A TREND REPORT BY

U N D E R S T A N D I N G S A N L U I S O B I S P O C O U N T Y

V ITALS IGNS

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN SLO COUNT Y

ACTION for Healthy Communities is a consortium of public, private, and non-profit organizations that collaborate to assess the quality of life in San Luis Obispo County. The goals of the project are to raise public awareness, provide accurate and reliable data, improve decision-making, establish community goals, and develop collaborative action plans to achieve those community goals.

ACTION for Healthy Communities began collecting key datasets about

quality of life issues in the county in 1999, with updates completed in 2001,

2003, 2006, 2010 and 2013. The 2013 project includes a telephone survey

of a representative sample of 1,102 San Luis Obispo County residents. The

term “residents” will be used to describe data from those telephone survey

respondents. The overall study also includes a face-to-face survey with

homeless individuals and Spanish-speaking parents. These primary data

pieces have been combined with data from a wide range of federal, state

and local sources to bring you a picture of life in San Luis Obispo County.

The full report may be found at http://ActionSLO.org.

H I G H L I G H T S

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.”—Nelson Mandela

The status of children, age 0-18, in the county is an important topic to us all—and relies on community engagement as highlighted in the recent Children’s Bill of Rights for SLO County first5slo.org/childrens-bill-of-rights. More families in the county are below the federal poverty line, causing some to be unable to afford child care, health care, food, or even housing. Maintaining good physical and mental health helps children reach their full potential, and although the majority of children in the county are insured, not all are receiving the regular physical and mental health care they need in order to thrive. The rate of children at an unhealthy weight remains high, yet it is decreasing and is lower than California overall. Children are spending more time exercising; however, they are also spending an increasing amount of time in front of television or computer screens.

Most students report feeling safe at school all or most of the time. Cyber-bullying, however, is a growing threat to children’s wellbeing. Test scores among children are improving, but an achievement gap persists in the county between low-income and English-learner students and their peers. Both gang membership and juvenile crime are decreasing in the county, and graduation rates are increasing.

E C O N O M I C + B A S I C N E E D SFamily economic status and stability is closely tied to a child’s health and well-being and can affect a family’s ability to provide the basic needs and experiences a child needs for optimal growth and development. Economic status can also compromise physical and emotional health.

Increasing numbers of children and families in the county are living in poverty: San Luis Obispo County saw an increase in the percentage of children living below the federal poverty level: from 9.4% in 2006 to 15.1% in 2012, while adults and seniors had a decrease during the same time period.1

40.3% of family households in the county lived below the poverty line in 2012, an increase from 28.2% in 2006. Of female householders/single mothers, 53% were in poverty in 2012, an increase from 37.4% in 2006.2

SHELTERCompared to their peers, homeless children are more likely to have physical and mental health problems, to experience hunger, and to have educational problems.

Approximately 12% of the homeless population in SLO County is a child under the age of 18, more than 260 children.3

About half of the children served by the Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter and Prado Day Center in 2012 (99 children) were between the ages 0 and 5.4

2

AVAIL ABIL IT Y OF CHILD CARE:There is a general lack of access to quality care that is affordable and offered at times and locations needed. As California’s economy continues to recover, parents are entering the workforce in increasing numbers, so access to quality, affordable childcare is essential.

About one-third (36%) of children with working parents in San Luis Obispo County have the option of licensed child care.5 In addition to this lack of licensed child care, the cost of care can have a negative impact on the families’ financial situation.

For 5,157 children (ages 2 and under) only 289 full-time slots were available at licensed child care centers throughout the county, in 2010. This represents an 11% decrease from 2008.6

In SLO County, the average cost for full-time infant care in a child care center in San Luis Obispo County is $12,795. Despite these high costs, over $1 billion has been cut from the state’s child care and development programs since 2008, pre-venting low-income families from accessing subsidized care.7

FOOD INSECURIT YChildren constitute only 19% of the county’s population, yet they comprise 40% of the Food Bank clients.8

Between 2005 and 2012, participation in federal school meal programs in San Luis Obispo County increased from 32% to 44%. This is lower than California overall, which ranged from 51% - 58% during the same time period.9

H E A LT HTo stay healthy, children need access to immunizations, regular examinations, vision and dental care, and the ability to seek medical attention when they get sick or injured. Maintaining a child’s health is not only the responsibility of parents, but also the health and mental health care community.

ACCESS TO HEALTH, DENTAL & MENTAL HEALTH CARE 77% of parents in the county have health insurance—of those, 86.8% had plans that covered their children.10

17.2% of parents in the county say their child has never been to a dentist—up from 13.8% in 2009 and higher than California state average of 10.3%.11

When students were asked about their mental health: During the past 12 months, did you ever feel so sad and hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that you stopped doing some usual activities? To the right are percentages of students answering “yes”12

The data suggests that depression may be increasing as children age, and is especially high among non-traditional students (those attending continuation or community schools). Furthermore, depression has increased between 2007 and 2011 in nearly all age groups.

PREN ATAL SUBSTANCE USEWhen screened, the percentage of women who report substance use in the month before the screening declines 42% compared to the percentage before they knew they were pregnant.13

In SLO county 36% of pregnant women reported drinking alcohol during the past month, between 2004 and 2012.14

25% of pregnant women between 2004 and 2012 reported smoking within the past month.15

  18% of women reported smoking a cigarette every day of the week for at least a month while pregnant.16

TEEN BIRTHS: The amount of teen births has decreased from 245 in 2000, to 154 in 2012, how-ever, the following chart depicts significant regional differences that are mainly attributed to greater socio-economic and ethnic diversity. 17

H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E SReducing youth obesity requires safe places to play and exercise; accessible, affordable fruits and vegetables; and decreased consumption of non-nu-tritious foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

WEIGHT Thirty-seven percent of SLO County youth were reported as having an unhealthy weight, which was lower than the California average of 44% 18.

Fewer females are identified as being overweight compared to males in SLO County19.

SLO

North Coast

North County

South County

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

150

100

50

0

50.8

46.242.9 44 42.9

3942.9

40.1

35.5 35.638.8

28.2

CA MALE CA FEMALE SLO MALE SLO FEMALE0

10

20

30

40

50

60 5th 7th 9th

0

10

20

30

40

50

24 25 25

2927

29

3331

40 39 40

44

7TH 9TH 11TH NT

2007 2009 2011

NT= Continuation and Community SchoolsPercentage of children at an unhealthy weight in California & SLO County, by grade.

4

EATING H ABITS The majority of SLO youth reported drinking NO sugary beverages in the prior week (69.3% for children under 11; 68.3% of children 12-18). However, 14.9% under age 11 and 19% of 12-17 year olds drank 2 or more sugary drinks in the same week. 20

Comparing regions, South County parents reported their children ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. In the North County and the North Coast, the percentage dropped, and San Luis Obispo stayed about the same.21

EXERCISESan Luis Obispo County youth spend more time engaging in physical activity.

Youth spending 10 or more hours in-creased 7% between 2010 and 2013.22

Regionally, the physical activity changes were most significant in the North Coast, where 51% of children are active 10 hours or more a week in 2013, up from only 36% in 2010.23

SCREEN TIMEScreen time is any time a child spends in front of the television, computer, or playing video games. Screen time is sedentary, and can increase children’s risk of becoming obese.24

In 2013, there was a 7% increase in the number of youth spending 10 or more screen hours a week compared to 2010.25

Regionally, North County youth in-creased their screen time from 18.5% to 36.8%, while San Luis Obispo youth decreased screen time to, 35.1% from 38% in 2010.26

NORTH COAST

65.159.2

68.259.7

57.0 57.7

49.8

65.0

NORTH COUNTY SAN LUIS OBISPO SOUTH COUNTY

2010 2013

010203040506070

E D U C A T I O NSince 2007, there has been a 22% reduction in state funding for schools and Cuesta Community College. This loss equates to $111 million for local K-12 schools and $9.3 million for Cuesta.27

PRESCHOOLS & SCHOOL READINESS 47% of SLO County 3 and 4 year olds were enrolled in preschool 2011-2012, lower than the 49% enrolled in California overall. 28

Nationwide, 48% of children in poverty were rated as kindergarten ready, compared to 75% of children not in poverty, indicating a school-readiness gap.29 Over an eight year period, a mean of 77% of children attending First 5 SLO County preschools were rated as ready for kindergarten.30

TRUANCY/DROPOUT RATESSchool truancy is based on the number of unexcused absences. SLO County districts record a higher percentage of student absences than the state due to district adherence to the exact definition. SLO County has been commended for these efforts and the subsequent lower high school dropout rate. Dropout rate is a much better indicator of student success than truancy.

The truancy rate in SLO County is higher than that of California overall: 36.7% compared to 28.5%. For 2012-13, there was a 93% positive attendance rate (average of 12 absences per student) 31.

SLO County dropout rate was 7.7% (2011-12), a 2% decrease since 2009-10. SLO County dropout rate has been consistently lower than the rate in California overall 32.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

9.7 %

16.6 %

14.7 %

13.1 %

8.2 % 7.7 %

2009 — 2010

California

SLO County

2010 — 2011 2011 — 2012

Dropout rate in SLO County compared to California

24.5

16.3

44.3 45.5

31.2

38.2

< 5 hrs/week 5-10 hrs/week > 10 hrs/week

20102013

0

10

20

30

40

50

50

28.6 27.5

40.3

25.1

32.1

46.2

< 5 hrs/week 5-10 hrs/week > 10 hrs/week0

10

20

30

40

50

20132010

During a typical school week how much of your child’s time is spent doing physical activity?

During a typical school week, how much of your child’s time is spent on screen time (computer, TV, videos, texting)?

On average does your child eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day? Respondents answering “yes”

6

HIGHER EDUCATION The percentage of adults in San Luis Obispo County who have attended college or achieved a college degree is 66.9%, higher than the California average of 59.8% 33.

THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPAlthough students in SLO County have shown improvement in academic achievement, a gap between the percentage of students scoring at “proficient or higher” persists for students in poverty and English learners. Preparing children for school during early childhood (school readiness) results in better health outcomes; higher economic productivity; and reduced spending on foster care, special education, and crime. Research shows a return on investment of $7 for every $1 spent on young children.

The percentage of Hispanic-Latino students scoring at the proficient or above level on California Standardized Tests is increasing:34

The academic achievement gap in the county persists for students who are eco-nomically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities.35

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

55

41

28

22

41

27

18 19

1216

64

35

57

4953 54 52 50

38

31

52

6965

68 68 67 67

5551

2 3 4 5 6GRADE

English-Language Arts

7 8 9 10 110

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

8069

57

45

5355

39

23 22

6161

66

59

46 47

7275

69

6259

65

GRADE

Mathematics

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

57

S A F E T YOne of the San Luis Obispo County Children’s Bill of Rights states, “Children need to be and feel safe, everywhere they go.”

CHILD ABUSE General neglect (failure to provide basic food, shelter, clothing, medical care or supervision when no physical injury has occurred) accounted for 91% of all child abuse cases in the county. 36

SLO County has seen a decrease of 12% in total cases of reported child abuse between 2006 and 2012. In contrast, substantiated cases of child abuse in SLO is 13.9 per 1,000, higher than the California average of 9.2.37

FOSTER CARE 346 children were placed in foster care in 2013.38

69.1% of children placed in foster care are placed due to general neglect, defined as the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervi-sion.39

RISKY BEH AVIORS:Youth who experience unstable housing, lack the basic needs for daily life, have inconsistent parenting or supervision are at a greater risk for engaging in behav-iors that can delay or hinder their path in life. The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), provides student reported data on school safety, bullying, substance use, healthy eating and physical activity. All school districts in SLO County survey their 7th, 9th and 11th grade students; Non-Traditional students (enrolled in district continuation and community schools) also participate.

Marijuana use increases as a student gets older; with the greatest number of users enrolled in non-traditional school settings 40.

Alcohol use starts at an earlier age; however only 55.7% of parent respondents stated alcohol and drug abuse problems were “very or somewhat serious” at their student’s middle/junior high; but 74.6% of parents with high school students felt it was a “very or somewhat serious” problem.41

SUBJECT ENGLISH / LANGUAGE ARTS MATH LIFE SCIENCES

2006 2013 2006 2013 2006 2013

Grade 3 23% 31% 49% 58% 18% 41%

Grade 5 31% 49% 36% 58% 27% 60%

Grade 8 30% 21% 44% 61% 19% 38%

Countywide Economically disadvantaged English Learners

4

12 13 12

2826

24

42

37 38

64

57 57

6 6

14 16 16

2724

26

5153

57

7th 9th 11th NT 7th 9th 11th NT

2007 2009 2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

NT= Continuation and Community Schools

Students who have smoked Marijuana in the past 30 days. Students who drank alcohol in the past 30 days.

English -Language Arts Mathematics

8

Gang membership showed a 2% decline (11th grade), but a 4% increase in the Non-Traditional school settings.46

The misdemeanor arrest rate for minors is 16.6 per 1,000 youth, a substantial decrease from 30.7 per 1,000 in 2006, and the juvenile felony arrest rate was 6.0 per 1,000 youth in 2012, down from 8.4 per 1,000 in 2006.47

ACTION for Healthy Communities has provided this data to raise public aware-ness through accurate and reliable data. It is our hope that the reader will be compelled to get involved in their community. To learn more about opportunities to get involved and improve the quality of life for children, contact any one of these organizations.

Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County www.capslo.org

First 5 San Luis Obispo County www.first5slo.org

Parent Connection www.sloparents.org

SLO County Office of Education www.slocoe.org

SAFE T Y AT SCHOOL & BULLYINGIn general, SLO County students reported feeling very safe or safe at school: 66% (7th graders), 66% (9th graders), 75% (11th graders) and 64% of non-traditional students.42

The majority of students in SLO County responded they had not experienced cyber-bullying. 43

Cyber-bullying has become more prevalent since 2009; with incidences increasing as students get older.

GANG ACTIVIT Y & JUVENILE CRIMEGang membership can be related to alcohol and marijuana use and lack of posi-tive adult connections, at school, home and in the community. Gang activity can lead to higher rates of violence and may include an increase in drug transactions or weapons on campus.

Approximately 9% of students surveyed reported currently belonging to a gang. Males have a higher rate of gang membership than do females.44

Students’ level of connectedness to school has a huge impact on their suscep-tibility to gang membership. Only 5.3% of students who are highly connected to school, report belonging to a gang, compared to 20% of students with low connectedness to school.45

83 81 7775

79 77 7571

7th 9th 11th NT

NT= Continuation and Community Schools

0

20

40

60

80

1002009

2011

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

California

2006

Per 1

,000

you

th

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

SLO County

1. United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006-2012.2. Ibid.3. SLO County Homeless Count Report 2013. 4. Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. Quarterly

Data Report, 2012. 5. 2013 California Child Care Portfolio.6. 2011 California Child Care Portfolio.7. 2013 California Child Care Portfolio.8. Paradox of Plenty: A Community Roadmap for Overcoming Hunger in

San Luis Obispo County, Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County. September 2012.

9. California Department of Education, Data Reporting Office. (2013). Free & reduced price meals, San Luis Obispo County, 2005-2012.

10. ACTION for Healthy Communities 2013.11. Ibid. 12. California Healthy Kids Survey 2007, 2009, and 2011. 13. Children’s Research Triangle, 2013. 14. County of San Luis Obispo, Public Health Department, Prenatal Univer-

sal Substance Use Screening with the 4P’s Plus Tool, 2004-2012.15. Ibid. 16. Ibid. 17. San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department, Vital Statistics 2012. 18. KidsData.org, 2011-2012.19. Ibid. 20. ACTION for Healthy Communities 2013.21. ACTION for Healthy Communities 2013.22. Ibid. 23. Ibid. 24. Harvard School of Public Health, Obesity Causes: Television Watching

and “Sit Time.”25. ACTION for Healthy Communities 2013.26. Ibid.

27. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2013.28. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013. 29. Isaacs, J. & Magnuson, K. “Income and Education as Predictors of

Children’s School Readiness.” The Social Genome Project: Brookings Institution. 2011.

30. First 5 SLO County Outcome Evaluation Reports. 31. San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, 2013. 32. California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Office,

2013. 33. U.S. Census, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates34. San Luis Obispo County Office of Education Annual Education Report,

2013.35. Ibid. 36. Needell, B, et al. Child Welfare Services Reports for California.

University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research, 2006-2012.

37. Ibid. 38. San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services Snapshot of

Children in Foster Care, 2013.39. Ibid.40. California Healthy Kids Survey, 2007, 2009, and 2011. 41. ACTION for Healthy Communities, 2013.42. California Healthy Kids Survey 2011.43. Ibid. 44. California Healthy Kids Survey 2008-2010. 45. California Healthy Kids Survey, 2008-2010.46. California Healthy Kids Survey, 2011.47. California Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Center,

Crime and Crime Rates by Category and Crime, 2006-2012. California Department of Finance, Race/Ethnic Population with Age and Sex Detail. (Note: juvenile population used for the arrest rates are those aged 10-17).

During the past 12 months, have other students spread mean rumors or lies about you on the Internet? Respondents answering “no”.

7th 9th 11th NT

NT= Continuation and Community Schools

Male

Female

0

3

6

9

12

15

Gang Activity Male vs. Female

Juvenile Crime is San Luis Obispo

10

A TREND REPORT BY

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN SLO COUNT Y