2004 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook.Pdf
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2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a children’s policy organization PARTNERS that provides information on child well-being, stimulates dialogue on children’s issues, and promotes accountability and action. The Rhode Island Foundation Funding for Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is provided by Ronald V. Gallo, President The Rhode Island Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Karen Voci, Senior Vice President for Program Prince Charitable Trusts, United Way of Rhode Island, Rick Schwartz, Vice President of Communications Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Brown University Ford Foundation, CVS Charitable Trust, Hasbro Charitable Trust, A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions and other corporate, foundation and individual sponsors. Darrell M. West, Director Thomas J. Anton, Professor The annual Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook is one of fifty Jack D. Combs, Research Administrator state-level projects designed to provide a detailed community-by- community picture of the condition of children. A national Rhode Island College School of Social Work Factbook with comparable data for the U.S. is produced annually Nancy Gewirtz, Director, The Poverty Institute by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Linda Katz, Policy Director, The Poverty Institute Additional copies of the 2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT George Metrey, Dean, School of Social Work Factbook are available for $15.00 per copy. Reduced rates are available for bulk orders. To receive copies of the 2004 Factbook, United Way of Rhode Island please contact: Dennis M. Murphy, President Anthony Maione, Executive Vice President Rhode Island KIDS COUNT William J. Allen, Executive Vice President One Union Station Providence, RI 02903 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Phone: 401-351-9400 Fax: 401-351-1758 Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Executive Director E-Mail: [email protected] Catherine Boisvert Walsh, Deputy Director Jill Baroni, Policy Analyst, Oral Health Access Project Visit our Web site at www.rikidscount.org. Dorene Bloomer, Finance Director Raymonde Charles, Program Assistant Factbook design by Greenwood Associates. Shanon Connor, Program Associate Illustrations by Chil Mott and Gail Greenwood. Wilsa Galarza, Administrative Assistant Theresa Hancock, Policy Associate Any portion of this report may be reproduced without prior Veronika Kot, Policy Analyst permission, provided the source is cited as: Amy Lapierre, Covering Kids and Families Project Director Andrea Miller, Program Associate 2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook Kathleen Pannhorst, Policy Analyst Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Providence, RI Sonia Rodrigues-Carr, Covering Kids and Families Pawtucket Coordinator ©2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Patricia Flanagan, MD, Soros Policy Fellow Deana El-Mallawany, Research Intern Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Rhode Island State Agency Directors and Board of Directors Data Liaisons to Rhode Island KIDS COUNT CHAIRPERSON Laureen D’Ambra Jeff Grybowski Marvin Perry Child Advocate Rhode Island Children’s Cabinet Linda Soderberg Barbara Cottam State of Rhode Island Office of the Governor Department of Labor and Training Senior Vice President Citizens Bank Nancy Smith Greer Beverly Najarian Jay Lindgren Director, Rhode Island Office Jack Murphy Leon Saunders VICE CHAIRPERSON U.S. Department of Housing Department of Administration David Allenson and Urban Development Department of Children, Youth and Lewis P. Lipsitt, Ph.D. Patricia Nolan, MD Families William Hollinshead, MD Professor Emeritus Thomas J. Izzo Samara Viner-Brown Joseph E. Smith Brown University Margaret Holland McDuff Department of Health Elizabeth Gilheeney Chief Executive Officer Governor’s Justice Commission TREASURER Jane Hayward Family Service, Inc. Sherry Campanelli Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr. Patricia M. Cerilli, CPA Randy Rosati David Heden Pauline Perkins-Moyé Mullen Scorpio & Cerilli Department of Human Services Family Court Director Florence Gray Center Peter McWalters Jane Hayward SECRETARY Newport Housing Authority Virginia da Mota Kathleen Spangler Nancy L. Benoit Kenneth Gu Department of Mental Health, Jyothi Nagraj Teacher Department of Elementary and Retardation and Hospitals Student Secondary Education St. Raphael Academy Brown University Medical School Sovath Nhar Tobacco Control Coordinator Socio-Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians Tomás Ramírez Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development Providence School Department Table of Contents OVERVIEW . 5 SAFETY Child Deaths . 78 FAMILY AND COMMUNITY Teen Deaths . 79 Child Population . 8-9 *Gun Violence. 80-81 Children in Single Parent Families . 10-11 Homeless Children . 82 *Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren . 12-13 Homeless Youth . 83 Mother’s Education Level . 14-15 Juveniles Referred to Family Court . 84-85 Racial and Ethnic Diversity . 16-17 Juveniles at the Training School. 86-87 Racial and Ethnic Disparities. 18-21 Children of Incarcerated Parents . 88-89 ECONOMIC WELL–BEING Children Witnessing Domestic Violence . 90-91 Median Household Income. 24-25 Child Abuse and Neglect. 92-95 Cost of Rent. 26-27 Children in Out-of-Home Placement . 96-97 Parental Employment . 28-29 Adoption and Permanency . 98-99 Children Receiving Child Support. 30-31 EDUCATION Children in Poverty. 32-35 Infant and Pre-School Child Care . 102-103 Children in the Family Independence Program. 36-39 Children Enrolled in Head Start . 104-105 Children Receiving Food Stamps. 40-41 School-Age Child Care . 106-107 Children Participating in School Breakfast . 42-43 Children Receiving Child Care Subsidies . 108-109 HEALTH Full-Day Kindergarten . 110-111 Children’s Health Insurance. 46-47 English Language Learners . 112-113 Childhood Immunizations . 48-49 Children Enrolled in Special Education . 114-115 Access to Dental Care . 50-51 Student Mobility . 116-117 Children’s Mental Health . 52-53 Fourth-Grade Reading Skills . 118-119 Children with Special Needs . 54-55 High Performing Schools . 120-121 Women and Children Receiving WIC . 56-57 School Attendance . 122-123 Breastfeeding . 58-59 Suspensions . 124-125 Women with Delayed Prenatal Care . 60-61 High School Graduation Rate . 126-127 Low Birthweight Infants . 62-63 Teens Not in School and Not Working . 128-129 Infant Mortality . 64-65 METHODOLOGY . 131-136 Children with Lead Poisoning . 66-67 Children with Asthma. 68-69 COMMITTEES. 137-139 Births to Teens . 70-71 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 140-143 Alcohol, Drug, and Cigarette Use by Teens . 72-73 Additional Children’s Health Issues . 74-75 *New Indicator 2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook 3 Overview Give Me Your Name! Give me your name, and I will… whisper it into the forests, spell it out in the sands, I’ll shout it over the thunder, breathe it away on the wind. I’ll spill it over the mountains, let it echo through the rain; I’ll sing it into a seashell, if you give me your name. by Judith Nicholls 4 2004 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook Overview The 2004 Rhode Island KIDS The Factbook provides community- COUNT Factbook is the tenth annual level information on each indicator in Family Economic Security profile of the well-being of children in order to emphasize the significance of Children most at risk of not achieving their full potential are children in poverty. Despite Rhode Island. The annual Factbook is the surrounding physical, social, and overall economic growth in the past decade, many Rhode Island families have experienced an important tool for planning and economic environment in shaping income losses since the late 1980s. The child poverty rate has increased from 14% in 1990 action by community leaders, policy outcomes for children. Communities to 17% in 2000. Nearly half of Rhode Island's 40,177 poor children live in extreme poverty makers, advocates, and others working and neighborhoods do matter - the - with a family income less than $9,330 (half of the federal poverty level of $18,660 for a toward changes that will improve the actions of community leaders, parents, family of four). Even those with incomes above the official poverty level have a difficult time quality of life for all children. individuals, businesses, government meeting the high costs of housing, utilities, child care, and health care. Child care subsidies, The annual Factbook tracks progress leaders, and elected officials greatly health insurance, affordable housing, and tax policies that support working families are across five areas of child well-being. All influence children’s chances for success critical tools to ensure the economic well-being of Rhode Island families. areas of child well-being are interrelated and the challenges they will face. and critical throughout a child’s By examining the best available development. A child’s safety in his data statewide and in Rhode Island’s Educational Attainment family and community affects his school 39 cities and towns, Rhode Island performance; a child’s economic KIDS COUNT provides an Improving student achievement and high school graduation rates in Rhode Island requires security affects her health and information base that can result in more that all sectors work together to provide opportunities for infants, young children, and teens education. The 2004 Rhode Island effective policy and community action in the state's high poverty neighborhoods. Children who participate in high-quality KIDS COUNT Factbook reflects on behalf of children. Tracking changes preschool programs and read at grade level by