacturing, prefabricated metals, chemicals, Less than$10,000 7,788 3.2% r electronic equipment, and food processing. _. $10,000 to$14,999 5,817 2.4% s Income $15,000to$24,999 14,033 5.81% The median family income in Contra Costa M,000to$341999 17,236 7.1% County in 2000 was$73,039,however,the income $35,000 to$49,999 30,256 12.4% of nearly 20% of the county's families is $50,000to$74,999 50,014 20,5% approximately half that amount. _. $75,000 to$99,999 40,142 16,5°!° The distribution of family income in 2000 is E $100,000to,$t49,999 44,270 18.1% represented in 16 income categories and varies $150,000to$199,999 16,522 6.8% a by ethnicity. In Table E, Contra Costa County's _ _ median family income of$73,039 falls within the $200,000 or more 17,893 7.3% $60,000-74,999 income category. The percent of Median family income(dollars) $73,039 families at or below the median family income par capita Income(dollars) $30,615 are: 70%v African American, 64%Q American Indian/Alaskan, 50%Asian, 46% Caucasian, 73% Number of Families in Contra Costa County 243,971 Latino, 59% Pacific Islander, and 77% Other (U. S. Census, 2000). Source: u,s. census Bureau, 2000 Census, 2003. 4 "Children Are Everybody's Business" X13 Income -Continued Table F: Contra Costa County Percentage of Family Income by Ethnicity, 1999 <$10,000 5.7% 3.4% 2.0% 5.1°>0 1,1% 6.0% $10,000to$14,999 5.6% 1.7% 2.0% 1.7% 4.4% 6.7% 5.0%n $15,000 to$19,999 3.3% 2:4%e 2,0% 4.8% 2:0%a 5.8%© $20,000 to$24,999 5.1% 6.1% 2.8% 2.5% 6.0% 3.1% 6.0% $25,000 to$29,999 5.2% 2.6% 2,8% 5.1%0 2.7%0 $.7%0 { $30,000 to$34,999 5.2% 7.1% 3.4%0 3.4%fl 6,3% 0.7% 6.3%n $35,owto$39,999 5.5% 3.9%fl 3.7%a 6.6% 2.7% 6.6% $40,000 to$44,999 5.2% 1.5% 3.7% 3.8% 6.6% 4.5% 7.2% $45000to$49999 3.2% 4:0% 3.9% 5.9Q/o 6.3% 6.5% $50,000to$59,999 7.8% 8.6% 8.5% 8,0% 10.2% 12.0% 10.5% $60,000 t0$74,999 16.5% 13:3%a 12.2% 12.3% 171%' 11.7%n $75,000 to$99,999 14.6% 15.4% 17.5% 17.0% 12.8% 13.3% 11.8% $100,000to$124,999 9:4% 110% 12.6% 6.3%ti 15.9°!0 5.8%0 $125,000 to$149,999 3,0% 3.9% 7.6% 7.3% 3.0% 3.6% 2.3%6 $150,000 to$199,999 61% 6:9%n 7.9%0 2.5% 5:9%ti 1.7% $200,000+ 1.8% 0.9% 5.1%a 9.3% 2.1% 2.5% 1,111/10' Total families ��4 1;355 25,482 168,869 34,279 715 15,977 Source: U.S. Census Bureau,2000 Census, 2003. 4 .. Confrcr Ccsfo Children's 1`epert Ceyrd Income —Continued The Self-Sufficiency Standard, an alternative measure used to document the costs of living that families of different sizes must meet to mitigate poverty, calculates the income that working adults require to meet basic needs without subsidies of any kind. Unlike the Federal Poverty Level, this new standard breaks ground as it takes into account the costs of living as they vary both by family types and geographic location. Table G: Self-Sufficiency Income Standards, Contra Costa County Housing $921 $921 Child Care $673 $873 $437 Food $412 $549 $673 Transportation $49 $98 $98 Health Care $254 $324 $405 Miscellaneous $252 $276 $268 'faxes 7 $566 $557 Earned income Tax credit () $0 $0 $0 Child Care Tax credit(} $•80 $-Sd $440 : Child Tax credit(} $-83 $-125 Hourly self-sufficiency wage $17.99 *$19.68 `$20.20 Monthly self-sufficiency wage $3,165 $3,464 3,555 Annual self-sufficiency wage $37,985 $41,568 $42,656 Source: Wider Opportunities For Women and Californians for Family Economic Self-Sufficiency(CFESS) and Equal Rights Advocates, 1896 and 2000. Hourly, monthly, and annual wages of two-adult households reflect the total combined income of both adults. "Children Are Everybody's Business" ��a! Income -Continued Map 2: Contra Costa County Map Indicating Cities and Unincorporated Areas v� rim � �t a• Nv VX ` s3t b Legend �.. Goias and Towns C,oniro Cash Couniyt ..r Map data provided by the California Spatial Information Library,the U.S.Census Bureau, 2000 Census, and the Contra Costa County Community Development Department. Table H: Median Family Income and Percent of Families Below the Poverty Level, 1999 �.»rV�.�:-�� .w.,- ,��,�rr-'•�'+�`�.s"���s.-�v�+.-.����5'v'+ St ��' r,:�.+� .....,d�"'°,?1�' ...,... _ .�#2'�. .i .�.`~~3a+'«�''�'i$✓#i I Alamo $147,643 2.6% Knightsen $64,643 7.3% Antioch $64,723 6.5% Lafayette $120,364 2.1% Bay Point $47,884 14.9% Martinez $77,411 3.2% Bethel IsIan d $53,929 5.3% Moraga $116,113 19% Blackhawki7assaiara $155,904 0.2% Oakley $68,888 2.8% £ Brentwood _ $75,753 4.3% Orinda $132,531 1.3% Clayton - $107,448 1.2°I° c,_ Pacheco $58,938 7.9% Clyde $80.137 _ 0.0% Pittsburg $54,472 8.7% Concord $62,093 5.2% Pleasant Hili $79,001 2.7%_ Crockett __ $66,174 4.8%° Port Costa $61,429 9.7% Danville $126867 1.3% Richmond $46,659 13.4% _ _ __ Diablo $200,000+ 0.0% t Rodeo $63,151 6.0% E Discovery Bay $90272 1.9% San Ramon $106,321 1 4°I° EI Cerrito $69,397 3.5% Walnut Creek $83,794 i.7% ' EE Sobrante $59,34 6.6% Contra Costa County $73,039 5.4% Hercules $82,214 1.9% California $53,025 10.6% Kensington $102,601 1.7% Nation $50,046 1 Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, 2003. '1!6iContro Costa County Children's Report Card <I Housing The Department of Housing and Urban Development Horne ownership has become increasingly difficult in defines affordable housing as that which does not cost Contra Costa County with less than one-sixth of more than 30 percent of a family's income. The scarcity median income households able to afford an existing of affordable housing has become one of the most single family home in 2003. Further, the percentage significant challenges for many families living in of homes affordable to median income households Contra Costa County. The high cost of home ownership decreased by approximately fifty percent from 29% in impacts the rental market, as would-be buyers stay in 1999 to 15% in 2003, the rental market and tighten the competition for units, driving up rental prices. Lack of affordable rental In December 2002, the median sale price of single- housing often leads to overcrowded or unsafe housing family residences, condominiums, and new homes in conditions and seriously impacts the ability of low- to Contra Costa County was $364,000. In November moderate-income families to meet other basic needs. 2002, the median sale price varied greatly throughout The housing shortage leads to longer and more the county from$222,000 in Richmond(zip code 94801) congested commutes, more air pollution, diminished to $978,000 in Alamo (zip code 94507). productivity, and less family time. Figure I: Percentage of Households Able to Afford a Median Priced, Single Family Existing Home 0 577% 54% 57% 58% 59% m 50 43°{u _ 34% 36% 31% 30% 25 18% 15% 17% 150/0 0 . 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 w 0 Contra Costa County California Nation Note: Data collected in February of each year. In 1999, the percentage of homeowners spending apartment in Contra Costa County(calculated as part more than 30% of their income on housing in Contra of the Oakland Primary Metropolitan Service Area Costa County was 29.9%, while 40.6% of renters (PMSA), which also includes Alameda County) was spent more than 30% of their income on housing. $1,243 compared to neighboring Santa Rosa PMSA In 2002, the median rent for a two-bedroom at $1,066 and San Francisco PMSA at $1,8482 Figure J: Percentage of Monthly Income Spent by Renters and Homeowners on Housing, Contra Costa County, 1999 31.9 27A 3D�. _214 , ui 20 15.1 14-914.3 15.014,5 0 12.2 11A au c„ 10 *# 85 8.7 {/ Less than 15.0°/a 15.0 to 19.9% 20.0 to 24.9% 25.0 to 29.9% 30.0 to 34.9% 35.0%or More Owners Renters Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics,2002. a Oakland PMSA includes Contra Costa and Alameda counties; San Francisco PMSA includes Marin,San Mateo and San Francisco counties; San Jose PMSA includes Santa Clara County; Santa Rosa PSMA includes Sonoma County;Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa PMSA includes Solano and Napa counties. "Children Are Everybody's Business" ���7 dcfic Contra Costa County has 18 public school of Pittsburg and. Richmond, inhere the districts and a number of independent percentage is slightly under the state average. elementary and high schools, There are three Countywide, 86.9% of residents have achieved community colleges, one four-year college, and high school graduation or higher; compared to two universities. Educational attainment by 76.8% statewide. Further, the percentage of adults is generally higher than that of the state, Pittsburg residents who have achieved a B.A. or however, there are variations within the cities higher is 14.7%, just over half of the state in the county. For example, the percent of Contra average, while 54.0% of Walnut Creek residents Costa residents who have achieved high school have achieved a BA or higher, which is slightly graduation or higher for the selected cities more than double the state average, represented in the table below is greater than Countywide, 35.0% of residents have achieved a the state average, with the exception of residents BA or higher, compared to 26.6% statewide. Table K: Educational Attainment of Adults Aged 25 Years and Over, by city, county and State Comparisons, 2000 u + Less than 9th Grade 4.5% 6.9% 10.5% 11.1% 1.8% 5,3% m5% 9th to 12th Grade,No Diploma 9.8% 8.4% 13.8% 13.5°1° M% 7.8% 11.79% High School Graduate(includes Equivalency) 28.6% 23.2% 25.9% 21.8% 12.6% 19,8% 20,1% Some College,No Degree 29.9% 27.0% 273% 24.4% 211% 24.5% 22.9% AA Degree 8.9% 8.7% 7.3% 6,8% 7.3°r° 7,7% 7.1% :: BA Degree 13.5% 18.7% 11.4%° 14.1% 33.4% 22.8% 17.1% s' Graduate or Professional Degree 4,7% 7.2% 3.3% 8.2% 20.5%. 12.2% 9.5% Percent of High School Graduates or higher 85.7% 84.7% 751% 75.4% 95,0% 86.9% 76.8% 25.9% 14..7% °�.. 6/ 4 Percent of BA and higher 18.2% 22.4,0 54,0,° 35.010 26.610 Number of persons 25 or older 54,041 80,130 33,388 62,662 49,986 625,641 21.298 900 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, 2003. 18F,, C ontro Costo Co-tinry Children's Report" Cord a i SCry sl: � f y F r 4 y ry• E�r €� , f ? { of MMM�� t t f J^Y log Children are Heulthy uii for School Reaay A child's early years provide the foundation for a healthy youth and adulthood. Seven key indicators are presented for this outcome, focusing on health, pre-literacy, and early success in school. These indicators reflect how well families and the community are caring for our youngest and most vulnerable members, allowing us to understand how well we are keeping our children healthy and preparing them for school. Indicators Births to Teenagers Prenatal Care h Low Birth Weight rr .}�?� Infant Mortality Immunization ON Child Gere Availability Third Grade Reading Scores S* "If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." ^� n - Maya Angelou 1 . Births to Teenagers What it Is mothers are less likely to finish school and are more The teen birth rate measures the number of births likely to be poor. Longitudinal research shows to teen women ages 15 to 19 per 1,000 females in that it can take many years for an unmarried teen that age group. mother to catch up to her peers in terms of income and education. Children of teen mothers are even Why It Is Important more at risk than the teen mother herself. They Births to teenagers are predictive of increased are more likely to have academic, cognitive and problems for their children, and reduced economic behavioral difficulties that can persist into their self-sufficiency for the teen mother. Teenage teen years and beyond. Figure 1.1 - Rate of Births to Teenagers Ages 15 to 19 56.7 0 60 53.6 50.2 48.1 45.1 . ......... m 45 30 36.7 33e""gym m 32.2 30.7 28.4 15 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 s Contra Costa County California Source: State of California, Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 2002. Figure 1.2 - Contra Costa County and California Rate of Births to Teens by Ethnicity and Age Group, 2001 160 _ 140.0 144.1 C 0 a`+ 120 _ �- 83.5 92.4 N 80p� t 0 3Q.9 484 491 Y 40 8 3 28.7 26.8 34.9 7.1 6.0 5.021A8.9 r African Asian/Pacific Caucasian/Other Latino American islanders Unknown 8 Contra Costa 15.17 years a Contra Costa 18.19 years California 1517 years California 18.19 years Source:State of California, Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 2002. How We Are Doing The rate of births to teenagers has decreased in below the statewide rate of 45.1 in 2001. A total Contra Costa County, in California as a whole, of 291 babies were born to women ages 15 to 17 and nationwide. The rate of births to teenagers in Contra Costa County and 592 babies were decreased from 36.7 per 1,000 young women ages born to women ages 18 to 19 in 2001, with 15 to 19 in 1997 to 28.4 in 2001, and remained another 17 babies born to girls under 15. a "Children Are Everybody's Business 2. Prenatal r What It Is Figure 2.1 — Percentage of Women Receiving Prenatal care is measured by the number of First Trimester Prenatal Care pregnant women who receive prenatal care during their first trimester. 100 ._86.0 _ _86.1.. - 88.1 89.3 89.4. .. . ...... = 81.1 = 82.2 = = 83.1 = 840 = Why It Is Important 75 Early prenatal care can encourage healthy habits during pregnancy, help to identify potential 50U medical problems, and facilitate involvement Ta J h with parenting support, nutrition, and other a 25 - - -- educational resources. The benefits are greatest y{ for women at risk for poor birth outcomes, 0 including teenagers and women with low 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 incomes. Inadequate prenatal care often reflects a lack of access to health care resources and can #Contra Costa County California contribute to nutritional deficiencies in mothers _ =Healthy People 2014 objective:90% and infants, lower birth weights, and infant mortality. Source: State of California, Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 2002. How We Are Doing Note: The Healthy People 2010 Objective is 90%of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester. The percentage of Contra Costa County women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester increased from 86% in 1997 to 89% in 2001, and Table 2.1 -- Contra Costa County Percentage neared the Healthy People 2010 Objective of of Women Receiving First Trimester Care by 90%.� Initiating prenatal care in the first Ethnicity, 2001 trimester varies by ethnicity: 94% of Caucasians and 91% of Asian/Pacific Islanders received timely prenatal care, as compared to 85% of �< f o African Americans and 83% of Latinas. The earlier prenatal care is received, the more ,...... ' • °�- •• effective that care is likely to be. In 2001, women Caucasian/Other/Unknown6244` 94,1% who received no care until the third trimester Asian I Pacific Islander 1,775 91.1 included 129 Latinas, 36 African Americans, 28 -- Asian/Pacific Islanders and 56 Caucasians. AfricanAtnerican 1,268: 843% Latina _ 3,839 _ 82,8%° Data Development Total Births 13,1zs 89.4% Because drug exposure in utero frequently ....- causes developmental delays in infancy and early Source:State of California, Department of Health Services,Center for Health childhood, it is important to identify a process Statistics, Birth Records, 2002. with which to measure the number of drug- Note: Percentage is based on the number of women receiving first trimester exposed newborns, and provide for the equitable prenatal care in each ethnicity divided by the total number of births for each administration of drug screening prior to and at ethnicity. birth. Please refer to the Data Development Agenda section of this report for more information. 3 In the"California Maternal and Child Health Data Book, May 2002,"Contra Costa County was found to have the highest level of early entry into prenatal care in California, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 objective, at 90.1%; varying slightly from data currently reported by State Vital Statistics.This report was produced by the Family Health Outcomes Project of the University of California, San Francisco. 2?Ji Contra Costa Courty Children's .neNort Card 3. Low Birth i t What 1t Is Figure 3.1 — Percentage of Infants Born at Low Low birth weight is measured by the number of Weight infants who are born weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds), and is expressed as a 20 percentage of total live births per year. Why It Is Important15 rn Infant birth weight is affected by many factors 10 15MM% 63%062% 6A%v.1% 6.6%6.2% 6,06 % including the quality and timeliness of prenatal a care, and is directly related to infant survival, ' health and development. Low birth weight is a risk factor for a variety of developmental 1997 �� 1998 1999 2000. �~ 2001 ------ problems including mental retardation, developmental delays, visual and hearing I Contra Costa County California4g defects, chronic respiratory problems, autism, Healthy People 20%Objective.5% and learning difficulties. Infants born at very low weight (less than 1,500 grams or 3.3 pounds) are Source: California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, especially fragile. Birth Records, 2002, Note:The Healthy People 2010 Objective is 5%of five births. How We Are Doing The percentage of babies born at low weight in Table 3.1 — Contra Costa County Percentage Contra Costa County increased from 6.3% in of Infants Born at Low Weight by Ethnicity, 2001 1997 to 6.6% in 2001, consistently exceeding the statewide rate and remaining above the Healthy ' People 2010 Objective of 5%. The percentage of low birth weight babies was highest among AlricanAlnerican 167 13:2% African Americans, at 13.2%, followed by 8.1% for Asian/Pacific Islanders, 6.1% for Caucasians, Asian i Pacific Islander 144 8.1% and 4.6% for Latinos. According to Maternal, Caucasian!Other!Unknown 382 6.1% . Child & Adolescent Health in Contra Costa - County 1991-1999, published in January 2003, Latino 177 4.6% low birth weights changed for specific racial/ Total Births 870 6.6% ethnic groups; between 1991 and 1999, the rate of low weight births decreased by 15% for Source: California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, African-American women and increased by 11% Birth Records, 2002. Note: Percentage is based on the number of women receiving first trimester for Hispanic women. A total of 870 babies were prenatal care in each ethnicity divided by the total number of births for each born at low birth weight in 2001, including 122 ethnicity. born at very low weights (less than 1,500 grams or 3.3 pounds). "C"iidren Are Everybody's Business" �� 4. Infant Mortality What It Is Figure 4.1 — Infant Mortality Rate Infant mortality measures how many infants die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births. 12 Why It Is Important CL Infant mortality is correlated with several -S 0 8 factors, including poor prenatal care and low 5.9 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.3 birth weight. Access to prenatal care, and well- baby preventive care after birth, provides51 5.9 _G 4 - - - - - - - "52- - - - 4 ' "` ' opportunities to identify and ameliorate risk 16 4.0 factors for infant mortality. The primary causes of infant mortality are pre-existing conditions, birth defects, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome 1997 19M 1999 2000 2001 (SIDS), and issues relating to pregnancy and —t *Contra Costa County California birth, including substance abuse. - -Healthy People 2010 Objective:4.611/6 How We Are Doing Source: California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, The infant mortality rate in Contra Costa County Death and Birth Records,2002. has decreased from 5.1 per 1,000 babies in 1997 Note:The Healthy People 2010 Objective is a rate of 4.5 per 1,000 live births. to 4.0 per 1,000 in 2001, after rising to 5.9 per 1,000 in 1998. Except for 1998,the county's infant mortality rate has been lower than the statewide infant mortality rate, which has decreased steadily from 5.9 per 1,000 in 1997 to 5.3 per 1,000 in 2001. In 2001, for the first time, Contra Costa County met the Healthy People 2010 Objective of an infant mortality rate below 4.5 per 1,000. U241F Contra Costo County Children's Report Cord ........................................ .......................... ................. .. ......................... ........... ...... 111.11........... I I 5. Immunization What It Is Figure 5.1 — Percentage of Children Entering Child immunization coverage is measured by the Kindergarten with All Required Immunizations percentage of children who have received the recommended immunizations by age two, as - measured when they enter kindergarten. 100 92,489.3 94.2 91.9 . 94.592.2_ x•1.90.9_ 76.2 Why' It Is Important c,75 8.0 Immunization is a measure of family access to, and use of50 preventive care. In California, eight a different vaccines are currently recommended between birth and kindergarten. These ; immunizations provide protection against 12 a 0 different organisms, preventing a number of 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 serious and even fatal diseases such as measles, _ chicken pox, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping 1Contra Costa County I Cal{fornia cough, and polio. Most immunizations are due - - Healthy People 2010 OkjectNe:811°!8 before age two and are � X g provided during routine well-baby visits. Immunization is a requirement Source: California Department of Health Services, Division of Communicable for school entry and compliance with Disease Control, Immunization Branch, 2002. immunization regulations is measured at that Note:The Healthy People 2010 Objective is 80%of children fully immunized time. between ages 19-35 months. How We Are Doing In 1997, a new law required kindergartners to receive a Hepatitis B vaccination. Due to this additional requirement, the percentage of children entering kindergarten with all required immunizations in 1997 was 76.2%, but increased to 92.4% in the following year and has since remained relatively stable. In 2001, 94.1% of Contra Costa County kindergartners entered school with all required immunizations, above the statewide rate of 90.9% and well above the Healthy People 2010 Objective of 80% for children ages 19 to 35 months. "Children Are Everybody's Business" 25 6. Child Care Availability What It Is The availability of licensed child care can be measured licensed child care centers and licensed family child by comparing the available licensed child care spaces care homes, 48 or 2.7% were subsidized child care to the estimated number of children who are either centers serving 3,132 children ages 0 to 11' receiving informal care, such as that offered by a relative, nanny, or neighbor, or who are Figure 6.1 — Number of Licensed Spaces unsupervised. The potential need for child care is Available, and Potential Number of Children based on the number of children with a single Receiving Informal Care or Unsupervised, 2000 working parent or two working parents, while the supply figures are based on the number of spaces Potential Demand Based on Supply of Licensed Child Care available in licensed child care centers and smaller Children with a Single Working family child care homes. Parent or Two Working Parents 21,144 Slots in Why It Is Important The availability of quality, affordable child care r Child Care Centers makes it possible for parents to work and helps children prepare for school. Child care for those who need it, and in particular subsidized care for low income families,is essential in helping children access early socialization experiences that will prepare them 13,988 Slots in for kindergarten. Quality child care and preschool tt Family Child Care experiences can provide developmentally appropriate enrichment. Pre-literacy activities can provide children with the necessary social and cognitive skills to prepare them for later school success. Source: California Resource and Referral Network, How We Are Doing California Child Care Portfolio, 2001. Licensed child care slots are in short supply in Note: For children ages 0 to 13. comparison to the potential demand. In 2000,there Data Development were an estimated 119,169 children ages 0 to 13 who had either a single working parent, or two parents More data is needed to learn about the condition of who both worked. At the same time, as there were child care in Contra Costa County, including the only 35,132 licensed child care spaces,the remaining number of children who are in informal child care or 84,037 children either receive informal care, such who are unsupervised, the number of child care as that offered by a relative, nanny, or neighbor, or facilities that are exempt from state licensing, the were unsupervised.4 Subsidized child care that is quality of child care programs, and affordability of available to low-income families also is a critical issue, child care, especially the eligibility of child care particularly for those families transitioning off of subsidies for low-income parents. Please refer to the public assistance. In fiscal year 2001-02,the Contra Data Development Agenda section of this report for Costa Child Care Council reported that out of 1,794 more information, I State child care licensing laws exempt those who care for the children of only one family, besides their own,from child care licensing requirements. There is no data available on these"exempt providers,'nor is there data available on the number of young children cared for in their own homes by a relative or nanny, I For a resource directory of 183 after school and school-age care programs in selected areas of Contra Costa County,see"Contra Costa Afterschool forAll,"June, 2001, available at www.afterschcolforalicontracosta.org 1,26�1 Contra Costa County Children's Report Cord ........................ ..................._............... ........................... ....................................... 7. Third Grade Reading Scores What It Is The Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) 75% of Caucasian and 76% of Asian students program in California began in 1998. The scoring at or above the 50'h percentile as program requires all students in grades 2 compared to 38% of African American and 35% through 11 to take the Stanford Achievement of Hispanic/Latino students. Third grade CST Test (SAT-9), a national norm referenced test. scores in English Language Arts showed that Reading proficiency is measured by the 44% were proficient or advanced, with 25% of percentage of third grade students who had test students at the basic proficiency level, 17%below scores at or above the national average. The basic, and 13% scoring far below basic, for Spring Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 9) has been 2002. used over the past five years, and the California Achievement Test (CAT 6) is gradually being Figure 7.1 — Percentage of Third Graders phased in. The California Standards Tests (CST) 9 Rth in English language arts, mathematics, science, Reading at or Above the 50National and history-social science were added to the Percentile Rank on the SAT-9 Test STAR program in 2001. CST scores are grouped according to five performance standards: 100 advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. uR 75 s 52.0 55.0 59.0 60.0 60.0 Whys It 1s Important 0 50 38,0 41,0 44.0 46.0 47.0 kOne of the most powerful indicators of later academic success is a child's reading level at the 25 - end of third grade. Strong community pre- a literacy and literacy approaches can help Q prepare young children to tackle the exciting Spring Spring Sp1999 ring Sprig Sp2001 ring challenges of learning to read. Once in school, early identification of reading difficulties and intervention with additional resources are IContrCostaCun#y Kalifornia essential to help struggling students to read at their grade level. Source: California Department of Education, STAR Score Summaries Report, 2002, How We etre Doing luta Development Over the past five academic years, a higher More data must be develo ed to measure the percentage of Contra Costa County students p consistently scored above the national average quality of before and after school programs for compared to California students as a whole. school-aged children. These programs, offered During spring 2002, 60%n of third graders in on the school site or in the community, may Contra Costa County scored above the 50th include tutoring, recreation, or other activities. National Percentile Rank compared to 47% Please refer to the Data Development Agenda statewide. SAT-9 scores varied by ethnicity with section of this report for more information. "Children Are Everybody's Business" !Fr-"2 . r f Promisilng- P To assure that young children are healthy and ready for school,it is important to look at ~- strategies that improve health,social and emotional skills,economic status,and literacy. Educate prospective parents about the importance of prenatal aread well-baby care. 0 Create community education and public awareness media campaigns and public service announcements to help expectant parents understand the importance of early prenatal care. M Home visitation, community clinics, and mobile vans can increase access to and utilization of prenatal care and immunization. a Provide children with regular access to preventive and routine health care, so that problems can be identified and ongoing medical supervision and treatment can be provided. N Train school and child care personnel and provide them with tools to address children's chronic health problems, such as asthma, since many asthma attacks occur during the school day. Provide effective sex education programs for youth that include peer education and support. M Involve middle and high school girls and boys in youth development activities and planning for their futures. 0 Educate young people about adolescent health,responsible decision-making,the consequences of unprotected sex. a Work with the siblings of teen parents since studies show that they are at risk of following in their siblings' footsteps. 0 Keep teen mothers in school through supportive, school-based programs that provide comprehensive education and health services and on-site child care to help them gain confidence as they care for their babies and build their own academic and life skills. a Provide programs and services geared specifically toward young fathers to help them bond with their children and serve as role models. Improve access to quality, affordable childcare for working families. a Cities and counties can promote child care by revising zoning ordinances to promote establishment of child care facilities,including child care centers in their general plans, and by instituting developer fees that support child care. 0 Business can establish family- supportive practices, such as providing flexible work schedules, flexible benefit plans, and pre-tax child care credits. N Local stakeholders can advocate with the state and federal governments to increase the supply of subsidized child care for low-income families and to take cost of living into account when setting eligibility standards for child care subsidies. a Employers can support their employees by providing on-site child care centers. Help children develop the cognitive,behavioral, and social skills required for kindergarten. 0 Summer programs are effective for children who have not attended preschool to assist in transitioning into kindergarten. 0 It is essential to provide early identification and intervention for children with developmental problems,such as hidden learning disabilities. 0 Schools should identify students with such problems early and to provide intervention, with a particular focus on reading and writing. 0 Communities can support parent home instruction for their preschool children. Increase student success in schools by providing support services to families. School-linked services can provide case management services, access to community resources including food, clothing and health insurance, short-term family counseling, parenting classes,family literacy classes,and other services. t 7 'voc.. ac x tri r x r q f xi� x --a-Ithar and 0 uth Y U w Hwu y r r Akdu UU M ......,. _ _a.......... The adolescent years are a time of profound physical,social,emotional,and cognitive transformation. Eight key indicators are reported for this outcome, which reflect success in school, measures of risky behaviors, and health. Families, schools, and the entire community can help young people by building on their strengths; challenging them to learn new skills and show leadership; and providing safe, healthy activities so they will make sound choices and become thriving, productive young adults. Outcome 2: 5f*elected Indicators High School Dropout Rates College Readiness Juvenile Arrests Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use Sexually Transmitted Diseases 6 Asthma M Physical Fitness Health Insurance "No one has yet reali.Zed the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure. Emma Goldman + 4 F .....rte ' High School Dropout Rates 8 What It is Figure 8.1 — Percentage of Students Who Drop The four-year high school dropout rate measures Out of High School the estimated percentage of students who would »« rg drop out in a four-year period, based on dropout data collected for each grade in a single year. 15 130 Why I I Important 11.7 19.1 11.1 19A 10.9 Youth who drop out of high school are less likely ..-._„_ ------ _wpm ,.. .._,... to find and keep a good job, and are less likely to 10 be prepared for the technological demands of �'�65 87 today's workforce. They earn significantly less � 5 69 5.7 6.4 6:9 income over time than their better-educated counterparts. 0 199W 1997-98 199899 1999.00 2000.01 2001-02 How We Are Doing _ 0 Contra Costa County California The four-year high school dropout rate in Contra Costa County decreased in one year from 6.4% Source: California department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit, 2003. in 2000-01 to 6.1% in 2001-02. The dropout rate varied by ethnic group, with the highest dropout Figure 8.2 -- Percentage of Students Who Drop rate for Pacific Islander students at 13.7%, Out by Ethnicity, 2001-02 followed by 13.0%for African American students, - 8.5% for Latino students, 4.4% for Caucasian 20 18.9 students, and 2.1 for Asian students. 14.8 13.7 a 15 13.0 1 05 91.0 10 _ 6.7 5.0 4.4 5.0 5.6 B 5 21. _ n. 0 African Asian Caucasian Filipino Latino Pacific American islander I Contra Crista County California Source: California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit,2003. i_= "Children Are Everybody's Business” F31 -, Y. College Readiness What It Is Figure 9.1 -- SAT-1 Scores, Verbal/Math College readiness is measured by the percentage Average, 1999-00 to 2001-02 of high school students who take and complete classes that fulfill entrance requirements at state institutions such as the University of Contra Costa County 1066 1064 1071 California and the California State University. California T99 1008 W_ V 100ro Why It Is Important Source:California Department of Education, Education Planning and information Center, 2003. Increasingly, past-secondary education is important to ensure better life opportunities and Figure 9.2 -- Percentage of Students Who income potential. Students who meet the criteria Completed College Preparatory Courses for higher education are more prepared to take advantage of opportunities available to them in the next phase of their lives, which may include 60 a fulfilling job. Schools and communities must c 42.9 45,7 43.4 41.7 41.6 work together to provide the support that 45 36.0 36:6 36.6 34.8 35,6 students need to be able to take advantage of a; higher education. Cn30 Haw We Are Doing �, 15 Contra Costa County consistently outperformed 0 the state in the number of high school students 19907 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000~01 prepared for college. SAT-1 verbal and math scores increased from 1999-00 to 2001-02, while . 3 Contra Costa County a Catt#ornia decreasing statewide during this time. Source: California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit,2602. However, both locally and statewide the percentage of college-ready students decreased, Figure 9.3 -- Percentage of Students Who falling from 42.9% locally in 1996-97 to 41.6% in Completed College Preparatory Courses b 2000-01 and from 36.0% to 35.6% statewide Ethnicity, 2000-2001 p y y during the same period. College readiness varied by ethnicity, with 63%© of Asian students ready for college compared to 47.6% of 80 Caucasians, 46.3% of Filipinos, 32.7% of 63.0 American Indians, 27.1% of Pacific Islanders, 60 47.6 46.3 19.6% of African Americans, and 18.1% of Latinos. 0 40 32.2 27.1 15 19.6 16.1 10 0 Qo aet � cps_ `�i? `-01_ 8 Contra Costa County Source: California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit, 2002. r' 2f Contra Costa County Children's Report Card 10. Juvenile ss What It IS Juvenile felony and misdemeanor arrests are statewide. The majority of local felony arrests calculated per 1,000 juveniles ages 10 to 17. (53.5%)were for property crimes. Another 24.1% Felonies involve injury or substantial property were violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, loss, while misdemeanors are offenses of a less assault and kidnapping), 10.3% were drug serious nature. offenses, 2.4% were sex crimes, and 9.8% were other types of felony arrests. 'why it is Important Although juvenile crime is decreasing, to the Figure 10.1 -- Juvenile Arrest Rates for Felony public at large it remains one of the most salient and Misdemeanor Crimes Ages 10 to 17 indicators of social breakdown. For this reason it is important to look at what these data actuallys Y show about the prevalence of serious juvenile 40.3 40.9 crime. Negative peer influence is one of the 40 - .r..- . Sat strongest correlates of juvenile crime. A history �-� 34.9 g j y "°`.�-�..•.., �_„".' • 32.6 of abuse or neglect, mental health problems, and 37.4 35.1 family disorganization is also associated with 32,5 juvenile crime. Boys are more likely to be 21.6 20.2 29.4 27A arrested than girls. Nationally, young people of -..__ 17.a 15.9 ...,.�. 153 color are statistically over-represented as victims 2 20.5 19.a of crimes. They are also over-represented 17.1 throughout the entire juvenile justice system for 10 15.5 i4.4_ arrests, convictions, and sentencing. The sense of disenfranchisement that can be 0 associated with poverty is also a contributing 1997 1999 1999 2000 2001 factor to juvenile crime. Providing economic opportunity through employment and education *Contra Costa Misdemeanor •Contra Costa Felony can help protect against juvenile crime. It is also 4 California Misdemeanor *California Felony important that the community promote youth assets through opportunities for youth Source: California Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Center, 2002, leadership, including involvement in decision- making and community service. Other successful Figure 10.2 -- Contra Costa County Percentage strategies include involvement with a caring of Juvenile Felony Crimes by Type, 2001 adult, faith based organizations, or other social institution and healthy activities suchh as sports, Drug 10.3% music, art, and drama. W / How We Are Doing ,Sex 2.4% Corresponding with state and national trends, ; the juvenile arrest rate in Contra Costa Countyt--Other 9.8% decreased during the past five years, and remained lower than the statewide rate. In 2001, there were 3,003 juvenile misdemeanor arrests ent in Contra Costa County, a rate of 27.8 vial misdemeanor arrests per 1,000 youth ages 10 to 24.0/0 17 compared to a rate of 32.6 statewide. In 2001, /f there were 1,558 juvenile felony arrests in Contra s Costa County, or 14.4 felony arrests per 1,000 youth ages 10 to 17 compared to a rate of 15.3 Source:California Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Center, 2002. "Chi/dren Are Everybody's Business" �3:i ............. ........ 1 . Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use What It Is Figure 11.1 — Percentage of 91h and I 1tGraders Drug, alcohol, and tobacco use are measured by Self-Reporting the Use of Drugs, Alcohol, and the percentage of students who self-report they Tobacco, 2001-02 (any current use, post 30 have used these substances within the last thirty days) days (see Figure 11.1). Why It Is Important 60 The use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco may 45 41.0 contribute to poor health, and undesirable 37.0 29.0,1� educational and social outcomes for teens. Drug, 30 4V 24.0 24.0 22,023.0 alcohol, and tobacco use sometimes correlates .2 18.0 13.0 13. 13 i 0 .0 to low self-esteem, poor performance in school, 15 110 and difficulties at home. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among young people, often 0 leading to serious consequences such as drunk Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana driving accidents, fighting, high-risk sexual behavior, academic failure, and criminal lContre Costa 9th* I California 9th behavior. Youth raised by parents or caretakers .,Contra Costa 11 th** California 11th with a history of substance abuse, or whose peers use drugs, alcohol or tobacco, may be more likely Source:WestEd, California Healthy Kids Survey,Contra Costa County Office of Education, 2002, Contra Costa County Technical Report 2001-2002 School Year, to develop problems with substance abuse themselves. Sample size: 3,674 Sample size: 2,864 How We Are Doing Note:The results listed in this countywide report must be interpreted with 1h caution.They are not representative of Contra Costa County or its respective 11 Ninth graders are less likely than graders districts/schools, and only represent those students who responded to the to use alcohol and other drugs. Contra Costa survey on the day it was given. County 91h and 11t" graders are generally less likely to use these substances than their peers throughout California. Twenty-four percent of surveyed 911, graders and 37% of surveyed 1111, graders report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days. Marijuana is less common, with 13% of surveyed 9th graders and 22% of surveyed 111b graders reporting having used marijuana in the previous 30 days. Cigarette smoking is even less popular, although 11% of surveyed 9t" graders and 18% of surveyed 11t" graders report having smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days. q34-i Contra Costa County Children's Report Card 12. Sexually Transmitted Diseases What It Is Figure 12.1 -- Incidence of Chlamydia The incidence rates of sexually transmitted and Gonorrhea Among Young Adults Ages diseases (STDs) are measured by the number of 15 to 24, 2001 new cases reported to public health agencies per 1,000 youth ages 15 to 24. 16 14.1 _ 13.1 Why It Is Important 12 Sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and EL8 genital herpes, are preventable, and some are cc 3.2 �� curable. STD's generally reflect adolescent risk- 4 taking behavior, including unprotected sexual activity, which can also lead to other life-altering Chlamydia Gonorrhea health outcomes such as teen pregnancy. The m incidence of STDs often reflects the level of I Contra Costa County I California access to health care, education, and family planning services. It is important for teenagers Source: California Department of Health Services, STD Control Branch, 2002. to be educated about how to protect themselves Contra Costa County Department of Health Services, STD program, 2002. State against STDs, and the importance of diagnosis of California, Department of Finance 1970-2040 Popu!ation Projections by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnic Detail, December 1998, 2003. and treatment. How We etre Doing In 2001, data indicates the rate of chlamydia among Contra Costa County youth ages 15 to 24 is slightly lower than the statewide rate, while the rate of gonorrhea is slightly higher. There were nearly ten times as many reported cases of chlamydia as compared to gonorrhea. "Children erre Every ody's Business" 35. 13. Asthma `hat It is Figure 13.1 — Contra Costa County Rate of The incidence of serious asthma attacks is Hospitalizations Due to Asthma measured by the number of asthma related . hospitalizations per 10,000 persons in the 38.3 general population and in specific age groups. 34.2 29.3 Why It Is Important 30 c 19.8 22A 21.4 Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition greatly .2 20 increasing in prevalence nationwide. Experts 12.8 117 12.2 disagree on the causes of the increase in the Q 10 incidence of asthma. Homeless children and a children in crowded, inner-city environments are particularly susceptible to asthma. Incidence is ce 0 1998 1699 2006 also on the rise among children in suburban _ _ environments. Fortunately, asthma can be x 10-5 years 9 4-14 years All ages successfully controlled with medical supervisionP - -rys � xF uLu s f �° and treatment. However, children who do not Source: Ca:ifornia Department of Heaith Services, Environmentai Healti have access to adequate health care resources investigations Branch, 2003. are likely to experience repeated Serious Note:Asthma hospitalization data for "998-2000 is preliminary. episodes, trips to the emergency room, and absences from school. How We Are Doing While preliminary data indicates that asthma hospitalizations rates among the general population decreased between 1998 and 2000, children age five and under were more than three times as likely to be hospitalized for asthma than the general population in 2000. Hospitalization data only reflects the most serious incidents of asthma. Many more children have asthma and are not hospitalized. Data from the California Health Information Survey (CHIS) indicated that in 2001, 13.0% of children ages 0 to 14 were diagnosed with asthma by a physician and also reported symptoms in the previous 12 months. There do not appear to be any techniques or methods available for earlier asthma detection and. treatment. 3-6,11 Coria Costa County Children's Report Card 14. Physical Fitness What It Is Figure 14.1 — Percentage of Physically Fit The California Physical Fitness Test measures Students, 2001 six fitness standards: aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, trunk 40 extension strength, upper body strength, and flexibility. Standards are established for each of 27.1 V 30 24.9 _ 25.0 22.6 these six areas. Students need to meet all six 21.3 21,3 standards to be considered physically fit. z 20 Icy It Is Important 2t 10 Physical fitness improves memory, ° concentration, and energy level. Physical fitness 5th Grade 7th Grade 9th Grade in childhood provides the foundation for improved health outcomes in later life through R ss I Contra Costa County I California building good nutrition and exercise habits. The American Heart Association recommends that Source: California Department of Education, California Physical Fitness Test, 2033. children ages five and older should get at least Note: Students meeting six of six fitness standards are considered to be fit. 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, and at least 30 minutes or more of vigorous exercise at least three to four days per week. Regular exercise and physical activity keep a child fit and reduce the likelihood of obesity, which is an increasing problem for children nationwide. The rise in childhood obesity stems from many factors, originating in part from a more sedentary lifestyle and consumption of high-calorie foods. Further, many schools have reduced physical education classes and fewer children walk or bike to school than in the past. i How We Are Doing �. In 2001, 21.3% of Contra Costa County children in grade 5 were physically fit, which is equal to the percentage statewide. Students in grades 7 and 9 were slightly more fit than students statewide, 27.1% compared to 24.9% for seventh graders, and 25% compared to 22.6% for ninth graders. Data Development More data is needed on pediatric obesity, which is increasing nationwide and is linked to an alarming rise in the incidence of Type II diabetes. Please refer to the Data Development Agenda section of this report for more information. "Children Are Everybody's Business" 3 15. Health sr What It Is Health insurance coverage is measured by the and Medi-Cal} for low-income families was lower percentage of children ages 0 to 17 who have than statewide. Only 14.3% of local children were health insurance coverage, either publicly or on Medi-Cal compared to 22.8%, statewide, and privately provided. only 0.7% were insured by Healthy Families compared to 4.7% statewide. This discrepancy Why It Is Important may be due to a number of factors including Health insurance coverage is a proxy for a Contra Costa's higher median income as family's access to the health care system. compared to other counties, or due to difficulties Children and families without insurance put off in accessibility to these programs. Additionally, anew report from the Contra Costa County visits to the doctor and as a result, tend to be Department of Health Services indicates that in sicker when they finally seek care. Without 2003 an estimated 18%J of Contra Costa County being in the care of a regular physician, they are children ages 0 to 5 years, and 11 % of children more likely to go to the emergency room for and youth ages 6 to 18 years, were enrolled in treatment. Many workers are insured through Medi-Cal. Slightly over 1% of children ages 0 to their jobs, although this is less true for part-time 18 were enrolled in Healthy Families. employees or employees of some small businesses. For low-income families, state programs like Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Figure 15.1 -- Percentage of insured Children provide health insurance if the family meets Ages 0 to 17, 2001 federal and state eligibility criteria. However, many low-income working families without job- based ob based health insurance earn too much to be 80 - 75.6 eligible for either of these programs. 58.8 11 66 { How We Are Doing40 � h Only 4.2% of children in Contra Costa County were uninsured in 2001, compared to 9.6% `L20 94:322.8 statewide. A greater proportion of local children 47 H, � 42 9.6:. 5,3* 4.9 are insured through their parent's employment; _. �_ y N- 75.6% locally compared to 58.8% statewide. Only Healthy Job Based Medi-Cal Uninsured Other 4.2% of children in Contra Costa County were Families uninsured in 2001, compared to 9.6% statewide. gra Costa ty t Cal "a A greater proportion of local children wereYATM ContraCounty �zCalt#araxx£ ^ Y`y s4 insured through their parent's employment, Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview 75.6% locally compared to 58.8% statewide. On Survey, 2002. the other hand, the percentage of those insured Figures may be statistically unstable due to low sample size. by public insurance programs (Healthy Families �;3E2; Contra Costa County children's Report Card r Promising Practices A number of strategies have been identified that help youth to be healthy and ready to transition into a productive adulthood. Key areas include staying healthy, success in school, and making good choices. Access to health care is essential. 8 Effective strategies for reducing the number of uninsured children include outreach programs for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, the implementation of the Child Health and Disability Prevention "Gateway" Program, and locally sponsored and funded programs to provide health coverage for low-income children who are not eligible for state and federal programs. 11 Ensure that youth and families have access to and utilize health care, including those with and without insurance. N Provide multiple access points in schools and the community for low-income children and families, for services such as immunizations, physical exams, tuberculosis testing, hearing and vision testing. ® Health care services can be in the family's native language and sensitive to differing cultural beliefs about medical care. Avoid disparities in school achievement by addressing the achievement gap between wealthy and less affluent schools, and fostering a school environment that supports learning for all children, 0 Hire fully credentialed teachers of diverse backgrounds and cultures so students may be exposed to a wealth of role models. a Offer advanced placement courses in high schools and assist students of underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds in preparation for college attendance. M Help parents, who themselves have not attended college, understand the advantages of college for their children, and the availability of scholarships, financial aid, and student work/study programs. M Help young adults recognize they can gain valuable education from community college programs, vocational training, and military service. Help young people make good choices by promoting effective prevention strategies to reduce juvenile crime and the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. R Provide young people with alternatives to drug and alcohol use such as social and recreational opportunities, which may include skate parks, neighborhood recreation centers, sports and dance, and academic support/mentoring programs. a Offer youth development programs that provide a safe setting for youth, positive role models and relationships with adults, healthy activities that build skills and leadership, and community involvement. IN Design drug and alcohol treatment programs explicitly for youth to increase success in rehabilitation. 192 a -&'afflies are r F I I rconomicaii Aft� belf-Sufficient . ...... ... The five indicators presented in this section reflect income and housing, which are the basic elements for self-sufficiency. Families facing poverty and homelessness need extra resources to support their transition to economic self-sufficiency, and the community needs to provide a strongly woven safety net to help families through hard times. Outcome 3: c dicators 1 Family Income Unemployment Rote 0 School Meal Program WIN., Dousing Affordability Homelessness 0 "There are admirable potentialities44 5 � in every human being. Believe in your strength and your youth." � -Andre Gide ' 16. Family Income What It Is The Self-Sufficiency Standard for California is a measure of income adequacy. It provides information on how much income is needed for families of various sizes to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance. The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a more appropriate measure of income adequacy than the Federal Poverty Level, which does not account for regional differences in costs. Shown below is the distribution of income among Contra Costa County families compared to the Self- Sufficiency Standard for a family of four with two working adults and two school-aged children. The Federal Poverty Level for a family of four is also shown for comparative purposes. Why It Is Important Like the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, the cost of living in Contra Costa County is higher than most of California and the country. The high cost of living makes it financially difficult for low- income families to meet their basic needs without making choices between the necessities of housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care. Figure 16.1 --- Income Distribution in Contra Costa County Compared to the Self-Sufficiency Standard and Federal Poverty Level, 2000 40 Federal Poverty Level:$17,050 30 Self-Sufficiency Level: $41,568 E u 20-520.2 20 15.1 _ 16 5 181 10.4 10.9 124 13.0 10 120 14.1 32 5. K 71 57 46 ��y 2.4� 8 •�• ,5 NNE 0 _ Less than $10,000 $15,000- $25,000- $35,000- $50,000- $75,00 $100,000- $150,000 or $10,000 $14,999 $24,999 $34,999 $49,999 $74,999 $99,999 $149,999 more I Contra Costa County California Source; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, Selected Economic Characteristics, 2003; Californian's for Economic Self-Sufficiency and Equal Rights Advocates, The Self-Sufficiency Standard for California,2000; Federal Register,Vol 65, No. 31, February 15, 2000. Note: The Contra Costa County Self-Sufficiency Standard and Federal Poverty Level are based on a four-person family consisting of two adults and two school-aged children. How We Are Doing In 2000, the median family income in Contra Costa County was $73,039 as compared to a median family income of$53,025 statewide. However, at least 18.5% of all Contra Costa County families had annual earnings below the Self-Sufficiency Standard of$41,568, and at least 5.6% of all families had annual earnings below the Federal Poverty Level of$17,050 compared to 10.3% of families statewide. 5�=- "Children Are Everybody's Business" t 41,_ 17. Unemployment Rate What It Is Figure 17.1 — Annual Average Unemployment The unemployment rate is measured by the Rates number of people who are unemployed as a . � K< r . � �.�,nE axfi ma., „<.>„ .,- .. A• percentage of the labor force. The unemployed s include all uninstitutionalized people who are over 16, are not employed, previously worked a 63 59 s.3 full-time job and are available to work, and have S s ”" 52 4.9 53 sought work at some point during the previous 4 weeks. K 4 - q � 4,9 33 Why It Is Important 2 __3,a 2.7 The unemployment rate is a measure of the economy's health. A robust economy can provide p more job opportunities for those who seek to 1%7 1998 im 2M 2001 2oa2 work. Because of its diversified economy, the unemployment rate in Contra Costa County and Yx *Contra Costa County California P the San Francisco Bay Area is generally below the statewide unemployment rate. However, Source: California Employment Development Department, Labor Market this area is currently one of the most costly areas Information Division,2003. to live in the entire country, driven in large part vote: Data for 2002 reflects the month of December only.All other data are based by the high cost of housing. When unemployment on an annual average. increases, more families find themselves struggling to meet the basic necessities of housing, food, and healthcare How We Are Doing For the past six years the unemployment rate in Contra Costa County has been consistently below the statewide rate. The local unemployment rate decreased from 4.1% in 1997 to a low of 2.7% in 2000. During this same period, the state unemployment rate decreased from 6.3% to 4.9%. With the weakened economy during the past two years, the unemployment rate has risen to 4.9% in Contra Costa County and 6.3% statewide. =i Conrro Costo County Children's Report Coro' - ................................................................... 18. School Meal Program What It Is Figure 18.1 —Percentage of Students Receiving The number of children enrolled in school meal Free or Reduced Cost Meals programs is measured by the percentage of school . $ children kindergarten through twelfth grade SID who receive free or reduced price meals at 47,4 47.6 47.3 46°8 47.1 school. A child's family income must fall below 45 ' 185% of the Federal Poverty Level ($33,458 for a 65t family of four in 2002) to qualify for reduced-cost 6 282 27.5 26.8' 26.6 27.1 tM meals, or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level ($23,530 for a family of four in 2002) for 15 free meals. A! 0 Why It Is Important 1997-96 lsse-ss 19*M 2000.01 2001.02 The number of children receiving free and 1Contra Costa County i California reduced cost meals is an indicator of the number of children living in low-income households. The Source: State of California, Department of Education, Educational Demographics school meal program helps address inadequate Unit, 2002. nutrition for low-income children. For some children, the school meal is the most significant meal of the day. Children who are hungry have trouble concentrating in class and have less energy for school. In addition, their health and development can be affected by poor nutrition. Hove We Are Doing The percentage of children in Contra Costa County who receive free or reduced cost school meals decreased from 28.2% in 1997-98 to 27.1% in 2001-02, as compared to 47% statewide in the same year. In part this reflects the inadequacy of the Federal Poverty Level as a measure of p t eligibility for free/reduced cost meals in a high ` cost area such as Contra Costa County; many ry r families struggle to meet their basic needs, but , still earn too much to qualify for meal programs, which are linked to the Federal Poverty Level. ' "Children Are Everybody's Business" ..................................................................................... Promising Practices Public policies should recognize the importance of providing a safety net for children and families,including public assistance for low-income families,high quality affordable child care and affordable housing. Findings from the first few years of California's welfare reform (CalWORKS) indicate that people with fewer skills are more likely to cycle in and out of welfare. a Provide education and job training,which are essential for a welfare client to find a job with a career opportunity. a Offer additional support services such as job retention services, subsidized child care,and health insurance coverage are important to help a former welfare client keep his or her job. Child care assistance for low and moderate income families is a vital public need. Many low and moderate income families are not served by federal child care funds. Some states provide state government funded child care assistance for these low and moderate income families.The limit of income to be eligible for state-subsidized child care in 2000 is $54,779 (75% of the county's median income of$73,039).6 This limit is set too low for many families in Contra Costa County. a Adjust the subsidized child care eligibility limit to better reflect the cost of living in Contra Costa County, thereby helping many families better meet their basic needs. 11 Make similar eligibility requirement adjustments to other programs such as Section 8 housing,Head Start, and free and reduced cost meals. Several states and localities offer government financed health insurance coverage for low and moderate income families who are not eligible for Medicaid and do not have employer sponsored health insurance. 0 State and local government should consider extending child care and health care and other support services to low and moderate income families as well as CalWORKs recipients who are transitioning off welfare. An unknown number of families who "time-out" of CalWORKs find jobs that do not pay enough for them to be self-sufficient. N Create new safety net programs to help these families leave this support network,and assist these families and children in obtaining their basic needs. The Food Stamp Program, school food programs and WIC all support children and families with nutrition assistance before children enter school, during the school year,and during the summer.A large percentage of those eligible,however,do not receive this support. Many of these programs require significant documentation, and the stigma of receiving assistance sometimes prevents families from getting the help they need. a Collaborative efforts are needed to enroll more families and ensure that needy children don't go hungry. IN Schools, child care centers and homes should ensure that children get nutritious meals by participating in these federal food assistance programs. Affordable housing is a persistent and increasing need. N Many local jurisdictions have established housing trust funds to provide low-interest down payments for first-time homeowners, emergency assistance for renters, assistance with a security deposit for the first month's rent, rehabilitation assistance and assistance to the homeless in attaining stable housing. N Focus on securing stable housing, providing temporary housing for those in transition, and insuring that every child has a place to live. 'Before 1998, California families were eligible to enroll in subsidized child care services if their income did not exceed 84 percent of the State Median Income(SMI),and could retain their subsidy until their income rose above 100 percent of SMI. A change made as part of California's welfare reform law lowered the income eligibility ceiling to75percent of SMI. ;�� � F 1 3 mac. "' �' #�' � � � f , ' � � �, rix,; � ���, ,<� A�, ..f ✓�✓y'r Kr -. �., ��; � f �`�z' -� ��� ',� ;-. � ;� � .. .- w r ,�°��„ � ° '��: � -,� fi , < �'.% vis f �� r ��� � r 'S��""f �sb: r. tt �� � ��' �'� G �,�� �. yur r t t� r, Y � Families atid Communities are Safe -- Rr If supported by safe families and communities, children will have greater opportunities to thrive. The four indicators selected in this outcome area look at shortcomings in the form of family violence and injury. We need to recognize and build on the strengths of families by providing networks of support through friends, neighbors and the community. We also need to be able to recognize and intervene when families are in trouble, helping them remedy unsafe conditions and situations. Outcome 4: Selecte(J" In a-ficators I N Child Abuse and Neglect Foster Care ,11 Domestic Violence with Children Present 011 Injury Hospitalizations "Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community. Anthony J. DAngelo 4. Aw .......................... ............................................................ Child Abuse and Neglect What It Is The rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect provided the ability to substantiate more cases incidents is determined by the number of child of domestic violence involving children than had abuse and neglect reports that warrant an in- been possible in previous years; and 3) the Board person investigation and are then substantiated. of Supervisors implemented a Zero Tolerance The rate is expressed per 1,000 children in the Policy Towards Domestic Violence Initiative. population ages 0 to 17. Why It Is Important Figure 21.1 -Rate of Substantiated Child Abuse Child abuse and neglect are found in families Cases of Children Ages 0 to 17 across the social spectrum, and cases are becoming more complex, with more entrenched 12.Q risk factors. Social isolation, family 11.7 11.6 12 10.7 _ , _10.1 disorganization, and financial stress and 9.6. 94 9.1 poverty, can also trigger abuse. Younger children are more likely to be victims than older 8 children. Abused children experience higher _ rates of suicide, depression, substance abuse, difficulties in school, and other behavioral problems in liter life. Abused children are alsocc at greater risk of becoming delinquents, mistreating their own children, and becoming involved in violent partner relationships as teens 0 and adults. 1998 1999 2000 2001 How We Are Doing I Contra Costa County I California After declining for three years consecutively, Source: Needell, B. at al (2002). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. substantiated child abuse and neglect increased to a four-year high in 2001 in Contra Costa County, even while it decreased statewide. Table 21.1 -•- percentage of Substantiated Locally, the rate of substantiated child abuse increased from 9.6 children per 1,000 in 1998 to Cases by Type of Abuse for Children Ages 10.1 in 2001. However, it still remains below the 0 to 17, 2001 statewide rate, which decreased from 11.7 to 10.7 during the same time period. In Contra Costa County and throughout California, general neglect is the most common type of abuse/ General Neglect 36;4% 34,7% neglect, accounting for 36.4% of all substantiated _ _ abuse cases in Contra Costa County in 2001. physical Abuse 14.6% 15.2% Physical abuse is the second most common type of abuse accounting for 14.6% of abuse in the C aret aker A bsen c e I incapacity 12.4% 10.9% county. Caretaker absence or incapacity Sexual Abuse 5.3% 8.7% accounts for 12.4% of cases, followed by emotional abuse accounting for 9.2% and severe Emotional Abuse 9.2% 13.3% neglect accounting for 8.6%. Sexual abuse accounts for 5.3% of cases. Severe Neglect 8.6% 5.0% Three factors are thought to have led to the CtiterAbuse 13.5% 12.1% increased number of reports of child abuse: 1) Total Number of Substantiated Cases 2,458 115,158 j the County completed and implemented its protocol for responding to domestic violence Source: Needell, B. et at (2002). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. occurrences; 2) additional fiscal resources "Children Are Everybody's Business" r ter Care . s What It Is Figure 22.1 —First Entries into Foster Care per The incidence of child placement into foster care 1,000 Entries due to child abuse or neglect is measured by the rate of first-time out-of-home placements either 6 in foster homes, foster family agencies, or group 35 4'0 3.5 3'8 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 homes. This rate is expressed as the number of ¢ 3'1 L 27 children placed for every 1,000 children under 2 twn.the age of 18. o Whir It Is Important 0 1997 1919 1999 2000 2001 Child victims of abuse or neglect can be placed in foster care by the court if they cannot remain � 4 r I Contra Costa County f.California^n1 r R} ✓A s safely in their homes. Although there are some Source: Needell, B.et al (2002). Child Welfare Services Report for California. families for which it is not feasible to return the children to the home, public policy and law 'Table 22.1 — First Entries into Foster Care by generally hold that the children's best interests Ethnicity, 2001 are served by being with their parents, and there x is typically an effort to help address the issues NMI., .. < . :. M., so that the family can be reunited. In cases Caucasian X39# M.-rM 44.4% where this is not appropriate, permanent African American 242 31.7°i° placement including adoption is promoted. The Latina 149 19.5% rate of out-of-home placements is important Asian/Pacific Islander 33 4.3% because it reveals the number of children who Total 763 < 100% >, experienced such unsafe environments that they had to be removed from their homes. Source:Needell, B. et al (2002), Child Welfare Services Report for California. Note: Foster care is analyzed by first-time entries into the foster care system, which measures how safe kids are by looking at how many need to be e � � ��In� removed from their homes. For this report,first-time entries is a more effective method of analysis than a"point-in-time"analysis, which is partly a measure of The rate of first entries into foster care in Contra how safe kids are (how many need to be taken from their families)and partly a measure of how effective the child welfare system is. Costa County remained lower than the state rate, and relatively stable between 1997 and Figure 22.2 — Median Length of Stay in Foster 2001, while the statewide rate decreased during Care Placements by Ethnicity, 1998-2000 that time. Between 1998 and 2002,31.7%of foster care entries were for African American children, 600 540 who made up only 12% of children in the general 472 4% population. Latinos represented 19.5% of first 450386 409 392 [31entries into foster care and 24.1% of children,while Caucasians represented 44.4% of entries 304 into foster care and 49.9% of children. Once in foster care, African American children also 150 stayed longer. For example, the median length �� 11111'-�I, { of stay for African American foster children was African Asian Caucasian Latino All 427 days when placed with non-relatives American Children compared to 388 days for all children. I Kin Placements :Non-Kin Placements Source:Needell, B. et a! (2002). Chiid Welfare Services Report for California. Note: Includes only placements of children in foster care five days or longer. 5tt Contra Costo County Children's Report Card 23. Domestic t i Present What It Is Figure 23.1 — Total Number of Contra Costa Domestic violence is defined as intimate partner County Domestic Violence Related incidents violence occurring inside or outside the home, and Incidents Where Children Were Present at which includes violence between spouses, the Time individuals in dating relationships, and former partners or spouses. Shown below are the 6,000 number of domestic violence calls for law enforcement assistance, and the number of those calls where children were present in the home. 4'500 4,127 3,328 3,499 _. e' 2,927 3,239 _. - ... Why It Is Important � 3,000 01 As with child abuse and neglect, domestic 1,500 9,095 1,207 959 7,127 979 violence occurs in all socioeconomic groups, and cuts across lines of ethnicity, culture and education. Disk factors include parental 0 substance abuse, social isolation, and the 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 perpetrator or victim's history of experiencing i � ~� domestic violence as a child. Domestic violence Violence Gasess Domestic ild Witnesses e Vi©lestic Violence rarely occurs as an isolated event, but insteadA • mtr� � �x�$ involves a recurrent pattern of power and Source:County of Contra Costa. Office of the Sheriff; Contra Costa County control, which often increases in severity Over Domestic Violence Tracking System, 2003. time. In households with domestic violence Note: This data is obtained via Contra Costa Domestic Violence Tracking where children are present, children are almost System which has the participation of al Contra Costa County law enforcement always witnesses to family domestic violence at agencies via the Police Chiefs Association. some point. Child witnesses may exhibit a wide range of problems, including low self-esteem, aggression, depression, anxiety, learning difficulties, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Children who witness family violence are also more likely to be involved in violent relationships as teens and adults, or have trouble forming intimate relationships. How We Are Doing Between 1997 and 2001, there were 17,112 domestic violence related reports entered into the Sheriffs Domestic Violence Tracking System. This figure represents approximately two-thirds of all domestic violence related calls for assistance in the county. In 2001, children were present in 919 or 26% of these incidents, down from 1,015 incidents or 35% in 1997. This is most likely an undercount of the number of children who were exposed to domestic violence, because other children who are often living in the home are not always present during a specific incident. "Children Are Everybody's Business" 5i". ...............I——........ .. ............ ........... .. ..................... Injury Hospitalization ----------- What It Is The injury hospitalization rate measures the number of discharges from acute care hospital facilities for intentional and unintentional injuries. The measure is expressed as a rate per 1,000 children in the population ages 0 to 20' Intentional injuries include child battering,assaults with firearms,knives,or other objects,and self-inflicted injuries. Unintentional injuries include accidents caused by motor vehicles,falls,fires,suffocation,drowning,and poisoning. Why It Is Important Injuries are not tracked systematically unless they result in hospitalization or death. Thus,these hospital data only represent the most serious injuries among children. Intentional injuries require intervention by the police or child welfare to protect the child and prevent recurrence. Unintentional injuries,or accidents,are more common,and are generally preventable. Parent education on the importance of child-proofing the home,appropriate use of car seats and booster seats, seat belts, and helmets, fencing pools and yards, and safe storage of firearms can reduce the likelihood of accidents. Education and enforcement regarding safe driving practices for teenagers are also important in reducing motor vehicle injuries,a leading cause of injury among older children and teens. Figure 24.1 — Contra Costa County Fatal and Nonfatal Injury Hospitalization Rate by Age, 2000 4,2 4.1 4 3.1 3.1 2.9 . 2.6 3 2.3 (D 2 C .2. 1.2 1.3 Wl 0.4 0.5 0 Z' 04 .3 0.1 0.1 0 <1 year 1-4 years 5.15 years 16.20 years I Contra Costa Unintentional Injuries I Contra Costa Intentional Injuries f<California Unintentional Injuries California Intentional Injuries Source:California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development,Patient Discharge Data,December 4,2002;Department of Finance,1970-2040 Population Projections by Age,Sex,and Race/ Ethnic Detail,December 1998,2003. How We Are Doing Table 24.1 — Intentional Fatal and Nonfatal Injury The unintentional injury hospitalization rates in Hospitalizations Among Contra Costa County Contra Costa are higher than the statewide rates for Young Adults Ages 16 to 20 By Type, 2000 age groups 5 to 15 and 16 to 20. The unintentional injury rate has increased since 1996 for all age groups except infants. For children ages 0 to 4, accidents = that require hospitalization are usually due to falls, poisoning,cars,fires/burns,being struck by objects, Self Halrml,Sun�e' 437�61% �' and drowning/submersion. Assaults/Homicide:Firearms 37 26.4% The intentional injury rates have increased for children Assaults/Homicide:Cut/Pierce 10 7.1% under one year old and those aged 5 to 15,although intentional injury rates are lower in Contra Costa Assaults/Homicide:Other 32 22.9% County than statewide for all age groups except ages 5 Total Intentional Injuries 140 100% to 15.The hospitalization rates in Contra Costa County for intentional and unintentional injuries were much Total Injury Hospitalizations 428 higher for young adults ages 16 to 20 than for any Percent Int entional 32-90/0 other age group. The greatest proportion of intentional injuries, (43.6%), were due to self-harm or suicide, Source:California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development,Patient Discharge Data, followed by firearm related assaults and homicides December 4,2003. (26.4%)and other assaults(22.8%)• and suicide attempts. Easier access to means of suicide,the pressures of life,and social isolation are thought to contribute Data Development to increased suicide rates(American Academy of Pediatrics). More information is needed to understand the causes Please refer to the Data Development Agenda section of this and conditions that lead to youth self-harm,suicide, report for more information. Contra Costa County Children's Report Card ............................................. Promising Practices There are a number of programs that are viewed by social service and health professionals as promising practices to strengthen and support family and community safety. Effective child abuse prevention strategies include home visitation, crisis nurseries, family preservation programs, parent education, and prenatal care. 11 Several states and counties have highly successful home visiting programs where public health nurses and community representatives provide outreach to newborns and their families. N Home visits provide new parents with instructions in new baby care, and families are also assessed for risk factors for child abuse. 9 Provide more intensive home visiting services to families identified with high risk factors for child abuse, including a history of the parent having been abused or parental drug and alcohol abuse. Crisis nurseries are another prevention strategy for child abuse. Crisis nurseries are child care centers that operate 24 hours and are available for families in emergencies. Ensure that crisis nursery staff are also trained to offer education and resources to families to address emergencies. It is important to develop a coordinated approach between child welfare services, domestic violence advocacy groups, social services, law enforcement and the courts. Research shows that the problem of co-occurrence of child abuse and domestic violence is widespread; domestic violence and child maltreatment often occur in the same family. N Institute policies and procedures that identify the co-occurrence of child abuse and domestic violence. Law enforcement, for example, can identify whether children were living in the home or present in the home during a domestic violence incident. Police may also forward their police reports in cases of domestic violence to Child Protective Services for investigation for child abuse and maltreatment. 11 Provide education about co-occurrence to domestic violence victims, perpetrators, children who are impacted by domestic violence, social service providers,health care workers,teachers,law enforcement and the courts. Parental substance abuse is one of the most common risk factors for child abuse. 11 Communities must identify substance abuse problems and offer appropriate treatment for parents who abuse drugs and alcohol and are at risk of abusing their children. To reduce unintentional injuries,it is valuable to provide parent education about safety measures. 8 Successful safety measures include child-proofing the home, safe storage of firearms, child safety seats, pool fencing, bike helmets and smoke detectors. M Communities can also work to provide safety devices to families that cannot afford them. 11 Provide mental health services for children and teens that include screening,assessment, and diagnosis, especially for those with social or learning difficulties, and those who are in the child welfare system,or juvenile justice system. M Ensure that mental health programs have adequate case management, and are coordinated with the child's physicians, child care providers, and educators. 11 Parents, teachers and other adults in teens'lives should look for signs of mental health problems, depression, and a tendency towards suicide. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers suggestions for prevention at its website: www.aap.org/advocacy/childhealthmonth/prevteensuicide.htm. f. Y Data Sources Data for the 2003 Contra Costa Children's Report Card are drawn from a number of sources. Key sources for each outcome area are as follows: Outcome 1: Children are Healthy and Ready for School Births to Teens State of California, Department of Health Services: Center for Health Statistics,Birth Records,2002. http://www.applications.dhs,ea.gov/vaq Prenatal Care State of California, Department of Health Services: Center for Health Statistics,Birth Records,2002. http://www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/vsig Low Birth Weight State of California, Department of Health Services: Center for Health Statistics,Birth Records,2002. httL)://www.application-,..dhs.ca.gov/vsq Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health in Contra Costa County 1991- 1999, 2003. http..//ccpublichealth.org/p_-ablications,htr-.-.1 Infant Mortality State of California, Department of Health Services: Center for Health Statistics, Death and Birth Records, 2002. h-t',tp://www.applications.dlis.ca,vov/vso Immunization California Department of Health Services, Division of Communicable Disease Control, Immunization Branch, 2002. http://www.dhs.eahwnet,gov/ps/dede/izgroup Child Care Availability California Resource and Referral Network, California Child Care Portfolio, 2001. Contra Costa Child Care Council, Contra Costa Child Care Council Fact Sheet, Summary of Activities for 2001/2002 Fiscal Year, 2002, Third Grade Reading Scores California Department of Education, STAR Score Summaries Report, 2002. htt-o://datal.ede.ca.gov/da+.aquest Outcome 2: Youth are Healthy and Preparing for Adulthood High School Dropout Rates California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit, 2003. http://datal.ede.ca.go-v/datagues College Readiness California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit, 2001. httL)://da--.al.ede.ca.gov/dataqu.cst Juvenile Arrests California Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Center, 2002. hLt_p://caag.state.ca.us/cjs-c—/G'a.t.ata-'Ds.htm Drug, Alcohol, and WestEd, California Healthy Kids Survey, Contra Costa County Tobacco Use Office of Education, 2002, Contra Costa County Technical Report 2001-2002 School Year. httD://www.wested.org �4-�,� Contra Costo County Children's Report Cord Sexually Transmitted Diseases California Department of Health Services, STD Control Branch, 2002. http.://www.dhs.eahwnet.goy/ns/dede/STD/stdindex.htm Contra Costa County Department of Health Services, STD Program, 2002. State of California, Department of Finance 1970-2040 Population Projections by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnic Detail, December 1998. http://www.echealth.or Asthma California Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, 2003. http://www,dhs.eahwnet.gov/ehib UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey, 2002. http://www.chis.ucla.ed.u/ma--nJdefault.asp_ Physical Fitness California Department of Education, California Physical Fitness Test, 2001. http://datal.cde.ca.gov/dataquest Health Insurance UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey, 2002. http://www.cl-its.ucla.pdu/main/defaulv.asp Outcome 39 Families are Economically Self-Sufficient Family Income U.S. Census Bureau, Selected Economic Characteristics, 2000. httn://www.census.gov Wider Opportunities for Women and Californian's for Economic Self- Sufficiency and Equal Rights Advocates (CFESS), and Equal Rights Advocates, 1996 and 2000. http://www.equalrights.org/welfare/cfess.htm Unemployment Rate California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division, 2001. htt]2://www.calmis.ca.go-vf-,qt.-nlf,-.le/subject/Iftable.htm School Meal Program State of California, Department of Education, Educational Demographics Units, 2002. http://datal.cde.ca.gov/dataguest Housing Affordability RAND California, Housing Prices and Transaction Statistics, 2003. http://www.i-and.org US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2003. http://www.huduser.org California Association of Realtors, 2003. http://www.car.or Homelessness Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board, 2001-2006 Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Homeless Plan, 2003. http://www.cehealth.orgi/echealthPages/pages/home'.ess "Children Are Everybody's Business" Measuring quality of before and after school programs for elementary children School-aged children with working parents need access to safe, enriching programs during non-school hours. These programs may be on the school site or in the community. They may include tutoring, recreation, or other activities. Some programs are exempt from licensing requirements, and there is no central inventory for these programs. Additionally, the quality of programs varies, Licensing examines health and safety issues,though not program quality, Quality can be measured through a survey of the professional credentials of staff, or more broadly through the number and percentage of accredited programs such as those who have sought accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Outcome 2: Youth are Healthy and Preparing for Adulthood Rate of childhood obesity Pediatric obesity is increasing, and is linked to a number of health problems in childhood and later life, including an alarming rise in the incidence of Type II diabetes. However, there are no standard measures of obesity except within the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP)Program,which provides screening for low-income children. It is important to develop a way of tracking the population as a whole, in addition to low income children. Outcome 3: Families are Economically Self-Sufficient Services for homeless children and families With a fragile economy and the high cost of living, the proportion of homeless families is increasing. Homeless children often have special difficulties keeping up with schoolwork, due to the unstable nature of their living conditions, inaccessibility to computers and books at home, and loss of continuity because of their movement from school to school. Homeless parents often need education,training,employment resources,and support in finding affordable housing. It is important to develop an inventory of services available for these families and their children. Some of these data can be made available through the Contra Costa County Homeless Program, which provides program-based, case-management shelter and supportive services for homeless families, runaway youth, and foster-care emancipated youth. Outcome 4: families and Communities are Safe Rate of teen suicide Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds (American Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry). More information is needed to understand the causes and conditions that lead to youth suicide and suicide attempts. Teen suicide is an indicator of stress that may reflect underlying feelings of isolation,physical abuse,or mental illness. Teens who are depressed,have previously attempted suicide, have experienced a trauma, or perceive themselves to have failed is some way are at greater risk for suicide. Recent research compiled by Herdt and Boxer (1993) indicated that 29% of 147 gay males and 55 lesbian females aged 14 to 21 self-reported at least one suicide attempt.The profound consequences of adolescent suicide underscore the critical need to address and seek to understand the emotional, social and mental health issues that confront teens in their transition to a healthy adulthood (American Academy of Pediatrics). Contra Costa County Childre `s Report Card n Appendix Healthy People 2010 Healthy People 2010, referenced at various places throughout the Report Card, is the prevention agenda for the nation. It is a statement of national health objectives designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats. Healthy People 2010 builds on initiatives pursued over the past two decades. The 1979 Surgeon General's Report, Healthy People, and Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives both established national health objectives and served as the basis for the development of state and community plans. Like its predecessors, Healthy People 2010 was developed through a broad consultation process, built on the best scientific knowledge and designed to measure programs over time. Two examples of what national research reflects include: Indicator: Overweight and obesity are major contributors to many preventable causes of death. On average, higher body weights are associated with higher death rates. The number of overweight children, adolescents, and adults has risen over the past four decades. * Objective: Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. * Indicator: Alcohol and illicit drug use are associated with many of this country's most serious problems, including violence, injury, and HIV infection. In 1998, 79% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years reported that they did not use alcohol or illicit drugs in the past month. * Objective: Reduce the proportion of adolescents not using alcohol or any illicit drugs during the past 30 days. Mean: What is most often thought of as the average. This is the sum of all of the values divided by the number of values. Median: The number in the middle of an ordered set of numbers at which half of the values are above and the other half are below. For example, Median Family Income — half of families earn more and half earn less than the median income. Population: The group to which the results of the study are intended to apply, such as all residents of Contra Costa County. Studies of an entire population are unusual, but not impossible. N Sample: The group from which we actually collect data, such as the number of survey respondents. The sample should be representative of the population, in design if not in all demographic measures. M Significance: A technical assessment of how likely it is that the results observed in a sample could be found by chance, rather than because they are an effective inference to the population (requires a particular "test statistic", such as chi-square or the t-statistic). "Children Are Everybody's Business" 1�4�; k.;ow-ntact Information For Additional Copies of the Children's Report Card, Please Log on to www.cocoschools.org For Information on the Data Contained in the Report, Please Contact Applied Survey Research P.O. Box 1927 2625 Zanker Road, Suite 200 Watsonville, CA, 95077 San Jose, CA 95134 JtX 831/728-1356 408/944-0606 www.appliedsurveyresearch.org Applied Survey Research (ASR) is a nonprofit social research firm dedicated to helping people build better communities. Incorporated in 1980, the firm has over 23 years of experience working with public and private agencies, health and human service organizations, cities and county offices, school districts, institutions of higher learning, and charitable foundations. Through community assessments, program outcome evaluations, surveys, enumerations, and other forms of research, ASR employs the current best practices in data collection, analysis, and presentation, giving communities and organizations the information they need to make informed decisions for the future. Photography The project staff would like to thank the First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission for providing the following photographs: • "Group of Kids" on page #1 @ 2002 California Children and Families Commission • "Doctor's Visit" on page #25 (0 2002 California Children and Families Commission • "Doctor's Visit #2" on page #29 — @ 2002 California Children and Families Commission • "Child Reading" on page #47 — t 2002 Steve Fisch We would also like to thank Camilla Rand, Contra Costa County Community Services Department, for providing the photograph on the Welcome page. Additional stock photographs by Comstock, Inc. and Photodisc, Inc. Report Design and Layout Digital Renaissance, Santa Cruz, CA .. .... ...... ................................... h "All Contra Costa County children will reach adulthood having experienced a safe, healthy, nurturing childhood which prepares them to be responsible, contributing members of the community." Vision Statement-Contra Costa County Children and Families Policy Forum, 1997 To download an electronic version of this report, please visit www.cocoschools'.org