RESEARCH REVEALS UNIQUE FINGERPRINT OF CHILD WELL-BEING FOR EACH CALIFORNIA COUNTY + L.A. County Scorecard

CHILDREN NOW PRESS RELEASE | http://bit.ly/c3OLSk

Sep 29, 2010

OAKLAND, CA—No two places in the state are alike in terms of the condition of their children, according to the 2010 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being, an online research and advocacy tool released today. Created by Children Now, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to giving all children the opportunity to reach their full potential, the Scorecard measures the core components of child well-being across California’s 58 counties and provides a visual fingerprint for each county’s results. The uniqueness of each fingerprint is clearly evident.

Example: County Fingerprints of Child Well-Being

Twenty-six data indicators of child well-being comprise each county’s fingerprint. The color values of the indicators—red (bottom third), yellow (middle third), and green (top third)—are determined by each county’s performance relative to the state’s other counties. Additionally, county fingerprints and performances on every indicator are grouped by county population density and per capita income in order to promote the discovery of best practices in serving children’s needs. For example, on the indicator “Children who are in a healthy weight zone” Lassen (76%) and Siskiyou (75%) counties are significantly leading other low-income, rural counties, with Colusa (61%) and Imperial (61%) counties falling behind.

“The disparities presented in the Scorecard beg the question, ‘What are the top-performing counties doing differently?’” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now. “While we need to look there for proven solutions that can be leveraged in other places, we also must recognize the underlying factors may be very different from place to place.”

The Scorecard provides complete, individual county profiles that include current measures, trend data, and breakdowns by race/ethnicity for every indicator. Indicators cover children’s health, education and safety, providing a comprehensive picture of children’s interrelated developmental needs.

“We hope the local aspect of the Scorecard engages more people in solving the issues affecting children,” Lempert added. “If we make enough noise together, we can force our leaders to act on the fact that starting with children is the only way to develop sustainable solutions to the issues we’re all facing today.”

 

The 26 Indicators:

Children who report "very good" to "excellent" health status Children who have health insurance Children who see a dentist regularly Newborns who are breastfed exclusively while in the hospital Children who have asthma that does not require an Emergency Room visit Middle and high school students who are not at risk for depression Children who are in a healthy weight zone Children who live within walking distance to a park, playground or open space Schools that have a school nurse or health center Adolescents who feel connected to an adult Elementary and middle school students who are supervised by an adult after school Elementary and middle school students who feel safe in their school High school students who feel safe and have not been victimized at school Children who are safe on and around roads Children who have no report of maltreatment within six months of an initial report Adolescents who are substance-free Children and youth who are safe from homicide Youth who are arrested but not for violent crimes Women who receive prenatal care by the end of the first trimester Young children who are read to often 3- and 4-year-olds who are enrolled in preschool Children who are not truant Children who feel connected to their school 4th-graders who meet or exceed state standards in English Language Arts 8th-graders who are enrolled in Algebra 10th-graders who pass the English portion of the California High School Exit Exam

2010 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being

Sep 29, 2010

The new 2010 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being measures 26 core components of child well-being across California’s 58 counties and provides a visual fingerprint for each county’s results, showing no two places are alike in terms of the condition of their children. To support the discovery of best practices among similar counties, the Scorecard groups data for every indicator by county population density and per capita income. An accompanying online discussion group encourages knowledge sharing.

Launch the 2010 Scorecard

To help you get started, view How to Read the Scorecard.

Printable Downloads:
Complete Data Tables | Notes and Sources

 

Children Now LA County Child Well-Being Scorecard