Florida KIDS COUNT Responds to National Calls to Action For At-Risk Youth
June 3, 2004 (Tampa) – The newly released Annie E. Casey Foundation 2004 National KIDS COUNT Data Book reveals that Florida's rank remains unchanged from last year, placing the state 34th among all states on the well-being of America's children. More significant is the fact that from 1996 to 2001 Florida improved in eight out of 10 measures reflecting child welfare. The share of children living in poverty decreased from 24 percent in 1996 to 18 percent in 2001, and Florida earns its best ranking of any individual measure with a 6 percent drop in the rate of teen deaths due to accidents, homicide or suicide. Also, although the decrease was minimal (from 31 percent to 30 percent), Florida was one of only seven states plus the District of Columbia where the share of children living in a single-parent home fell between 1996 and 2001.
"While these changes in rate over the five year period reflect improvement, the numbers tell us that Florida's children and youth continue to need our attention," said Susan Weitzel, Director of Florida KIDS COUNT, which is housed within the Department of Child & Family Studies at USF's Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute in Tampa. The national data book identified Florida as having 544,000 single-parent families with children, 958,000 children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment, 72,000 teens ages 16 to 19 not attending school or working, and nearly 664,000 children who lived in poverty. "These conditions put our Florida youth in an economic and social disadvantage that can easily lead to difficulties with low achievement, stress, aggression or depression," added Weitzel.
Annually, the national KIDS COUNT project compiles the best available data to describe the educational, social, economic and physical well-being of the nation's children. This year's Data Book reveals a critical need for state and local leaders to build support for youth, now ages 18 to 24, who are most likely to falter in adulthood. The data estimates that nearly one in six young people experience significant struggles in their transition to adulthood, especially those who have faced a number of risk factors. In this group, a surprising number of youth come from foster care, are wards of the juvenile justice system, no longer attend high school, or have become teen parents. In the Data Book's essay, "Moving Youth From Risk to Opportunity," Annie E. Casey President Douglas W. Nelson advocates four calls to action for helping America's kids reach adulthood with skills and confidence. (The essay can be viewed at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount).
"We see faculty and staff here at the Institute working daily with a number of local, state, and national leaders addressing these calls to action," said Weitzel. "Florida KIDS COUNT is in the perfect location to share data with many leaders and advocates in child welfare."
Robert Friedman, Chair of the Department of Child & Family Studies, expressed the view that there needs to be a special focus on the at-risk females. The KIDS COUNT data shows well over 46,000 Florida births to females under the age of 20. Additional data show that there are many more births to women between the ages of 20 and 24 who lack the social and economic supports to properly care for their children. "A significant percentage of these females are also dealing with the additional issues of poverty, little education, mental health and/or substance abuse challenges, and domestic violence," added Friedman. "It's important to make supports available that enable them and their young children to move toward more positive outcomes."
Friedman and many additional staff at the Louis de la Parte Institute have developed a number of supports and initiatives aimed at improving the lives of at-risk youth. Brief descriptions of current programs that are underway locally, statewide or nationally can be viewed at http://cscf.fmhi.usf.edu/programs.htm. Program contact information and quotes for the media are also available, as well as a list of Florida Children's Services Councils that provide programs and services to children and families throughout our state. Additional information can be obtained by visiting the Florida KIDS COUNT website at http://cscf.fmhi.usf.edu/, or the National KIDS COUNT website at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount
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