Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition March 2012 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Table of Contents

List of Figures iii

List of Tables vi

Acknowledgements viii

Executive Summary - Indicators of Early Childhood Need 1

Guide for Service Array Participants 3

Overview 4

I. Population and Household Composition 5 Population 5 Household Composition 6

II. Income and Poverty 7 Income and Unemployment 7 Families and Children in Poverty 8 Services for the Homeless and Families in Poverty 14

III. Access to Health Care 15

IV. Health and Early Childhood 17 Births to Teen Mothers 17 Prenatal Care 17 Complications at Birth 18 Services for Families with Young Children 18

V. Infant and Child Mortality 20

VI. Public Assistance 21

VII. Housing 24 Affordability of Housing 24 Sub-Standard Housing 25

VIII. Child Care and Pre-School 26 Child Care 26 Pre-School 27 Dodge County Head Start 27

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition i Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

IX. Education 29 Educational Attainment 29 Dropout Rates 30 High School Graduation Rates 30 Attendance Rates 31 Excessive Absences 31 Public Schools Statistics 32

X. Child Protection and Safety 33

XI. Domestic Violence and Offenses Against Families and Children 34 Domestic Violence 34 Services for Domestic Violence 36 Offenses Against the Family and Children 37

XII. Unhealthy Juvenile Behaviors 37 Juvenile Crime 37 Underage Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use 41 Sexually Transmitted Diseases 44 Services for Families with Troubled Children 44

Conclusion 45

Appendix A: The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Child Well-Being Indicators 47

Appendix B: Selected Results from the 2010 Community Assessment Survey for Goldenrod Hills 48

Appendix C: 2010 Poverty Thresholds 49

References 50

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition ii Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

List of Figures

Figure 1. Percent Change in the Under 5 Population: County, State, and National Comparisons (2000 to 2010) 5

Figure 2. Percent Change in Family Households with Children under 18: County State, and National Comparisons (2000 to 2010) 7

Figure 3. Unemployment: County, State, and National Comparisons (2006-2010) 8

Figure 4. Poverty Rates for Households with Related Children under 5: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 9

Figure 5. Poverty Rates by White Non-Hispanic/Latino and Hispanic/Latino: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 11

Figure 6. Racial/Ethnic Distribution of the under 5 Population at or below Poverty in Dodge County (2010) 11

Figure 7. Percent of Unmarried Women Who Gave Birth in the Past Year at or below Poverty: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 13

Figure 8. Percent of Fremont Public School Students Receiving Free and Reduced Lunch: County and State Comparisons (2006-2011) 13

Figure 9. Births to Teen Mothers as a Percent of Total Births: County and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 17

Figure 10. Percent of Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care in the First Trimester: County and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 17

Figure 11. Rates of Low Birth Weight, Pre-term Birth, and Birth Defects: County and State Comparisons (2004/2005 - 2008/2009) 18

Figure 12. Rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) per 1,000 Live Births: County and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 20

Figure 13. Infant Mortality per 1,000 Live Births: County and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 20

Figure 14. Death Rate for Population Aged 1-19 per 100,000 Population: County and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 21

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition iii Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Figure 15. Average Number of Participants Receiving Assistance through Nutritional Programs for Children in Dodge County (2005-2010) 23

Figure 16. Average Monthly Number of Families on ADC in Dodge County (2005-2010) 23

Figure 17. Average Number of Children Eligible for Medicaid in Dodge County (2005-2010) 24

Figure 18. Educational Attainment: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 29

Figure 19. Dropout Rates: Fremont and State Comparisons (2006-2010) 30

Figure 20. Graduation Rates: Fremont and State Comparisons (2006-2010) 30

Figure 21. Daily Attendance Rates: Fremont and State Comparisons (1994-2011) 31

Figure 22. Excessive Absences: Fremont and State Comparisons (2010-2011) 32

Figure 23. Yearly Number of Children in Foster Care in Dodge County (2005-2010) 34

Figure 24. Aggravated Domestic Violence Assaults in Dodge County (2006-2010) 35

Figure 25. Simple Domestic Violence Assaults in Dodge County (2006-2010) 35

Figure 26. Arrests for Offenses against Families and Children in Dodge County (2006-2010) 37

Figure 27. All Arrests (Adult and Juvenile) in Dodge County (2000-2010) 38

Figure 28. Juvenile Arrests in Dodge County (2000-2010) 38

Figure 29. Juvenile Arrests for Drug and Alcohol Violations in Dodge County (2000-2010) 39

Figure 30. Juvenile Arrests for Larceny, Simple Assault, Vandalism, and Runaway in Dodge County (2000-2010) 40

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition iv Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Figure 31. Lifetime Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Rates: County and State Comparisons (2010) 41

Figure 32. 30-Day Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Rates: County and State Comparisons (2010) 42

Figure 33. Lifetime Medicinal and Performance Enhancing Drug Use Rates: County and State Comparisons (2010) 43

Figure 34. Lifetime Drug Use Rates: County and State Comparisons (2010) 44

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition v Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

List of Tables

Table 1. Fremont and Dodge County Population (2000 to 2010) 5

Table 2. Dodge County Population by Race/Ethnicity (2010) 6

Table 3. Dodge County Family Households with Children under 18 (2000 to 2010) 6

Table 4. Median Household Income: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 7

Table 5. Dodge County Poverty Statistics for Households with Children under 5 (2000 to 2010) 9

Table 6. City of Fremont Poverty Statistics for Households with Children under 5 (2000 to 2010) 10

Table 7. Births in the Past Year to Married and Unmarried Women and the Percent at or below Poverty in Dodge County (2010) 12

Table 8. Percent of Births in the Past Year to Married and Unmarried Women: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 12

Table 9. Percent of the Population under 18 with no Health Insurance: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 15

Table 10. Income and Public Assistance by Family Household Type for Dodge County (2010) 21

Table 11. Percent of Population Receiving Food Stamps/SNAP and WIC Benefits: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) 22

Table 12. Dodge County WIC Recipients by Type (2009) 22

Table 13. Percent of Births Covered by Medicaid: County and State Comparisons (2008) 24

Table 14. Fair Market Rent (FMR) Housing Costs: County and State Comparisons (2011) 26

Table 15. Renter Households: County and State Comparisons (2011) 26

Table 16. Dodge County Licensed Child Care Facilities by Type (2011) 26

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition vi Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Table 17. Federal, State, and Parochial Pre-School Programs in Dodge County (2010-2011) 27

Table 18. Education Statistics: Fremont and State Comparisons (most current year of available data) 32

Table 19. Education Statistics: Fremont Public Schools (2010-2011) 33

Table 20. Child Protection and Safety Statistics: County and State Comparisons (2007-2009) 34

Table 21. Domestic Violence Rates per 1,000 Population: County and State Comparisons (2010) 36

Table 22. Juvenile Arrests per 1,000 Population: County and State Comparisons (2010) 40

Table 23. Number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases for Those 19 and under in Dodge County (1996-2010) 44

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition vii Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Acknowledgements

The Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment was completed by Schmeeckle Research Inc. with data being provided by numerous Fremont Area Agencies. This assessment was funded by a grant from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) to support the planning process for the Fremont Early Childhood Coalition led by the Fremont United Way.

For further information contact

Will Schmeeckle, M.A. and Joyce Schmeeckle, Ph.D. (Schmeeckle Research Inc.) 1701 S. 17th, Suite 2A Lincoln, NE 68502 402-477-5407 [email protected] www.schmeeckleresearch.com or

Shawn Shanahan (Fremont Area United Way) 605 N. Broad St. Fremont, NE 68025 402-721-4157 [email protected]

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition viii Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition ix Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Executive Summary - Indicators of Early Childhood Need

In the table below are contained 14 indicators of early childhood need in Fremont/Dodge County as determined by the evaluator (i.e. Schmeeckle Research Inc). Data directly impacting children ages 0-5 and families, as well as other data of secondary impact (such as educational attainment, school dropouts, juvenile delinquency, etc.) are included in this executive summary. Refer to the sections below in the report for statistics on specific indicators.

Indicators of Early Childhood Need in Fremont, Nebraska Indicator Rationale  There has been a decline in husband-wife families with children and rise in single parent families with children since 2000 in Dodge County. The rate of decline in the  Change in number of husband-wife families and rate of increase for single parent families are Household greater than the state and the nation. Composition  Single parent families with children experience poverty at a much higher rate than husband-wife families with children.  Dodge County has a lower median household income as compared to the state and nation.  The rate of unemployment is higher in Dodge County than in the state.  There have been sharp increases in poverty rates for individuals and families since 2000.  Poverty  A notably higher rate of families with children under 5 are in poverty compared to the state and nation.  There was high rate of births to unmarried mothers in Dodge County in 2009 and a high rate of poverty for those unmarried mothers who gave birth.  The rate of Fremont Public Schools students receiving free and reduced lunch is higher compared to the state.  Poverty, especially among the under 5 population, is higher in Dodge County  Affordable Medical compared to the state and nation, and has grown since 2000. Care  There is no health clinic in Dodge County operating for the primary purpose of providing medical services to the uninsured and under-insured population.  Births to Teen  There is a slightly higher rate of births to teen mothers in Dodge County compared to Mothers the state.  The rate of women receiving 1st trimester prenatal care is lower in Dodge County  Prenatal Care compared to the state.  Preventable Infant  The rate of SIDS in Dodge County is double the rate for the state. Mortality  The rates of pre-term births and children born with birth defects are slightly higher in  Birth Complications Dodge County than in the state.  Participation rates for WIC and Food Stamps/SNAP are higher in Dodge County compared to the state and nation.  The number of children receiving food stamp and summer food program benefits has  Public Assistance been increasing in recent years. Recipients  There has been an increase in families on ADC and the number of children eligible for Medicaid in recent years.  The percentage of births covered by Medicaid is high (over 50%).  The fair market rent (FMR) for a two bedroom apartment is well above the average  Housing renter income in Dodge County.

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 1 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012

Indicators of Early Childhood Need in Fremont, Nebraska (continued) Indicator Rationale  There has been a large increase in the number of victims served at the Crisis Center Domestic Violence Shelter since 2007.  Domestic Violence  The number of domestic violence assaults has increased in recent years.  The rate of domestic violence assaults is higher in Dodge County than in the state.  Head Start serves at its capacity of 125 children every year. There are an estimated  Shortage of Child 500-600 children eligible for Head Start every year. Care and Pre-school  It is estimated that as many as half of all Kindergarteners and 1st graders in Dodge Services County do not attend pre-school.  The rate of substantiated child abuse/neglect cases is higher in Dodge County than  Child Protection and in the state. Safety  There is a slightly higher rate of state wards in Dodge County as compared to the state.  A lower percentage of Fremont Public Schools students are proficient on the 3rd grade reading assessment compared to the state (a possible indicator of school readiness).  Education  A lower percentage of the Dodge County population has High School and Bachelor's Degrees compared to the state and nation.  Fremont Public Schools students consistently have lower graduation rates and higher dropout rates compared to the state.  Marijuana use rates for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders were higher for Dodge County  Underage Alcohol, youth as compared to the state. Tobacco, and Drug  30-day alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use rates for 8th graders were considerably Use higher for Dodge County youth as compared to the state.

Guide for Service Array Participants

Service Array Guide Service Array Area Location of Data

 Household Composition (pages 6-7)  Income and Poverty (pages 7-15)  Basic Needs  Public Assistance (pages 21-24)  Housing (pages 24-25)  Education (pages 29-33)

 Access to Health Care (pages 15-16)  Health and Early Childhood (pages 17-19)  Health Care Access and  Infant and Child Mortality (pages 20-21) Health Promotion  Public Assistance (pages 21-24)  Underage Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use (pages 41-44)  Sexually Transmitted Diseases (page 44)

 Child Care and Pre-School (pages 26-28)  Child and Youth Safety  Public Schools Statistics (pages 32-33) and Development  Child Protection and Safety (pages 33-34)  Unhealthy Juvenile Behaviors (pages 37-45)

 Household Composition (pages 6-7)  Families and Children in Poverty (pages 8-13)  Health and Early Childhood (pages 17-19)  Family Safety and  Infant and Child Mortality (pages 20-21) Development  Child Care and Pre-School (pages 26-28)  Educational Attainment (page 29)  Child Protection and Safety (pages 33-34)  Domestic Violence and Offenses against Families and Children (pages 34-37)

Overview

The Fremont Early Childhood Coalition was selected by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) as a "Community at Risk" in 2010 based upon Dodge County having five child well-being indicators that were worse than the state (see also Appendix A).

These five indicators are:  Infant Death Rate  Births to Teens  Juvenile Arrests  Number of State Wards  High School Graduation Rate

The NCFF placed the county in "Tier 4" of its "Communities at Risk," because Dodge County had these five indicators as being worse than the state. There are only five counties in all of Tiers 1 through 3 (Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, 2011). As this report will show, other indicators could be added to those listed above (see the "Executive Summary - Indicators of Early Childhood Need"). As a result of these alarming data, Schmeeckle Research Inc. was contracted to provide a comprehensive compilation of available data indicating the well-being of children in the community, with a general focus towards the under 5 population, but with a broad inclusion of data relevant to the general well-being of the community. This Early Childhood Community Assessment will serve as a guide for community agencies in the analysis of the service array in Dodge County.

Data were compiled from numerous sources. Major sources include U.S. Census, Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Kids Count in Nebraska, Nebraska Crime Commission, and the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors and Student Survey (NRPFSS), among several others. Most data are available only at the county level, but are primarily representative of the city of Fremont, as Fremont contains over 70% of Dodge County's population.

The data are organized into 12 major themes, with sub-topics within certain themes. The major themes are:

I. Population and Household VII. Housing Composition VIII. Child Care and Pre-School II. Income and Poverty IX. Education III. Access to Health Care X. Child Protection and Safety IV. Health and Early Childhood XI. Domestic Violence and Offenses V. Infant and Child Mortality Against Families and Children VI. Public Assistance XII. Unhealthy Juvenile Behavior

I. Population and Household Composition

Population

Dodge County is located in Northeast Nebraska, approximately 35 miles northeast of Omaha. The population of Dodge County as of 2010 is 36,691. The city of Fremont comprises over 70% of Dodge County's population, with 26,397 residents (as of 2010). From 2000 to 2010, the population of Dodge County has increased by 1.5%. Over the same time period the under 5 population has increased by 12.4%. These rates of increase are largely due to the growth of the population in Fremont, which experienced a 20.2% increase in the number of children under 5 from 2000 to 2010. See Table 1 below.

Table 1 Fremont and Dodge County Population (2000 to 2010) Percent 2000 2010 Change Fremont Total Population 25,174 26,397 +5.1% Fremont Under 5 Population 1,593 1,914 +20.2% Dodge County Total Population 36,160 36,691 +1.5% Dodge County Under 5 Population 2,225 2,500 +12.4% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000a and 2010a)

Figure 1. Percent Change in the Under 5 Population: County, State,% and Change National Under Comparisons 5 (2000 to 2010) 15% From 2000 to 2010 the under 5 population in Dodge County grew at a slightly greater rate 10% than the under 5 population in Nebraska, and more than double the rate for the nation. 5%

0% Dodge County Nebraska United States Percent Change in Under Five Population 12.4% 11.3% 5.3% 2000 to 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a)

Dodge County is primarily white (87.5%), with a moderately sized Hispanic/Latino minority (10.1%). Other racial/ethnic groups make up just 2.1% of the population. See Table 2 below.

Table 2 Dodge County Population by Race/Ethnicity (2010)* American Native Two or Hispanic/ Indian/ Hawaiian/ White More Black Asian Other Latino* Alaskan Pacific Races Native Islander 87.5% 10.1% 0.9% 0.5% 0.5% 0.3% 0.1% 0.1% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a) *The Hispanic/Latino population is not counted in any racial category in the table above.

Household Composition

From 2000 to 2010 there were notable changes in the composition of family households with children under 18. The number of husband-wife families with children under 18 decreased by 15.9%, while male householder, no wife present families with children under 18 increased by 52.4%, and female householder, no husband families with children under 18 increased by 15.7%. The total number of family households decreased by 5.7% from 2000 to 2010. Despite this decrease in the number of families with children under 18, there was a growth in the under 5 population in Dodge County. See Table 3 below.

Dodge County Family Households with Children* under 18 Table 3 (2000 to 2010) Percent 2000 2010 Change Husband-Wife Families with Children 3,373 2,836 -15.9% Under 18 Male Householder, no Wife Present 292 445 +52.4% Families with Children Under 18 Female Householder, no Husband 823 952 +15.7% Present Families with Children Under 18

Total Family Households with Children 4,488 4,233 -5.7% Under 18 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000a and 2010a) *Note: census data only counts children who are the parents' own children - either biological or adopted.

Compared to the state and the nation, husband-wife families with children under 18 experienced a greater decline from 2000 to 2010; male householder, no wife present families with children under 18 experienced a greater increase; female householder, no husband present families with children also experienced a greater increase; and total

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 6 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012 family households with children under 18 underwent a greater decline. See Figure 2 below. As will be shown in the "Income and Poverty" section below, the decline in husband- wife families appears to have considerably had an impact on the poverty status of the under 5 population, as single parent families are much more likely to be in poverty than husband-wife families.

Figure 2. Percent Change in Family Households with Children under 18: County, State, andchange National in familyComparisons composition (2000 to 2010) 60%

40%

20%

0%

-20% Female Male Householder, Husband-Wife Householder, no Total Family no Wife Present Families with Husband Present Households with Families with Children Under 18 Families with Children Under 18 Children Under 18 Children Under 18 Dodge County -15.9% 52.4% 15.7% -5.7% Nebraska -7.6% 35.7% 12.7% -1.4% United States -5.0% 27.3% 10.6% 0.4% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000a and 2010a)

II. Income and Poverty

Income and Unemployment

In 2010, Dodge County had a median household income that was more than 20% lower than the median household income for the nation. See Table 4 below.

Median Household Income: County, State, and Table 4 National Comparisons (2010) Dodge County Nebraska United States $42,849 $49,342 $51,914 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a)

Community Action of Nebraska (2010) conducted a state-wide survey of Nebraska residents which included questions about general well-being (see Appendix B for a summary of selected highlights from the survey). One-fourth of participants from the 14- county area in Northeast Nebraska served by Goldenrod Hills Community Action reported being worse off than last year and cited the lack of available jobs as the top barrier preventing adults from obtaining employment.

As shown in Figure 3 below, unemployment in Dodge County is slightly higher than in the State of Nebraska as a whole, though it is still substantially lower than the rate for the nation. Unemployment in Dodge County has followed state and nation trends, reaching a 5-year high in 2010. The Nebraska Department of Labor (2010) estimated that there were 960 unemployed members of the workforce in Fremont in 2010. Figure 3. Unemployment: County, State, and National Comparisons Unemployment (2006-2010) 10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Dodge County 3.4% 3.1% 3.4% 5.2% 5.4% Nebraska 3.0% 2.9% 3.2% 4.8% 4.7% United States 4.6% 4.6% 5.8% 9.3% 9.6% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011)

Families and Children in Poverty

Poverty has increased substantially in Dodge County from 2000 to 2010 as shown in Table 5 below. Poverty appears to be hitting families with children under five the hardest, with big increases in the percent of families with children under five at or below poverty from 2000 to 2010. Married couple families with children under five experience poverty at a considerably lower rate than do female householder, no husband present families with children under five. Almost two-thirds of these single mother households with children under five are at or below poverty in Dodge County. As mentioned above in the "Population and Household Composition" section, married couple families are decreasing and single parent families are increasing, undoubtedly having an impact on

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 8 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012 the percentage of children living in poverty. See Appendix C for a display of poverty threshold definitions.

Dodge County Poverty Statistics for Households with Children Table 5 under 5 (2000 to 2010) Percent 2000 2010 Change* Total Population at or below Poverty 8.6% 13.1% +52.3% All Families with Children under 5 at or 12.4% 28.4% +129.0% below Poverty Married Couple Families with Children 7.2% 16.6% +130.1% under 5 at or below Poverty Female Householder, no Husband Present Families with Children under 5 39.6% 65.5% +65.4% at or below Poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b and 2010b) *Note: the percent change for all poverty statistics is the percent change in the poverty rate, not the change in the number of individuals in poverty, though the two numbers would be relatively close. The American Community Survey is unable to provide the crude number of individuals in poverty.

Dodge County has a rate of poverty for the entire population that is slightly higher than the State of Nebraska, and slightly lower than the national average. However, families with children under five experience poverty at significantly higher rates than families in the state and nation. See Figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Poverty Rates for Households with Children under 5: County, State, familyand National poverty Comparisons (2010) 80%

60%

40%

20%

0% Female Householder, Married Couple All Families with no Husband Present Total Population at Families with Children under 5 at Families with or below Poverty Children under 5 at or below Poverty Children under 5 at or below Poverty or below Poverty Dodge County 13.1% 28.4% 16.6% 65.5% Nebraska 11.8% 16.8% 6.2% 49.4% United States 13.8% 17.1% 6.4% 45.8% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b and 2010b)

As Table 5 above displayed Dodge County poverty statistics, Table 6 below contains the same poverty statistics for just the city of Fremont. Comparison between Table 5 above and Table 6 below shows that, with the exception of Female Householder, no husband present families with children under 5, the rates of poverty in 2010 were greater for Fremont than for the whole of Dodge County. Additionally, the percent change in poverty rates from 2000 to 2010 has been greater in Fremont as compared to Dodge County, with the exception of female householder, no husband present families with children under 5.

City of Fremont Poverty Statistics for Households with Children Table 6 under 5 (2000 to 2010) Percent 2000 2010 Change Total Population at or below Poverty 8.8% 14.0% +59.1% All Families with Children under 5 at or 13.6% 34.3% +155.2% below Poverty Married Couple Families with Children 6.5% 23.4% +260.0% under 5 at or below Poverty Female Householder, no Husband Present Families with Children under 5 43.4% 62.8% +44.7% at or below Poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b and 2010b)

Figure 5 below displays poverty by White not Hispanic/Latino and Hispanic/Latino for the total population and the under 5 population in each racial/ethnic category. The data show that, while Hispanic/Latinos experience poverty at higher rates than white non- Hispanic/Latinos, both White non-Hispanic/Latinos and Hispanic/Latinos in Dodge County experience poverty at greater rates than their racial/ethnic peers in both the state and the nation. White non-Hispanic/Latino children under 5 in Dodge County have poverty rates that are almost double that for White non-Hispanic/Latino children in the state. The rate of poverty for Hispanic/Latino children under five in Dodge County is almost 50% higher than Hispanic/Latino children in the state. One in four White non- Hispanic/Latino children under 5 and two-in-five Hispanic/Latino children under 5 are at or below poverty in Dodge County.

Figure 5. Poverty Rates by White Non-Hispanic/Latino and Hispanic/Latino: County, State,poverty and National by white Comparisons and hispanic (2010) 60%

40%

20%

0% White, Not White, Not Hispanic/Latino Hispanic/Latino Hispanic/Latino Hispanic/Latino (Total) (under 5) (Total) (under 5) Dodge County 10.7% 23.3% 32.8% 41.3% Nebraska 9.2% 12.7% 22.4% 34.2% United States 9.5% 22.5% 22.4% 32.1% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b and 2010b)

Figure 6. Racial/Ethnic Distribution of the under 5 Population at or below Povertyunder in5 povertyDodge County (2010)

The majority (almost two-thirds) of children under 5 in poverty in Dodge County are White non- Hispanic/Latino. Thus, proving Ethnicity/Race of Those under 5 in that poverty impacts all children 64.0% 30.5% 5.5% Poverty in the community at high rates, regardless of race/ethnicity.

White, Not Hispanic/Latino Hispanic/Latino All Other Races/Ethnicities

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b and 2010b)

Nearly 90% of unmarried women who gave birth in Dodge County in 2009 were at or below poverty, which was substantially lower than the poverty rates for married women (about one-fourth) who gave birth in 2009. Over half of all women who gave birth in 2009 were at or below poverty. See Table 7 below.

Births in the Past Year to Married and Unmarried Table 7 Women and the Percent at or below Poverty in Dodge County (2010) Percent at or Below Number Poverty Married Women 287 25.6% Who Gave Birth Unmarried Women 231 87.4% Who Gave Birth

Total Women Who 518 55.9% Gave Birth (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b)

A notably higher percentage of births in 2009 were to unmarried women in Dodge County, as compared to the state and nation. See Table 8 below.

Percent of Births in the Past Year to Married and Unmarried Women: Table 8 County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) Dodge County Nebraska United States Percent of Births to 55.4% 71.0% 66.2% Married Women Percent of Births to 44.6% 29.0% 33.8% Unmarried Women (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b)

Poverty affects unmarried women who gave birth at a high rate, with half of unmarried women in the county who gave birth in 2009 being at or below poverty. The impact of poverty on unmarried women who gave birth is even more pronounced in Dodge County, as displayed below in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Percent of Unmarried Women Who Gave Birth in the Past Year at or Below Poverty:poverty County, unmarried State, and National births Comparisons (2010) 100%

75%

50%

25%

0% Dodge County Nebraska United States Percent of Unmarried Women Who Gave Birth in the Past Year 87.4% 57.3% 50.4% at or below Poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b)

In each consecutive year over the past five, the percentage of students that receive free and reduced lunches has increased in both the state and in the City of Fremont. The rate of students that receive free and reduced lunch in Fremont has been consistently higher than the rate for all students in the state. In the 2010-2011 school year, almost half of all students enrolled in the Fremont Public School District received free and reduced lunches. See Figure 8 below.

Figure 8. Percent of Fremont Public School Students Receiving Free and Reduced Lunch: County and State Comparisons (2006-2011) Free and Reduced 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2010- 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Fremont Public Schools 40.2% 42.4% 44.8% 47.8% 48.9% Nebraska Public Schools 36.4% 37.3% 38.4% 41.2% 42.9% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011)

Services for the Homeless and Families in Poverty

Crisis Corps. Crisis Corps provides short-term safe and secure shelter services for individuals and families experiencing housing crisis in the Fremont Community. The shelter can serve up to 60 adults and children at any given time and provides three free meals a day for clients. In addition to the shelter, other programs include case management, professional counseling, basic health care, life skills education classes to assist residents in securing employment and housing, and parenting classes.

Notable outcome data from 2010 include:  404 clients received safe shelter and hygiene products, 21 of which were infants up to 4 years old, 45 were children aged 5 to 18.  11,307 total nights of shelter for care corps clients.  34,191 meals served.  100 hours of service provided by visiting nurses.  60 hours of service provided by a physician's assistant.  94 clients participated in Rent Wise.  73 clients participated in the Healthy Choices Program.  77 participants in the Love and Logic Parent Training (31 were families from Care Corps, which is all of the families who were clients in 2010).  90% of clients participated in life skills and parenting classes.  95% of clients received case management services.  84% of clients moved to permanent housing.  Care Corps estimates serving 495 clients in 2011 (a 23% increase from 2010). (Fremont Area United Way, 2011)

The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army provides a number of services for individuals and families in need. In 2010 a total of 2,501 clients were served through the Salvation Army's various programs, 215 of which were under the age of 5. The programs offered by the Salvation Army include:  Financial assistance for rent and utilities.  Daily food to consumers through its food pantry.  Educational information about GED classes, college degrees, local employment agencies, and funding opportunities for career advancement.  Collaboration with social service agencies and local churches for appropriate referrals.  Invitations to church youth groups and local college students to do service projects.  Provision of on-site job training through Experienced Works for potential permanent employment.  Public relations work to include articles in the Fremont Tribune, KHUB radio, and Time Warner Cable announcements.  Prescription assistance for uninsured consumers in financial crisis, with the Salvation Army paying for a one month supply of prescription medication and help with application for prescription assistance.

Notable outcome data from 2010 include:  268 educational materials were distributed on financial savings in a year to consumers.  152 consumers completed individual budget counseling.  94 consumers were referred to Consumer Credit Card Counseling.  77 consumers received utility assistance.  25 consumers signed up for the level payment plan with the utility company.  481 consumers received food pantry services.  49 consumers received rental assistance.  42 consumers received prescription assistance. (Fremont Area United Way, 2011)

III. Access to Health Care

Despite the high rates of childhood poverty, the percent of the under 18 population in Dodge County that does not have health insurance is lower than both the state and the nation. Children receiving health insurance through Medicaid are not counted as uninsured. See Table 9 below.

Percent of the Population under 18 with no Health Table 9 Insurance: County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) Dodge County Nebraska United States 5.3% 6.4% 8.7% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b)

The Three Rivers District Public Health Department in Fremont conducts an immunization clinic serving children with no insurance, high deductable insurance, or Medicaid. The immunization clinic is intended to provide immunization for those who do not have any other options. In 2011 the immunization clinic served 325 clients ages 0 to 5. This gives a reasonable estimate of the number of children who are likely to have some barriers to receiving medical care (Three Rivers District Health Department, 2012).

In the 2010 Community Assessment Survey, the top health care issue for the state was cost, with 67% of all respondents reporting that they delayed medical care due to cost, which was the exact same percent response from participants living in the area served by Goldenrod Hills Community Action, which includes Dodge County and 13 other counties in Northeast Nebraska. Additionally, the top basic need identified as a problem by participants living in the Goldenrod Hills area was affordable medical, vision, and dental care for their family (Community Action of Nebraska, 2010). Therefore, even for those who have health insurance, there are several barriers to receiving health care.

For those who are unable to afford a visit to a doctor, the Three Rivers District Health Department (covering Dodge, Saunders, and Washington Counties) offers appointment referrals to health care providers in the area that have agreed to offer low or no cost services to patients that are unable to pay the usual rate for health care services (i.e., either uninsured or under-insured). While this referral system is effective in granting access to health care services to some of those who would be otherwise unable to receive medical care, it does not meet all of the needs of the community. From January 2008 to August 2011, Three Rivers District Health Department made 222 medical referrals, 96 dental referrals, and 5 orthodontic referrals. However, One World Federally Qualified Health Care Center in Omaha reports seeing upwards of 300 patients a year from the Fremont Area (Bojanski, Gabb, Osborn, Smutko, Tumbleson, and Brittin, 2011). A Federally Qualified Health Care Center serves the uninsured and underinsured population.

In addition to the referral program offered by the Three Rivers District Health Department, Care Corps Homeless Shelter provides limited free medical services for two hours a week as noted above in the "Income and Poverty Section". In 2011, there were approximately 150 patient encounters at Care Corps (Bojanski, Gabb, Osborn, Smutko, Tumbleson, and Brittin, 2011).

Because of the difficulty of access to health care for those in need in Dodge, Saunders, and Washington Counties, authors of the "Feasibility Study for the Three County Health Clinic Serving Dodge, Saunders, and Washington Counties, Nebraska" came to the conclusion that, "The three-county area urgently needs a solution to the alarming and growing gap in health care service availability to those in need." The authors recommended the establishment of a primary care clinic to provide services to the uninsured and under-insured (Bojanski, Gabb, Osborn, Smutko, Tumbleson, and Brittin, 2011).

IV. Health and Early Childhood

Births to Teen Mothers Figure 9. Births to Teen Mothers as a Percent of Total Births: CountyTeen and State Births Comparisons (2005-2009) 10%

Teen Pregnancy in Dodge County is slightly higher than in the state, with nearly 10% of all children born to teen mothers from 2005 to 5% 2009.

0% Dodge County Nebraska Births to Teen Mothers as a 9.8% 8.4% Percent of Total Births

(Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

Prenatal Care

Figure 10. Percent of Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care in the First Trimester: County1st Trimester and State Comparisons (2005-2009) 75%

Compared to the state, a lower percentage of women in Dodge 50% County receive prenatal care in their first trimester. 25%

0% Dodge County Nebraska Percent of Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care 68.0% 72.0% in the First Trimester (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

Complications at Birth

Figure 11. Rates of Low Birth Weight, Pre-term Birth, and Birth Defects: County and State ComparisonsBirth (2004/2005 - 2008/2009) 15% Compared to the state, the rate of children born with low birth weight (less than 2500 grams) in Dodge 10% County is comparable. The rate or pre-term births and children born with birth defects is slightly 5% higher in Dodge County as compared to the state.

0% Percent of Children Born Percent of Children Born Incidence of Pre-term Birth with Low Birth Weight with Birth Defects (2005-2009) (2005-2009) (2004-2008) Dodge County 6.9% 10.7% 6.7% Nebraska 7.1% 9.8% 5.0% (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

Services for Families with Young Children

Young Mothers and Children (Y-MAC) Family Planning and Reproductive Health Program. The Y-MAC Family Planning and Reproductive Health program provides quality reproductive health services and education to individuals in need. It is the goal of the program to decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies, the incidence of sexually transmitted disease, abortion, and child abuse. The program also provides screening for breast and cervical cancer, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Notable outcome data from 2010 include:  72 women received reproductive services.  100% of pregnant participants received prenatal care in the 1st and 2nd trimesters.  100% of pregnant participants showed a healthy weight gain.  100% of pregnant participants used prenatal vitamins.  90% of participants demonstrated healthy changes in their lifestyles.  Less than 1% of participants showed evidence of gestational diabetes.  95% of birth weights were over 5.5 pounds.

 95% of participants demonstrated an increased knowledge regarding healthy pregnancy, child care, and budgeting.  A 10% increase in referrals from other agencies, churches, and schools. (Fremont Area United Way, 2011)

Lutheran Family Services Young Families Incentive Program (YFIP). The activities of the Young Families Incentive Program (YFIP) are aimed at improving a parent's ability to raise a healthy child or children. Three 16-week Nurturing Parenting Program classes are offered by YFIP, two conducted in English and one in Spanish. The Nurturing Parenting Program is a nationally recognized, evidenced based class, educating parents on healthy ways to interact with their children and cope with the stressors of parenting. In 2010, 334 parents with 578 children (a total of 912) were served by the Young Families Incentive Program, an 11% increase from 2009. Of the 912 total participants, 393 included children under 5 and their parents.

Monthly support groups are also provided for parents and families as a safe place to build a support system. Many of the parents who attend the class were not raised in a healthy environment and are determined to provide a better life for their children, according to Lutheran Family Services (Fremont Area United Way, 2011). YFIP offers a variety (at least 20 per year) of healthy on-site activities for both parents and their families, including story time in partnership with Keene Memorial Library every Wednesday, healthy eating habits demonstration in partnership with the Fremont Area Medical Center, and Health Risk Assessments in partnership with Three Rivers District Public Health Department.

Sara's Boutique is the Young Families Incentive Program's "store" that provides incentive items to encourage parents to engage in healthy activities. Parents' positive behaviors, such as keeping their child current on immunizations, are rewarded with points, which are redeemable for essential children's items such as diapers, strollers, and car seats. This reward system has been an effective strategy in keeping parents involved in the well-being of their children.

Lutheran Family Services also operates a counseling program that provides mental health services for individuals and families in need of a variety of behavioral health services. The majority of the clients for the Counseling Program are adults. (Fremont Area United Way, 2011)

V. Infant and Child Mortality

Figure 12. Rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) per 1,000 Live Births: County and StateSIDS Comparisons (2005-2009) 2.0

The rate SIDS in Dodge County is double that of 1.5 the state. SIDS has been shown to be preventable (American Academy of 1.0 Pediatrics, 2011). 0.5

0.0 Dodge County Nebraska Incidence of SIDS per 1.6 0.8 1,000 Live Births (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

Figure 13. Infant Mortality per 1,000 Live Births: County and State ComparisonsInfant Mortality (2005-2009) 8

The rate of infant mortality 6 (defined as the death of a child before the first birthday) in Dodge County 4 is comparable to that of the state. 2

0 Dodge County Nebraska Infant Mortality per 6.0 5.8 1,000 Live Births (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

Figure 14. Death Rate for Population Aged 1-19 per 100,000 Population: County and State Comparisons1-19 Mortality (2005-2009) 40

The death rate for the 1- 30 19 population in Dodge County is slightly higher as compared to the state. 20

10

0 Dodge County Nebraska Death Rate for Ages 1-19 34.8 31.7 per 100,000 (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

VI. Public Assistance

The median household income by family type and the percent receiving public assistance are displayed below in Table 10. Married couple families with children have a notably higher median family income as compared to single parent families with children- more than 3.5 times that of female householder, no husband present families with children. Half of all these single mother families receive public assistance in Dodge County.

Table Income and Public Assistance by Family Household Type for 10 Dodge County (2010) Median Family Percent Receiving Income Public Assistance* Married Couple Families with Children $67,386 7.0% Male Householder, no Wife Present with $42,333 18.7% Children Female Householder, no Husband $18,696 49.8% Present with Children Total Families with Children $51,535 17.3% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b) *Public assistance programs include Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Cash Public Assistance, or Food Stamps/SNAP Benefits

The percentage of the population that receives Food Stamp (also known as SNAP) and Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) benefits in Dodge County is comparable to that of the rest of the nation, but higher than the rest of the state. A substantially lower percentage of the population in Nebraska receives Food Stamp benefits as compared to the nation. See Table 11 below.

Table Percent of Population Receiving Food Stamp/SNAP and WIC Benefits: 11 County, State, and National Comparisons (2010) Dodge County Nebraska United States Food Stamps/SNAP 9.6% 4.5% 9.3% WIC 3.2% 2.4% 3.0% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2011)

The majority of WIC recipients in Dodge Table Dodge County WIC County are children, infants, and 12 Recipients by Type (2009) postpartum mothers. A very low Percentage of Total WIC percentage of WIC recipients are Recipients pregnant women. Services to pregnant Pregnant women 5.1% women are provided by the non-profit Breastfeeding 5.3% agency Y-MAC (see the “Access to Postpartum 18.7% Health and Early Childhood" Section Infants 13.7% above). Children 57.3% (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

As shown below in Figure 15 the number of Food Stamp recipients under the age of 19 and the number of participants in the Summer Food Program in Dodge County have increased since 2007. The number of WIC recipients has remained fairly level, with a slight increase since 2005. All of these programs provide nutritional nourishment for children.

Figure 15. Average Number of Participants Receiving Assistance through Nutritional ProgramsNutritional for Children Programs in Dodge County (2005-2010) 2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Food Stamps (under 19)* 1,377 1,446 1,666 1,916 Summer Food Program* 184 419 457 564 WIC 1,146 1,086 1,134 1,215 1,222 1,179 (Kids Count in Nebraska 2006-2011, Nebraska Department of Education (2008-2011) *2005 and 2006 data unavailable.

Figure 16. Average Monthly Number of Families on ADC in DodgeADC County (2005-2010) 250 Since 2007, the monthly average number of families receiving the Aid to 200 Dependent Children (ADC) benefit in Dodge County has increased each year. 150 ADC provides financial assistance to families with children that have little or no 100 income. 50

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Families on ADC 186 171 163 177 199 215 (Kids Count in Nebraska, 2006-2011)

Figure 17. Average Number of Children Eligible for Medicaid Medicaidin Dodge County (2005-2010) 4,000 Following the trend of the rise in the number of children receiving assistance from social programs in Dodge County in recent years, the number of children eligible for Medicaid has increased each 3,000 year since 2006 in Dodge County.

2,000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Medicaid Eligible 2,849 2,716 2,794 2,936 3,051 3,360 Children (Kids Count in Nebraska, 2006-2011)

Percent of Births Covered by In 2008, over half of all births in Dodge Table 13 Medicaid: County and State County were covered by Medicaid, which Comparisons (2008) is substantially higher than the rate for Dodge County Nebraska the state of Nebraska. 51.9% 37.2% (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010)

VII. Housing

Affordability of Housing

Fair Market Rent (FMR) is a term used in real estate that indicates the amount of money a given property would command, if it were open for leasing at the moment. In Dodge County, the average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $682. The National Low Income Housing Coalition Outreach calculates the income needed to afford a fair- market rent two bedroom apartment, based on paying no more than 30% of wages on housing and utilities. The hourly wage needed for one person, working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, to afford a FMR two bedroom apartment in Dodge County is $13.12. If there are two wage earners in a FMR two bedroom apartment, then they must work 1.8 full-time jobs at minimum wage in order to afford the apartment. The minimum income needed to afford a two bedroom FMR apartment in Dodge County is $27,280 (see Table 14 below). Note that the average income for female householder, no husband present families with children is $18,696, making a FMR two bedroom apartment unaffordable according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition Outreach standards.

Table Fair Market Rent (FMR) Housing Costs: County and State Comparisons 14 (2011) Full-Time Jobs at Hourly Wage Two Bedroom Income Needed to Minimum Wage Necessary to FMR Cost per Afford Two Needed to Afford Afford Two Month Bedroom FMR Two Bedroom Bedroom FMR FMR Dodge $682 $13.12 $27,280 1.8 County Nebraska $644 $12.78 $26,573 1.8 (National Low Income Housing Coalition Outreach, 2011)

In Dodge County, the estimated mean renter hourly wage is $8.51, almost $2 per hour lower than the state average (see Table 15 below). In Dodge County, a single wage earner must work 62 hours a week, 52 weeks a year to afford a FMR two-bedroom apartment.

Table 15 Renter Households: County and State Comparisons (2011) Renter Estimated Mean Households as a Rate Affordable at Mean Renter Hourly Percent of Total Wage Wage (2005-2009) Households Dodge 32% $8.51 $442 County Nebraska 32% $10.33 $537 (National Low Income Housing Coalition Outreach, 2011)

The lack of affordable housing certainly impacts a high portion of the community in Dodge County. The number two basic need, after affordable health care, was paying for utilities identified by participants from the 14-county Goldenrod Hills area in the 2010 Community Assessment Survey. (Community Action of Nebraska, 2010).

Sub-Standard Housing

In Dodge County there were a total of 294 houses determined to be substandard by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of these, 19 lacked complete plumbing and 275 were overcrowded. Overcrowding is defined as more than 1.01 persons per bedroom. (Midland University/Dodge County Head Start, 2012).

VIII. Child Care and Pre-School

Child Care

In the 2010 Community Assessment Survey, participants from the 14-county area served by Goldenrod Hills Community Action identified the cost of child care as the top issue for children and pre-school services as the top need for children (Community Action of Nebraska, 2010). As the data show, there appears to be a shortage in affordable child care and pre-school options in Dodge County.

There are five types of child care programs defined by the Department of Health and Human Services. These are defined as follows:

 Child Care Center: Program licensed for at least 13 children.  Family Child Care Home I: Program in the home of the provider, maximum capacity is eight children of mixed ages and two additional school age children during non-school hours.  Family Child Care Home II: Program in the home of the provider or another sit; maximum capacity is twelve with two providers.  Preschool: Program providing educational services where children do not nap and are not fed a meal.  Provisional License: All newly licensed child care and preschool programs receive a Provisional License for their first year of operation.

As shown in Table 16 below, there are 2,066 available spaces in child care for Dodge County. Given the rise in poverty for the under 5 population, access to affordable child care is likely difficult for many families. Child care subsidies are provided to families who receive Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) with incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level and families who do not receive ADC but have incomes at or below 120% of the poverty level (Kids Count in Nebraska, 2010). Please note: there are no data available for non-licensed day cares.

Table 16 Dodge County Licensed Child Care Facilities by Type (2011) Number of Facilities Capacity Child Care Center 21 1,464 Family Child Care Home I 27 268 Family Child Care Home II 13 156 Pre-School 5 71 Provisional Family Child Care Home 5 50 Provisional Child Care Center 1 45 Provisional Pre-School 1 12 Total 73 2,066 (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2011)

Pre-School

Public and non-public school districts in Nebraska are able to provide pre-school services, due in large part to legislation passed in 2005 to increase funding for at risk four-year olds to have access to high quality early childhood programs. In addition to the 5 licensed pre-schools and one provisionally licensed pre-school, which have a capacity for 83 children, there are an additional 9 state and/or federally funded, or parochial pre- schools, with a capacity to serve up to 356 children. These programs serve the general or low income population, with the exception of Davenport School, which only serves the special needs population. See Table 17 below.

Table Federal, State, and Parochial Pre-School 17 Programs in Dodge County (2010-2011) Capacity Dodge County Head Start 125 Davenport School - Fremont 102 Scribner Elementary 18 Logan View Elementary 8 North Bend Elementary 5 Archbishop Bergan 20 Trinity Lutheran Elementary 66 St. Wenceslaus Elementary 11 Total 356 (Nebraska Department of Education Data Services, 2011a)

In total there were approximately 447 pre-school slots available in Dodge County during the 2010-2011 school year (this is counting all state, federal, and parochial pre-school programs as well as licensed child care pre-school programs). Considering there were 883 Kindergarten and 1st grade students enrolled in elementary schools in Dodge County during the same year, Midland University/Dodge County Head Start (2012) concludes that as few as half of those school-age children had access to any pre-school services before entering the public or parochial school system.

Additionally, 66% of respondents to the Community Assessment Survey from the Goldenrod Hills area with children 5 and younger identified pre-school education for children 3-5 as the greatest need for education (Community Action of Nebraska, 2010).

Dodge County Head Start

Dodge County Head Start provides child development and education services to low income 3- and 4-year olds and their families. Head Start provides pre-school programs for children who would be otherwise unable to attend pre-school. Children who attend

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 28 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012 pre-school are better prepared in terms of literacy and math outcomes as they move into Kindergarten in the public schools. Head Start also teaches parents the importance of their role in developing their children's literacy skills (Fremont Area United Way, 2011). The capacity for Head Start is 125 children. Based on 2010 poverty data, there are an estimated 710 children living in poverty in Dodge County.

Notable outcome data from 2010-2011 include:  134 3- and 4-year old children participated in Dodge County Head Start in 2010 (as the capacity is 125, this number likely shows that 9 children left Head Start mid-year and were replaced by children on the waiting list).  256 hours of teacher-directed instruction per child.  A 8% increase in the English speaking abilities of the child participants from the first data collection to the third.  A 27% increase in the ability of the child participants to identify letters of the alphabet from the first data collection to the third.  A 33% increase in the ability of the child participants to make use of one-on-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects from the first data collection to the third.  73% of parents reported spending more time reading and/or participating in literacy activities, 93% reported being more aware of everyday literacy activities that can be done at home, and 53% reported that the literacy initiative improved awareness of their responsibility as parents to be their child's first teacher.  Over 5,900 breakfasts and 11,500 lunches served to Head Start eligible children.  121 families received parenting and health education. (Fremont Area United Way, 2011, and Midland University/Dodge County Head Start, 2012)

IX. Education

Educational Attainment

Figure 18. Educational Attainment: County, State,educational and National attainmentComparisons (2010) Dodge County has a rate 100% of its population with at least a high school degree that is 80% comparable to the nation, but lower than the state. A notably lower 60% percentage of the Dodge County population has 40% attained a Bachelor's Degree or higher, as compared to the state 20% and nation.

0% High School Degree or Higher Bachelor's Degree or Higher Dodge County 84.8% 17.3% Nebraska 90.0% 27.7% United States 85.0% 27.9% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b)

Dropout Rates Figure 19. Dropout Rates*: Fremont and State Comparisons Dropout(2006-2010) Rates 4%

The yearly dropout rate* of Fremont 3% Public Schools students is consistently higher than all students in the Nebraska 2% Public Schools system. However, the dropout rate in Fremont has improved since 2006-2007. 1%

0% 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fremont Public Schools 3.3% 2.2% 2.4% 2.2% Nebraska Public Schools 1.9% 1.7% 1.6% 1.5% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011) *Note: the dropout rate is calculated by dividing the total number of 7th-12th grade students who dropped out by the official fall enrollment for grades 7-12. Students who transferred, graduated, were suspended, expelled, or were absent due to suspension, expulsion, illness, or death, are not counted as dropouts.

High School Graduation Rates Figure 20. Graduation Rates*: Fremont and State Comparisons Grad(2006-2010) 100%

The graduation rate for Fremont Public 95% Schools Students is consistently lower than the state average by five or six 90% percentage points.

85%

80% 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fremont Public Schools 83.9% 86.5% 83.9% 83.9% Nebraska Public Schools 89.2% 89.8% 89.8% 90.0% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011) *Note: the graduation rate is calculated by dividing the total number of high school graduates by the total number of graduates plus the number of students who dropped out in the current year's graduating class in grades 9-12.

Attendance Rates Figure 21. Daily Attendance Rates: Fremont andAttendance State Comparisons (1994-2011) 100%

98% Since 1994 daily attendance at Fremont Public Schools appears to be 96% decreasing slightly, dropping below the state average in recent years. 94%

92%

90% 1994- 1999- 2004- 2009- 2010- 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011 Fremont Public Schools 96.0% 96.0% 95.6% 94.3% 94.3% Nebraska Public Schools 95.2% 95.1% 94.6% 94.8% 95.2% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011)

Excessive Absences

Compared to all students in Nebraska Public Schools, the students in Fremont Public Schools had comparable rates of excessive absences (i.e., over 10, 15, and 20 absences in a school year) in the 2010-2011 school year. However, elementary students in Fremont had a slightly lower rate of excessive absences compared to the state. Middle school students in Fremont had slightly higher rates of excessive absences compared to the state. High school students in Fremont had a fairly high rate of students absent for more than 20 days, likely in part due to dropouts. See Figure 22 below.

Note: students can be counted multiple times in the excessive absences data displayed below. For example, if a student were absent more than 20 times in a school year, this student would be counted in the cohorts of students with more than 10 and more than 15 absences.

Figure 22. Excessive Absences: Fremont and State Comparisons Excessive Absences(2010-2011) 50% Elementary Middle School High School Total

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Fremont Nebraska Fremont Nebraska Fremont Nebraska Fremont Nebraska Public Public Public Public Public Public Public Public Schools Schools Schools Schools Schools Schools Schools Schools % Students with over 10 Absences 14.9% 19.3% 26.2% 25.2% 34.8% 37.2% 24.0% 26.2% % Students with over 15 Absences 5.9% 7.1% 13.6% 11.1% 22.4% 21.0% 12.6% 12.3% % Students with over 20 Absences 2.2% 2.7% 7.8% 5.1% 16.1% 12.6% 7.6% 6.3% (Nebraska Department of Education Data Services, 2011b, and Fremont Public Schools, 2011)

Public Schools Statistics

As noted above, Fremont Public Schools students have a lower graduation rate and a higher dropout rate as compared to all Nebraska Public Schools students. Fremont Public Schools also has a higher percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunches and students receiving special education services, and a lower percentage of students passing the 3rd grade reading exam as compared to the state. See Table 18 below.

Table Education Statistics: Fremont and State Comparisons (most 18 current year of available data) Fremont Public Nebraska Public Schools Schools Graduation Rate (2009-2010) 83.9% 90.0% Dropout Rate (2009-2010) 2.2% 1.5% Percent of Students Receiving 48.9% 42.6% Free/Reduced Lunch (2010-2011) Percent of Students Receiving Special 20.1% 15.2% Education (2010-2011) Percent of ELL Students (2010-2011) 7.7% 6.7% School Mobility Rate (2010-2011) 10.9% 12.2% Percent of Students Passing the 3rd Grade 63.9% 71.1% Reading Exam (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011)

Education statistics for individual schools within Fremont Public Schools are contained in Table 19 below. Schools with high rates of students receiving free/reduced lunches, high rates of school mobility, and high rates of ELL students generally tend to have lower proficiency rates on the Reading Assessment. Note: the percent of ELL students is high at Linden Elementary due to that school receiving students from other buildings where ELL is not available.

Table 19 Education Statistics: Fremont Public Schools (2010-2011) Proficiency on Free/Reduced School Mobility Percent of ELL 3rd, 6th, or 11th Lunch Rate Rate Students Grade Reading Assessment* Elementary Schools Bell Field 50.0% 10.2% 0.0% 65.0% Clarmar 38.2% 8.3% 0.5% 58.3% Grant 56.0% 8.3% 0.5% 88.9% Howard 34.6% 10.8% 0.0% 74.9% Linden 66.5% 18.6% 22.0% 57.7% Miliken 58.4% 9.8% 17.7% 66.7% Platteville 10.2% 3.4% 0.0% 85.7% Washington 93.1% 12.7% 47.1% 37.0% Middle School Fremont Middle 52.8% 9.2% 3.9% 64.6% School High School Fremont High School 36.5% 11.3% 2.8% 66.3% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2011) *3rd grade reading assessment data pertains to elementary students, 6th grade to middle school students, and 11th to high school students.

X. Child Protection and Safety

According to a Community Needs Assessment (2011) compiled by Goldenrod Hills Community Action (GHCA), Dodge County was 2nd out of the 14 counties in Northeast Nebraska that receive services from GHCA in the rate of substantiated cases of abuse/neglect per 1,000. As shown below in Table 20, the rate of substantiated cases of abuse/neglect and the number of state wards per 1,000 are both higher in Dodge County as compared to the state.

Table Child Protection and Safety Statistics: County and State 20 Comparisons (2007-2009) Dodge County Nebraska Rate of Substantiated Cases of Abuse/ 13.8 11.4 Neglect per 1,000 (2007-2009) Number of State Wards per 1,000 14.8 13.8 Population (2009) (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2010, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, 2010)

Figure 23. Yearly Number of Children in Foster Care in DodgeFoster County Care (2005-2010) 200 The number of children in Foster Care in Dodge County declined significantly (41.8%) from 2005 to 2010. 150

Note: from 2005 to 2010 the number of 100 children in foster care in Nebraska decreased by 30.7%. 50

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Children in Foster Care 158 106 74 91 87 92 (Nebraska Foster Care Review Board, 2006-2011)

XI. Domestic Violence and Offenses against Families and Children

Domestic Violence

An aggravated assault is an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury, usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or a means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Simple assault includes all assaults that do not involve the use of a firearm, knife, cutting instrument, or other dangerous weapon and in which the victim did not sustain serious or aggravated injuries. The term domestic applies to the family or household members and includes a broad array of familial and dating relationships (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010).

Shown in Figures 24 and 25 below are the number of incidents and arrests for aggravated domestic violence assaults and simple domestic violence assaults. Law enforcement tracks both the number of assaults (regardless of arrest) and the number of arrests for domestic violence. The disparity in the number of assaults and the number

of arrests could be explained in two ways: either law enforcement made no arrest, or multiple assaults led to a single arrest. The data show an increase in domestic violence over the past five years, corroborating the noted increase in the number of women and children receiving services from the Crisis Center for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (see below). Figure 24. Aggravated Domestic Violence Assaults in Dodge County (2006-2010) 20

15 The number of aggravated domestic violence assaults and arrests for aggravated domestic violence assault 10 has increased from 2006 to 2010 in Dodge County. 5

0 2006 2007 2008 2009* 2010 Aggravated Domestic 8 8 17 10 14 Violence Assaults Arrests for Aggravated 5 8 13 11 10 Domestic Violence Assaults (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010) *That the number of assaults is lower than the number of arrests in 2009 may be due to two (or more) individuals being arrested for a single assault (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2012)

Figure 25. Simple Domestic Violence Assaults in Dodge County (2006-2010) 200

The number of and arrests for simple domestic violence assault has also 150 increased from 2006 to 2010. There is a notable difference between the 100 number of assaults and arrests.

50

0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Simple Domestic Violence 134 123 143 175 177 Assaults Arrests for Simple Domestic 51 41 38 50 65 Violence Assaults

(Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010) The rates for aggravated and domestic violence assaults in 2010 Domestic Violence Rates per 1,000 Table were higher in Dodge County as 21 Population: County and State compared to the state. Most Comparisons (2010) noteworthy is the rate of simple Dodge County Nebraska domestic violence assaults in Aggravated Dodge County, which is almost Domestic Violence 0.4 0.3 double that of the state. Assaults Simple Domestic 4.8 2.6 Violence Assaults (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010)

Note: the rate of arrests for simple and aggravated domestic violence assaults could not be calculated for the state, due to some law enforcement agencies only tracking the number of assaults and not the number of arrests.

Services for Domestic Violence

Crisis Center for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The Crisis Center provides comprehensive services for victims, their families, and perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual assault, including a 24-hour hotline and shelter programs, support groups, criminal justice advocacy, and an educational program for perpetrators of violence. New additions to programming in 2010 include two satellite shelters being opened in Blair and West Point and the implementation of the Do It Right Teen Program, a five week program for youth on probation, addressing healthy relationships, abusive behaviors, respect, and other topics pertinent to healthy relationships.

Notable outcome data from 2010 include:  639 victims were served in 2010, a 77% increase from 2007.  102 women and 140 children received safe and confidential shelter from abuse.  Clients in shelter received 3,753 safe nights and 11,133 meals.  92 women received group support and information on issues such as healthy relationships, dynamics of domestic violence, and self care.  479 individuals received face-to-face contact and were able to recognize signs of abusive and healthy relationships.  3,597 calls from victims needing crisis support, information, and referrals were answered on the 24-hour crisis line.  70 victims received on-the-scene crisis intervention with law enforcement.  82 hours of medical crisis intervention were provided at local hospitals.  522 hours of criminal justice support were provided.  The Crisis Center estimates serving 734 clients in 2011 and 844 in 2012. (Fremont Area United Way, 2011)

Offenses Against the Family and Children

Offenses against families and children include arrests and citations for non-support, neglect, abuse, abandonment, and non-payment of alimony. In 2010, the rate of offenses against the family and children in Dodge County was 0.7 per 1,000 population, compared to 0.8 per 1,000 population for the State of Nebraska. Figure 26. Arrests for Offenses against Families and Children in Dodge County (2006-2010) 30 The number of arrests for offenses 25 against families and children has fluctuated from 2006 to 2010, with 2010 marking a high point in the 20 number of arrests. 15

10

5

0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Offenses Against Families 16 23 22 19 24 and Children (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010)

XII. Unhealthy Juvenile Behaviors

While juvenile data does not pertain directly to the under 5 population, it gives a general indication of the well-being of the community and the environment in which children grow up.

Juvenile Crime

Dodge County has a rate of crime that is largely comparable to the rest of the state. In 2010, the rate of all arrests (including adult and juvenile) per 1,000 population was 42.7 in Dodge County, compared to 45.9 per 1,000 in all of Nebraska.

Figure 27. All Arrests (Adult and Juvenile) in Dodge County (2000-2010) Arrests 2,000

The total number of arrests (both adult and 1,750 juvenile) in Dodge County has fluctuated from 2000 to 2010, but 1,500 has stayed within a relatively close range.

1,250

1,000 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total Arrests 1,568 1,683 1,730 1,826 1,491 1,606 1,652 1,625 1,437 1,527 1,588

(Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010)

Figure 28. Juvenile Arrests in Dodge County (2000-2010) Juvenile Arrests 300

As with total arrests, 250 juvenile arrests have remained fairly stable 200 since 2000 with minor

fluctuations from year to 150 year.

100

50

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Juvenile Arrests 267 218 290 258 238 232 270 290 268 280 273

Since 2000, the number of juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations has increased slightly, while the number of juvenile arrests for DUI has decreased and the number of juvenile arrests for liquor laws (e.g., MIP, open container, etc.) has remained basically stable, with some fluctuation. See Figure 29 below.

Figure 29. Juvenile Arrests for Drug and Alcohol Violations inJuvenile Dodge County Arrests (2000-2010) Drug and Alcohol 100

75

50

25

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Drug Abuse Violations 21 26 34 17 20 27 32 32 19 29 31 Driving Under the Influence 16 8 12 7 10 5 6 7 1 6 3 Liquor Laws 55 33 86 68 59 63 63 81 76 57 58

From 2000 to 2010 the number of juvenile arrests for larceny has decreased by 67.0%. Over the same time period however, the rate of arrests for simple assault has increased by 414.3%. Juvenile arrests for vandalism and runaway have fluctuated notably from year to year, but with general increasing trends. See Figure 30 below.

Figure 30. Juvenile Arrests for Larceny, Simple Assault, Vandalism, and RunawayJuvenile in DodgeArrests County Other (2000-2010) 125

100

75

50

25

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Larceny 109 83 89 69 64 70 40 40 69 58 36 Simple Assault 7 4 4 6 10 10 13 15 12 26 36 Vandalism 10 8 13 12 10 13 25 16 10 13 24 Runaway 5 26 12 28 25 7 40 32 26 34 17 (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010)

Table Juvenile Arrests per 1,000 Population: 22 County and State Comparisons (2010) In 2010, Dodge County had a rate of juvenile arrests that was comparable Dodge County Nebraska to the state. The rate of arrests for Drug Abuse Violations 3.5 3.0 liquor laws and runaway were Liquor Laws 6.6 3.8 notably higher - nearly double - as DUI 0.3 0.4 compared to the state. Larceny 4.1 6.5 Simple Assault 4.1 4.2 Vandalism 2.7 2.2 Runaway 1.9 1.0 Total Juvenile 30.6 31.1 Arrests (Nebraska Crime Commission, 2010)

Underage Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use

There were 1,235 survey participants from Dodge County in the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Students Survey (NRPFSS), a bi-annual survey of behaviors and attitudes pertaining to a broad array of topics including drug and alcohol use and other risky youth behaviors; the survey administered to 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. Such a large sample size for Dodge County allows for very reliable data, with a margin of error of 4% to 5% at a 99% confidence level for each grade level.

Compared to all youth participants from state, Dodge County 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reported higher lifetime use rates of marijuana. Dodge County 10th graders also have higher alcohol and tobacco lifetime usage rates as compared to the state. Other than these instances, there were not considerable differences between Dodge County and Nebraska with regard to lifetime alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use rates. See Figure 31 below.

Figure 31. Lifetime Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Rates: CountyLifetime and StateAlcohol, Comparisons etc. (2010) 80%

60%

40%

20%

0% Dodge Dodge Dodge Dodge Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska County County County County 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Alcohol 13.1% 14.0% 28.7% 28.0% 52.3% 49.3% 65.2% 67.9% Tobacco 4.3% 5.6% 18.2% 17.0% 36.0% 32.4% 49.0% 49.3% Marijuana 0.6% 0.9% 7.3% 6.5% 24.9% 17.8% 35.7% 29.2% (Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Student Survey, 2010)

When asked about their use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use in the past 30 days, 8th grade participants in the 2010 NRPFSS from Dodge County reported much higher rates of alcohol and tobacco consumption, binge drinking, and marijuana use compared to their peers in the state. Dodge County 10th graders were also comparable or higher in the same 30-day use rates to their peers in the state. At the same time, Dodge County 12th graders were lower in all four 30-day use categories compared to their peers in the state. See Figure 32 below.

Figure 32. 30-Day Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Rates: County and State Comparisons (2010) 30-day 40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Dodge Dodge Dodge Dodge Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska County County County County 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Alcohol 3.9% 3.0% 9.8% 7.9% 21.0% 21.0% 25.7% 34.7% Tobacco 0.0% 1.3% 8.4% 1.3% 16.5% 15.7% 23.5% 27.2% Binge Drinking 0.6% 0.9% 5.0% 0.9% 17.0% 13.4% 18.5% 25.6% Marijuana 0.3% 0.5% 3.2% 0.9% 10.2% 8.0% 17.3% 11.8% (Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Student Survey, 2010)

Dodge County 12th graders reported very high lifetime use rates of performance enhancing drugs (12.8%) - almost double the state. Dodge County 8th and 10th graders also had higher lifetime use rates of performance enhancing drugs. Prescription drug and steroid use was higher than the state among all participants from Dodge County as compared to the state. Non-prescription drug use was slightly higher among 12th graders in Dodge County as compared to the state. See Figure 33 below.

Figure 33. Lifetime Medicinal and Performance Enhancing Drug Use Rates: County and State Comparisons(2010) Lifetime Other Drugs 15%

10%

5%

0% Dodge Dodge Dodge Dodge Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska County County County County 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Prescription Drugs 1.6% 1.3% 3.5% 2.4% 9.3% 7.0% 12.0% 11.4% Non-Prescription Drugs 0.6% 0.9% 1.9% 2.2% 4.2% 4.5% 8.0% 6.4% Performance Enhancing Drugs* 1.3% 0.7% 5.4% 3.2% 12.8% 6.9% Steroids* 1.6% 0.8% 1.2% 0.9% 1.6% 0.9% (Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Student Survey, 2010) *6th grade students were not asked about lifetime use of performance enhancing drugs and steroids.

Lifetime inhalant use rates are higher among Dodge County 8th, 10th, and 12th grade participants in the 2010 NRPFSS, as compared to the state. Lifetime use of LSD, Cocaine, and "Other Drugs" is generally higher among Dodge County youth as compared to the state (with some exceptions by grade), notably among 12th graders in Dodge County. See Figure 34 below.

Figure 34. Lifetime Drug Use Rates: County and LifetimeState Comparisons Drugs (2010) 12%

9%

6%

3%

0% Dodge Dodge Dodge Dodge Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska County County County County 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Inhalants 6.7% 6.3% 8.6% 6.7% 9.0% 5.8% 7.2% 5.3% LSD* 0.9% 0.8% 2.1% 2.0% 4.0% 3.3% Cocaine* 1.3% 0.8% 1.2% 1.6% 4.4% 3.2% Meth* 0.9% 0.7% 1.5% 1.1% 1.2% 1.7% Other Drugs 0.3% 0.6% 4.1% 2.7% 7.8% 5.5% 10.4% 6.9% (Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Student Survey, 2010) *6th grade students were not asked about lifetime use of LSD, cocaine, and meth

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The ten year count of the number of Number of Sexually Transmitted individuals under 19 with sexually Table 23 Diseases for those 19 and Under transmitted diseases has increased in Dodge County (1996-2010) in Dodge County from 1996-2005 to 1996-2005 2001-2010 2001-2010. 214 305 (Kids Count in Nebraska, 2006-2011)

Services for Families with Troubled Children

Nebraska Family Helpline. The Nebraska Family Helpline connects Nebraska families to the help they need when dealing with their children's behavioral problems and mental health issues. Operators assess immediate safety needs, identify the potential level of a

Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 45 Fremont/Dodge County Early Childhood Community Assessment March 2012 behavioral health crisis, and make recommendations for referrals. The aim of the program is to improve Kindergarten readiness, prevent young children from entering the Child Welfare System, and to promote the social and economic well-being of children and families. In 2011, there were 63 calls from Dodge County to the Nebraska Family Helpline. Note: there was little outreach or advertisement of the Helpline in 2011, as this was a pilot project for Dodge County.

Notable characteristics of the callers to the helpline from Dodge County include:  The average age of callers was 39 and 76% were female.  68% said their relationship with their children was a stressor.  44% said their expectations of their children was a stressor.  48% said supervision of the children was a stressor.  36% said access to services was a stressor.  The top problems of the identified child as reported by the parents were: not following family rules, aggression in the home, arguing with authority figures, and not following school authority.  64% of callers reported that the "identified child" that prompted the call was between the ages of 9 and 16.  70% of the callers had children 8 years or younger, though only 24% of callers reported that the "identified child" that prompted the call was 8 or younger. (Nebraska In-Home Family Services, 2011)

Conclusion

Several statistics point to a growing need for community investment in the under 5 population. Arguably, all of these statistics are linked to poverty and the change in household composition. Since 2000 there have been substantial declines in the number of husband-wife families and increases in the number of single parent families. Coupled with this rise in single parent families has been a drastic increase in the number of children under 5 in poverty, with 28.4% of Dodge County families being at or below poverty in 2010. In the city of Fremont, 34.3% of all families with children under 5 are at or below poverty. The rates of poverty for single mother families are considerably higher, with over 60% being at or below poverty in both Fremont and Dodge County. Coupled with this increase in poverty is the recent increase in the number of children recipients of public assistance programs such as Food Stamps, the Summer Food Program, ADC, and Medicaid.

As the number of single parent families has increased along with the rate of poverty, housing has become more difficult to afford for families in poverty. The average wage earner in Fremont makes enough money in a month to afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment at $442 per month without spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. However, the fair market rent in Fremont is $682 a month for a two bedroom apartment.

Many children in Dodge County appear to be growing up in unhealthy home environments. The rate of domestic violence assaults in Dodge County is considerably higher than in the state. Also, the rates of substantiated child abuse/neglect cases and state wards were higher in Dodge County than in the state.

A difficult home life undoubtedly affects a child's school performance negatively. The rate of students that are proficient on the third grade reading state evaluation is lower in Fremont as compared to the state. Also, the rate of dropouts is higher than the state and the rate of high school graduates is lower than the state.

Outcome results from Fremont area agencies also display many areas of need. Some agencies are seeing sharp increases in the number of clients and some are operating at capacity with long waiting lists. For example, Head Start is continually at capacity, with long waiting lists every year. Currently there are an estimated 500-600 children under 5 that are eligible for Head Start, which is far beyond the program's capacity of 125 children. Other areas pointing to need include:  The high number of children and families receiving basic services from the Salvation Army.  The increase in the number of participants in the Young Families incentive program.  The increase in services provided at the homeless shelter.  The 77% increase since 2007 in those seeking shelter from domestic violence.  The low percentage of women receiving first trimester prenatal care, despite the high number of women receiving pregnancy services from the Young Mothers and Children (Y-MAC) Family Planning and Reproductive Health Program.  There also appears to be a need for affordable child care and preschool options based solely on the number of available spots compared to the number of total children. Affordability and availability of child care and pre-school was also a major topic of concern for participants in the Community Assessment Survey.

These statistics, among others included in the report, all demonstrate a need for the continued and enhanced development of outreach services to improve the lives of children in Dodge County in the areas of education, health care, child and family safety, and basic needs.

Appendix A

The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Child Well-Being Indicators

The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) examines eight indicators for all counties in the state. Counties that demonstrate need in multiple indicators are selected for investment by the NCFF. Dodge County and state comparisons are contained in the table below, with the five indicators that are worse than the state highlighted.

Appendi x A Eight Child-Well Being Indicators (NCFF) Dodge County Nebraska Infant Death rate per 1,000 (2005-2009) 6.0 5.8 Percent of Births to Teens (2005-2009) 9.8 8.4 Juvenile Arrests per 1,000 (2010) 32.0 31.1 Rate of Substantiated Child Abuse/Neglect Cases (2009) 3.2 7.8 Rate of State Wards per 1,000 (Dec. 2009) 14.8 13.8 High School Graduation Rate (2009-2010) 87.7 90.0 Percent of Population Speaking a Language Other Than 7.7 9.2 English at Home among Population aged 5+ (2005-2009) Percent of Population below Poverty Level (2009) 11.6 12.2

Appendix B

Selected Results from the 2010 Community Assessment Survey for Goldenrod Hills

Community Action of Nebraska conducted a Community Assessment Survey in May of 2010. The selected results below are for the 14 counties in Northeast Nebraska served by Goldenrod Hills Community Action. These counties are Antelope, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Stanton, Thurston, Washington, and Wayne. Results from the survey that are especially pertinent to families and children are contained below.

Health Care  Two-thirds (67%) of respondents delayed medical care because of cost.

Poverty  Top three perceptions of the causes of poverty for respondents whose household income is less than $25,000: 1. Lack of training/education 2. Single parent household 3. Not enough jobs

 Top three perceptions of the causes of poverty for respondents whose household income is over $80,000: 1. Low motivation 2. Lack of training/education 3. Drug abuse/addiction

Children and Youth  Top three issues and needs for children: 1. Cost of child care 2. Pre-school services 3. Childhood services for birth to age three

Basic Needs  Top three basic needs identified as a problem for the respondent: 1. Affordable medical, dental, and vision care for the family 2. Paying for utilities 3. Affordable clothing

Employment

 Top three barriers preventing adults from finding employment: 1. Lack of available jobs 2. Health problems/disability

3. Lack of education

Appendix C

2010 Poverty Thresholds

The table below displays the 2010 U.S. Census household income thresholds for poverty. If a family's before tax income is less than the threshold, then that family and every individual in it is in poverty. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps).

Poverty Thresholds by Size of Family Unit

Related children under 18 years

Size of family unit Weighted Eight Average None One Two Three Four Five Six Seven or Thresholds more

One person (unrelated $11,139 individual) Under 65 years $11,344 $11,344 65 years and over $10,458 $10,458

Two people $14,218 Householder under 65 years $14,676 $14,602 $15,030 Householder 65 years and over $13,194 $13,180 $14,973

Three people $17,374 $17,057 $17,552 $17,568 Four people $22,314 $22,491 $22,859 $22,113 $22,190 Five people $26,439 $27,123 $27,518 $26,675 $26,023 $25,625 Six people $29,897 $31,197 $31,320 $30,675 $30,056 $29,137 $28,591 Seven people $34,009 $35,896 $36,120 $35,347 $34,809 $33,805 $32,635 $31,351 Eight people $37,934 $40,146 $40,501 $39,772 $39,133 $38,227 $37,076 $35,879 $35,575 Nine people or more $45,220 $48,293 $48,527 $47,882 $47,340 $46,451 $45,227 $44,120 $43,845 $42,156

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Fremont Early Childhood Coalition 53