Supervisor Don Knabe, Chair of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, announced the findings of the 2008 Children’s ScoreCard at a press conference recently on the 8th floor of the Hall of Administration.
The data in the 2008 ScoreCard – which reviews information from 2006 as a baseline for assessing more current data – highlights the condition of children and families in a number of areas. While it shares institutional data on children involved in foster care, welfare and juvenile justice, it also attempts to shed light on overall health and educational trends. Generally, the findings indicate positive outcomes in the areas of early care and education, particularly for children ages 0-5. There are positive indicators relating to prenatal care, birth weight and immunization, and less children born to teen mothers. An increased number of children across the County attended story time at public libraries and have health insurance.
Outcomes for children in middle school and high school are less encouraging. While the number of youth homicide victims continues to diminish, there are still an increasing number of misdemeanor and felony offenses. High school graduation rates dropped slightly, and child obesity for children in middle school has gone up slightly.
"Our investments in children aged 0-5 appear to be paying off," said Supervisor Knabe. "I am confident that we will see those trends continue. However, it is clear that we have work to do with our older children. The trends the ScoreCard points out truly underscore our need to focus on children in those critical years, particularly those at highest risk. I am also concerned about the trends pointing to increasing amounts of homeless families and decreased access to child care."
Supervisor Knabe discussed how the faltering economy and the state budget crisis will have an additional adverse impact on families and the systems in place that serve them. Other speakers included, Dr. Sharon Watson, Executive Director of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, Dr. Jacquelyn McCroskey of the USC School of Social Work, and Armando Jimenez of First 5 Los Angeles.
The Children’s Council brings together the leaders of county government, cities, schools and the various communities of Los Angeles County to improve outcomes for children and families. Throughout its 17 years, the Council has successfully underscored the importance of using data to drive the planning needed to make conditions better for children. The biannual ScoreCard is one of the most important tools in this effort. It captures data that assesses the overall condition of the County’s 2.8 million children and youth for use in guiding, planning and tracking the impact of services.
To view the full 2008 Children’s ScoreCard visit the Children’s Council website at http://thechildrenscouncil.net