Capitol briefing, June 9, 2004

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Capitol briefing, June 9, 2004

The State of the Child in Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children– Advocacy organization– Independent, non-profit– Prevention-focused, research-based

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a strong, effective and trusted voice for improving the health, education and well-being of the Commonwealth’s children.


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The State of the Child in Pennsylvania – 2004– Local data on child well-being and circumstances

– county, major municipality, school district– KIDS COUNT product, Annie E. Casey

Foundation– Separate Casey Foundation publication --

2004 KIDS COUNT Data Book -- shows PA’s standing among states

– PA ranks 13th – again!


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Is PA a great place to be a child and to raise a child?– State of the Child says “no”

Can PA become a great place to be a child and to raise a child?– Absolutely

How?


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Pennsylvania could reach struggling kids with targeted help.

– The State of the Child shows where they live, and they live in surprising places

The State of the Child shows that well-designed interventions can help children maximize their potential.

– Pennsylvania has done it before – CHIP/MA

The State of the Child argues for coherent, interlaced policy strategies to support families and help all children achieve.

– Promising and proven practices to assure success


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The Pennsylvania Picture Children in our communities are growing up in

families struggling to make ends meet…– Statewide: 1 in 3 children is low-income– Rural: 1 in 2 children is low-income– 1 in 7 lives in extreme poverty – 1 in 7 lives in a high-poverty neighborhood– Even in counties like Lehigh and Lebanon,

1 in 3 is low-income


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The Pennsylvania Picture… Children are being born under circumstances that

dramatically inhibit their future success…– 1 in 7 is born to a mother without a high school education – 1 in 11 is born to a mother under age 20– 1 in 12 is born at low birth weight

Children are living in families who are juggling work and family responsibilities…

– Two school-age children out of three have all available parents in the workforce

Children are failing to meet national education standards…

– Nearly half of fifth graders fail to meet reading and math proficiency standards


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Some local perspective… In Blair County, 1 child in 2 lives in a low-income family In Schuylkill County, 1 child in 3 is low-income In Lebanon County, 1 child in 4 was born to a mother without a

high school diploma In Jefferson County, 1 child in 5 (under 5) lives in deep poverty In Philadelphia, 1 child in 6 was born to a mother under age 20 In Dauphin County, 1 child in 7 lives in a high-poverty

neighborhood In Greene County, 1 child in 8 was born to a mom under age 20 In Lackawanna County,1 child in 9 was born to a mother who

didn’t have early pre-natal care In Chester County, 1 child in 10 was born to a mom without a high

school degree


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Data should drive policy… Research-based policies designed to

improve child outcomes – Appropriate health coverage– School readiness programs– High-quality public education– Family supports– After-school and youth development

programs


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Children’s health coverage


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One child in three is enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP – 945,000 total in December 2003– Medicaid enrollment up by 100,000

children since December 2000– CHIP enrollment up by more than 33,000

Uninsured population constantly changing


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Continue to build children’s health coverage

Strengthen coordinated emphasis on outreach and enrollment

Assure coverage that advances healthier kids– Effective renewal practices & health care usage – Comprehensive benefits to meet children’s physical

and behavioral health needs


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School readiness programs

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National Academy of Sciences notes presence of risk factors that can inhibit school readiness, including:– Poverty: One in seven PA children lives in deep

poverty; one in three lives in a low-income family– Mothers without a high school education: One PA

child in seven– Births to mothers under age 20: One child in 11– Low birth weight: One child in 12

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The State of the Child

Some recent early childhood education gains – but not enough

40 school districts include pre-K in block grant plans– Pre-K competes with other choices

$15 million slated for Head Start– A first step, but not enough to meet need

PA pre-k falls short on seven quality standards out of 10 (NIEER)


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Wholehearted ECE commitment needed for school readiness outcomes – Increased attention to high standards – Growing investments and long-term

commitment to dedicated funding Offer significantly more children quality

prekindergarten


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High-quality public education


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Growing school diversity– Enrollments by minorities and students with disabilities rising– 3.1% of students have limited English proficiency

NCLB: Each group must progress toward proficiency

33% of PA kindergartners in full-day-- compared to 55% in U.S.

Nearly half of fifth graders failed tomeet 2002-03 proficiency standards

– 43.7% scored below proficient in math– 41.9% scored below proficient in reading


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Funding policies lack a rational formula and fail to restore equity

– Per-pupil expenditures ranged from $5,900 (Juniata County SD) to $14,870 (Lower Merion SD)

– 2.5 to 1 ratio

Declining state share squeezes districts– Ed Week: PA among the top 14 states in funding adequacy,

but next-to-last in equity and state share– Result: Appearance of adequacy from combined state and

local resources, but poorest communities can’t extract more revenues from weak tax bases


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Create an education funding formula that assures every student the opportunity to succeed

Include funding for full-day K and promote small class sizes in the early grades– Demonstration of need: Full-day K is the most

popular block grant option– More than half of PA school districts – 293 –

included FDK in their grant applications 99 choosing class-size reduction


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Family support

After-school and youth development programs


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One child in three in a low-income family– Below 200% of poverty ($37,700, family of four, 2004)– Well below adjusted median income of $47,202

One child in seven in a high-poverty neighborhood

– Jobs are scarce, basic necessities are costlier, and organized activities are limited

Two out of three school-age children have all available parents in the workforce


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KIDS COUNT Data Book measure of 18- to 24-year-olds who have reached young adulthood without the tools for success

One young adult in seven without a job, out of school, and has no degree beyond high school– PA’s 14% similar to national average of 15%

“Disconnected youth”


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Elevate family support and youth development on PA policy agenda

Increase access to subsidized child care

Expand and coordinate nurse home visiting programs for at-risk mothers – Target audience includes key State of the Child

figures – mothers under 20 and those lacking high school degrees

– Improve prenatal health behaviors– Decrease child abuse– Prevent teen delinquency


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Expand tax forgiveness for low- and moderate-income families – Step up outreach efforts

PA has lacked a strategy for youth development and after-school programs – Coordinate funding– Encourage range of community programs

Discourage criminal behavior and drug & alcohol use Improve school performance and aspirations for higher

education


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The State of the Child in Pennsylvania– Commit to promoting child success– Coordinated strategies

Equal opportunity for all children Supports from birth to adulthood Incorporate research

Pennsylvania can become a great place to be a child and to raise a child


Documents

Capitol briefing, June 9, 2004