ERIC ED475634: Where Kids Count, Place Matters: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children, 2000-2001.

49 Pages·2003·1.1 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 475 634
PS 031 249
AUTHOR Conlow, Mary
Where Kids Count, Place Matters: Trends in the Well-Being of
TITLE
Iowa Children, 2000-2001.
INSTITUTION
Child and Family Policy Center, Des Moines, IA.
SPONS AGENCY
Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD.
PUB DATE
2003-00-00
NOTE
48p.; For related document, see PS 030 149.
AVAILABLE FROM
Child and Family Policy Center, 218 6th Avenue, Suite 1021,
Des Moines, IA 50309. Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone];
e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:
http://www.cfpciowa.org.
PUB TYPE
Numerical/Quantitative Data (110)
Reports
Descriptive
(141)
EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
DESCRIPTORS
Adolescents; Birth Weight; Births to Single Women; Child
Abuse; Child Neglect; *Children; *Counties; *Demography;
Early Parenthood; Environmental Influences; Family Income;
Graduation; Infant Mortality; One Parent Family; Poverty;
Preschool Children; *Social Indicators; Violence; Welfare
Recipients; *Well Being
IDENTIFIERS
Child Mortality; *Indicators; *Iowa; Risk Factors
ABSTRACT
Focusing on the influence of impoverished environments on
child outcomes, this Kids Count report examines trends in the well-being of
Iowa children. The first section of the report presents an overview essay
detailing the presence and location of high risk and moderate risk census
tracts in Iowa, based on information from the 2000 Census using children and
family measures. The second section presents a statistical portrait, by
county, based on data for the following indicators of well-being:
(1) infant
mortality;
(2) low birthweight births;
(3) births to 16- to 17-year-olds;
(4)
teen unmarried births;
(5) child abuse and neglect;
(6) high school
graduation rates;
(7) child deaths; and (8) teen violent deaths. The third
section of the report presents 1990 and 2000 Census data, by county, for
indicators including population age 16-19 not employed or in school,
household income, households receiving public assistance, single parent
families, family poverty, and preschool enrollment.
(HTH)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
Where Kids Count,
o
Place Matters
MITCHELL
WORTH HOWARD
WINNESHIEK
WINNEBAGO
EMMET KOSSUTH
DICKINSON
LYON
OSCEOLA
LLAMAKEE
HANCOCK
CERRO GORDO
CLAY
O'BRIEN
PALO ALTO
SIOUX
CHICKASAW
FLOYD
CLAYTON
FAYETTE
WRIGHT IN BUTLER
BREMER
POCAHONTAS
BUENA VISTA
HUMBOLDT
CHEROKEE
PLYMOUTH
-,
BLACK HAWK
DUBUQUE
DELAWARE
WEBSTER
BUC AAAAA
HARDIN
HAMILTON
ORUNDY
CALHOUN
IDA
WOODBURY SAC
00000
JONES
JACKSON
LINN
BENTON
TAMA
STORY
MARSHALL
BOONE
CARROLL
GREENE
000
MONONA
CRAWFORD
CLINTON
CEDAR
JOHNSON
JASPER
DALLAS
IOWA
POWESHIEK
GUTHRIE
SHELBY
AUDUBON
HARRISON
scoTT
MUSCATINE
WASHINGTON
MARION
KEOKUK
MADISON
MAHASKA
WARREN
ADAIR
CASS
POTTAWATTAMIE
LOUISA
WAPELLO HENRY
LUCAS MONROE JEFFERSON
CLARKE
ADAMS UNION
MONTGOMERY
MILLS
ES MOINES
DAVIS VAN BUREN
APPANOOSE
DECATUR WAYNE
TAYLOR RINGGOLD
FREMONT
PAGE
LEE
GO
Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children,
2000-2001
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
CENTER (ERIC)
BEEN GRANTED BY
A
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Points of view or opinions stated in this
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
1
Suite 1021, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
218 6th Avenue
A Publication of Iowa Kids Count
IOWA
KIDS COUNT
http://www.cfpciowa.org
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
2
Where Kids Count,
Place Matters
Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children,
2000
2001
Iowa Kids Count is affiliated with National Kids Count and
funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
rrn
kids
count
3
KIDS COUNT
The Iowa Kids Count Initiative is funded by a grant
from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which also supports
a national Kids Count data book tracking trends in child
well-being across the fifty states. Iowa was one of the first
eight state projects funded in 1991.
Table of Contents
Part One
Where Kids Count, Place Matters
1
Part Two
8
2000 and 2001 Indicator Data
Part Three
22
1990 and 2000 Census Data
Acknowledgements and For Further Information
42
5
Part One
Where Kids Count, Place Matters
these community-building strategies
When it comes to the well-being
are important both for improving
of children, place matters.
child well-being and improving state
Parents are the primary and most
economic development. In short,
economic development and child
important influence on children and
well-being should not be separate
their well-being, but where parents
policy agendas.
live also makes a difference.
National research has shown that
Research has shown that children
children living in poor, tough neigh-
who live in poorer neighborhoods
borhoods are much more likely to
(measured not only by official pover-
ty rates, but also by other socio-eco- drop out of school, become pregnant
as teens, get in trouble with the law
nomic characteristics) have tougher
times growing up than children liv- as juveniles, and live in poverty as
adults, with their own children
ing in richer neighborhoods, regard-
struggling to succeed. They are
less of their parents' background or
incomes. Children in poorer neigh-
much more likely to go to prison and
suffer from debilitating health condi-
borhoods have fewer role models for
tions that further limit their ability to
professional and middle-class
provide support for their children.
careers. They see fewer pathways to
One Chicago study showed that chil-
economic and social success in their
day-to-day lives. Their schools are dren in the city's poorest neighbor-
hoods (where child poverty was over
likely to be poorer with more class-
mates struggling and dropping out,
50%) were 42 times more likely to be
placed into foster care than children
and expectations for their own edu-
in the city's most prosperous neigh-
cational success lowered by the very
people responsible for teaching
borhoods (where child poverty was
them.
under 10%).
Place does matter, and place can
Prior Kids Count reports largely have
put children at risk of a variety of
focused on state and county level
indicators of child well-being, as
"rotten outcomes" that can extend
most administrative data related to
Further, removing
into adult life.
this risk requires more than individ-
child well-being have been available
only at the county level. The 2000
ual work with individual families.
It
Census provides the opportunity to
requires community-building strate-
examine much smaller geographic
gies within those neighborhoods
in terms of
census tracts
areas
that can create real opportunities for
a variety of indicators that are
children to succeed, starting in
known to place children at risk. The
many instances with opportunities
population for most census tracts is
for educational success. Further,
6
1
approximately 4,000 residents,
many (340) did not score poorly on
which provides very local, neighbor-
any of the ten indicators. A fair
hood-sized information.
number (305) scored poorly on only
one or two of the measures, with a
Identifying High Risk
smaller number (97) scoring poorly
Census Tracts
on three to five measures. About
This report analyzes census tract-
six percent (49) scored poorly on a
level data on ten different indicators
majority (six or more) of the indica-
that are available from the census
tors.
and are known to be factors that
help determine child well-being.
Table One compares the scores on
These ten indicators were selected
the ten indicators by the number of
because they cover an array of edu-
indicators on which tracts scored
cational, social and economic indi-
poorly. Clearly, those census tracts
cators, including those known to
scoring poorly on the most number
have specific neigh-
of indicators have
National research has shown
borhood-related, in
very different rates
addition to child- or
on each of the ten
that children living in poor,
indicators than
family-related,
tough neighborhoods are much
impacts on child
those not scoring
well-being. On
poorly. They repre-
more likely to drop out of
neighborhood-relat-
sent geographic
ed impacts, for
areas that pose par-
school, become pregnant as
instance, the per-
ticularly high risks
teens, get in trouble with the
centage of adults
for children's
with graduate
growth and devel-
law as juveniles, and live in
degrees was selected
opment.
as an indicator of
poverty as adults, with their
the proportion of
The high risk cen-
own children struggling
sus tracts (those
professional role
models in the neigh-
scoring poorly on at
to succeed.
borhood. The per-
least six indicators)
centage of families with dividend,
comprise only five percent of the
interest or rent income was selected
state's population; however, they
as an indicator of the degree of
had rates that were, in some cases,
wealth in the community for invest-
three to four times higher than the
ment in future growth (including
rates for the non-high risk census
tracts. These census tracts had
investment in children's education).
three times as many households
While poverty rates are part of one
receiving public assistance, three
measure, the measures were
and one-half times as many families
designed to be much broader than a
with children living in poverty and
poverty measure alone. They cover
almost four times as many teens
human, social, physical and eco-
age 16-19 who were not employed
nomic capital at the family and
or in school. In addition, the high
risk census tracts had rates that
neighborhood level. Census tracts
were characterized by the number of
were more than twice as high as the
other census tracts for single parent
indicators upon which they com-
pared poorly with other Iowa census
families and people age 25 and over
tracts. Of Iowa's 791 census tracts,
without a high school diploma.
7
2
Table One
2000 Census Tract indicators by Risk Factor
Moderate
Low Risk
High Risk
Risk No Risk
(3-5 Risk (1-2 Risk
(0 Risk
(6-10 Risk
Factors} Factors} Factors}
Total
Factors
49
305
97 340
Number of Census Tracts
791
2,926,324 327,565
1,041,882
143,955 1,412,922
Total Population
733,638 81,769 250,335
39,543
Child Population
361,991
25.0% 24.0%
25.6%
Percent Child Population 27.5%
25.1%
Population Age 25 and Over with
14.5%
30.6% 20.0%
13.9% 10.6%
Less Than High School Diploma
2.9% 5.6%
3.8%
8.1%
Population Age 25 and Over
6.5%
with Post-Graduate Degree
4.7%
7.8%
Population Age 16-19 Not
3.3%
16.0%
5.0%
Employed or In School
75.4%
79.2%
Households with Earnings
72.9% 77.3%
77.3%
from Employment
31.2% 44.1%
48.2%
21.2%
Households with Earnings
43.5%
from Interest, Dividends or Rent
2.7%
2.9%
2.0%
8.0% 5.0%
Households Receiving
Public Assistance
37.7% 23.8%
24.9% 50.3% 20.4%
Single Parent
Families
9.3%
27.7%
9.3%
15.8%
Families with Children
6.0%
Below Poverty
44.7%
49.6%
Children Age 3-5
45.5%
32.5% 37.0%
Enrolled in Preschool
Owner Occupied
47.5% 72.0%
72.3% 77.2%
63.5%
Housing Units
Source: United States Census Bureau, 2000 Census
The Location of High Risk Census
Improving child well-being in these
Tracts in Iowa
inner-city neighborhoods is likely to
Focusing attention on these census
be needed to dramatically improve
tracts requires pinpointing their
any of the statewide indicators of
actual location. Map One provides
child well-being that Iowa Kids
a general representation of the loca-
Count reports upon and this is like-
tion of the high risk and moderate
ly to require community-building,
risk census tracts in Iowa. Since
education enhancement, and eco-
many of the tracts are located with-
nomic development strategies as
in cities and constitute very small
much, if not more, than human ser-
geographic areas, they would not
vices, which traditionally has been
show up on an overall map of Iowa
the way government has sought to
as more than tiny dots. Therefore,
address poor child outcomes.
a
3
Map One
2000 High Risk and Moderate Risk Census Tracts
LYON EMMET
DICKINSON
KOSSUTH WINNEBAGO
WORTH
OSCEOLA
HOWARD
MITCHELL
WINNESHIEK
LLAMAKEE
0
o Moderate Risk
3
O'BRIEN
CLAY HANCOCK
PALO ALTO
SIOUX
CERRO GORDO
(3.5 risk factors)
CHICKASAW
FLOYD
FAYETTE CLAYTON
O High Risk
(6.10 risk factors)
CHEROKEE
POCAHONTAS
BUENA VISTA FRANKLIN
PLYMOUTH WRIGHT
BUTLER
HUMBOLDT
BREMER
0
6
37
WEBSTER
BLACK HAWK
[DUBUQUE
DELAWARE
BUCHANAN
0000
0
000
IDA HAMILTON
CALHOUN
HARDIN
WOODBURY
SAC GRUNDY
00000
6
000000
00000
23
00.0
0000027
12
JONES
LINN
JACKSON
TAMA BENTON
00
STORY
BOONE
CARROLL
MONONA
CRAWFORD
MARSHALL
GREENE
000
000
0
0
CLINTON
20
4
10
43
000
CEDAR
0
12
0 0 MU' 00
DALLAS
JASPER JOHNSON
000
POWESHIEK
HARRISON IOWA
SHELBY AUDUBON GUTHRIE
80
000000
0
00scon-00
0000
0000
22
00
9
5
MUSCATINE
00
00
WASHINGITO4S_
MARION
MADISON
0
ADAIR
KEOKUK
WARREN
POTTAWATTAMIE CASS
MANASKA
10
45
0
0 0 0
12
7
31
LOUISA
Number in county
represents total
00
MILLS
ADAMS UNION
MONTGOMERY LUCAS
CLARKE
MONROE
WAPELLO HENRY
JEFFERSON
0
DES MOINES
number of census
00
4 4
4
11
4
3
tracts in that
11
county
0
FREMONT TAYLOR
RINGGOLD
PAGE
DAVIS
DECATUR WAYNE APPANOOSE
VAN BUREN
LEE
00
6
2 2
5
3
3 3
0
11
the map does not show the specific are highly concentrated in inner-city
location of the census tracts, but
neighborhoods, the moderate risk
rather, shows them as dots in each
census tracts show a somewhat dif-
ferent pattern. In addition to a con-
county.
centration in Iowa's largest cities
The map shows that most of the
and counties, there also are a signif-
high risk census tracts are located
icant number in the very rural,
within Iowa's larger counties and,
southern two tiers of counties in the
actually, within the cities within
state.
those counties. In fact, three Iowa
cities (Des Moines, Davenport and
Place and Race
Waterloo), which represent 12.5% of
As last year's Iowa Kids Count
the state's population, have 53.0%
report showed, Iowa is becoming
of Iowa's population that lives within
more diverse, with children leading
these high risk census tracts. While
the way. While Iowa still is predom-
constituting a small percentage of
inantly white, non-Hispanic, one in
the state's overall population, they
nine children in Iowa (11.2%) are
account for a much larger share of
either non-white, or Hispanic, or
Iowa's poor child outcomes. These
both. Between 1990 and 2000, the
represent inner-city neighborhoods
percentage of all children who were
where children face the greatest
either non-white or Hispanic nearly
challenge to well-being, growth and
doubled, from 5.8% to 11.2%.
development.
Table Two shows the distribution of
While the high risk census tracts
Iowa's population both by the num-
9
4
Table Two
2000 Iowa Population by Risk Factor
Moderate
No Risk
Low Risk
Risk
High Risk
(0 Risk
(1-2 Risk
(3-5 Risk
(6-10 Risk
Factors)
Factors) Factors)
Factors)
Total
305 340
97
49
Number of Census Tracts
791
1,412,922
327,565
1,041,882
143,955
2,926,324
Total Population
48.3%
35.6%
11.2%
4.9%
100.0%
Percent
1,352,402
282,877
980,002
2,710,344
95,063
White Non-Hispanic
49.9%
36.2%
10.4%
100.0%
3.5%
Percent
14,146
22,309
12,034
13,364
61,853
African American
22.9%
19.5%
21.6%
36.1%
100.0%
Percent
2,617
3,240
1,573
1,559
8,989
American Indian/Alaska Native
29.1%
36.0%
17.5%
17.3%
100.0%
Percent
13,238
7,284
12,341
4,781
37,644
Asian/Pacific islander
35.2%
32.8%
12.7% 19.3%
100.0%
Percent
32,153
32,631
22,467
20,243
107,494
Other*
29.9% 30.4%
20.9%
18.8%
100.0%
Percent
23,229
24,057
18,003
82,473
17,184
Hispanic (may be of any race)
29.2% 28.2%
20.8% 21.8%
100.0%
Percent
*Other includes white Hispanics, other races not listed above and people who chose two or
more races.
Source: United States Census Bureau, 2000 Census
1990 to 2000
ber of census tract risk factors and
Trends
In order to provide trend data, a
by race/ethnicity. While Iowa has
similar analysis of census tracts was
become more diverse, people of color
conducted for 1990. While there
are disproportionately concentrated
were changes in a few census tract
in high risk census tracts. In fact,
boundaries and there were changes
while only 3.5% of Iowa's white,
in the overall statewide rates on the
non-Hispanic population lives in
ten indicators, the same methods
high risk census tracts, 36.1% of
were used to determine which cen-
African American and 20.8% of
sus tracts were at high risk. Table
Hispanic people (Iowa's two largest
Three provides a comparison
minority populations) do. Focusing
between 1990 and 2000 on the
attention on these neighborhoods
statewide scores on the ten indica-
also means focusing attention on
tors. As Table Three shows, there
addressing disparities in child well-
were improvements between 1990
being across race and ethnicity.
and 2000 on seven of the indicators
and declines on three.
Clearly, however, the issues facing
The high risk census tracts showed
the southern two tiers of Iowa coun-
the same improvements and
ties are different with respect to
declines on the indicators as did the
race. As the breakouts show, chil-
state. Unfortunately, however, the
dren in the moderate risk rural
between the high risk census
county census tracts are predomi-
gap
tracts and the state did not close.
nantly white, non-Hispanic.
10
5