Statistics show help needed for area kids

That was the message provided at a recent meeting to release data regarding children’s well-being and success.

“The data suggests that we can do better by our children than we are doing,” said Cynthia Jaksa, Kootasca Community Action, Inc. site manager.

Jaksa facilitated the presentation made in Grand Rapids by representatives of Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota. Kara Arzamendia, research director for CDF, presented the 2010 Minnesota Kids Count Data Book Sept. 28 to Koochiching County viewers at Rainy River Community College via interactive television.

Information focused on various factors, including economic well-being, family structure, health, education and safety. Information was gathered from a variety of sources, including state departments of health, education, and human services; Minnesota Student Survey; the U.S. Census and other resources.

This year’s presentation focused on disparities between white and minority children in the area. It traced children from before birth to high school. An overview of Koochiching County children was also provided.

“The Kooch County kids in poverty rate kind of sticks out because one in five is close to that,” Jaksa said. The percent of children ages 0-17 who are in poverty is 18.8 percent — above the national average of 18 percent and well above the state average of 11.4 percent. Those 2008 numbers have increased from 16 percent in 2004.

“It’s all stressful when you’re poor, but when you’re working poor and you have child care and all the hassles of trying to get to work with a broken-down car and coping with transportation and day care issues, those are special to the working poor,” Jaksa said.

She said the number of students enrolled in free/reduced-price lunch programs is a more accurate assessment of those in need, including those barely over the poverty line but still struggling to provide for their families.

In Koochiching County, 38.6 percent of students participate in the free/reduced-price lunch program. That is again higher than the state average of 35.6 percent.

Some of the differences seen in local-to-state comparisons deal directly with economics, Jaksa said.

Part of that picture is painted through the availability of high-paying jobs. Jaksa said that although several sectors of our local economy provide stable, family-supporting incomes, workers in other industries suffer. The median household income for Koochiching County families is $39,130 per year. That compares to a state median household income of $57,318. The most recent unemployment rate for Koochiching County, released by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development, showed a higher county rate, 7.7 percent, compared to the state rate of 6.9 percent. However, both were less than the national unemployment rate in August of 9.5 percent.

In addition to availability of jobs, state funding to this county of relatively small population dictates the types of programs, services and assistance available to those struggling.

“To some extent, it’s probably a funding issue,” Jaksa said. “Those extra programs get axed when we lose funds.

“I think we do as well as any county that has the funding we have. Could we do better? Probably. There are ways to collaborate and communicate better than we are now. We should be exploring those. There’s always a distance to go in making the case for children.”

This year, the CDF focused on minorities and separated data based on race. In the Data Book, authors summarize, “... it is apparent there are still large inequalities that exist by race and ethnicity in Minnesota. ... The research has concluded for some time that the underlying influence on poor outcomes is not supported by genetic explanation or individual actions, but instead by how people are treated, what jobs are available to them, the neighborhoods they live in, the education they receive, and the ability to reach their full potential affects their choices and opportunities.”

Koochiching County has a small rate, less than 2 percent of population, of African American, Asian or Hispanic children. Koochiching County does, however, have an American Indian children population of 2.7 percent — and neighbors counties that have much larger Native populations.

Many of the data sets showed challenges that are faced by the American Indian community in Minnesota when compared to the state’s white population. For example, the infant mortality rate for white babies is 4.9 per 1,000; American Indian is 11.6 per 1,000. Ninety-five percent of white mothers graduated high school, while 34 percent of American Indian mothers did not complete four years of high school. American Indians are 30 percent less likely to own homes than whites, have median family incomes half of their white neighbors, and have a dramatically higher rate of children in out-of-home placement (78.8 percent American Indian, 6.6 percent white).

American Indian students in Minnesota are more likely to report feeling unsafe at school, and less likely to feel their teachers show respect to them. White student proficiency on standardized tests is more than twice that of their American Indian peers. White students are almost twice as likely to graduate — 81 percent graduation rate compared to 41 percent for American Indian students.

However, although many challenges are apparent, Jaksa said that work is being done to provide assistance when possible.

“I feel that because we are a small county and we do talk to each other so much, my impression is that people are working very hard to make a difference,” she said.

Jaksa pointed to several community programs that have had a positive impact on families in need of assistance.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church had after-school programs, which are now being held at Backus Community Center. Backus also started a summer food program for area kids in need. The school district has a number of programs to help children of working poor who are struggling, Jaksa said.

She also pointed to school district 361 voters approving an additional tax levy in the last election as a pro-children initiative. The levy reduces fees for recreation programs at the school.

“When I look at the people I work with, I’m in awe,” Jaksa said. She pointed to teachers, health-care workers and a variety of programs that work with families as having positive programs and diligent staff.

“It’s been said so many times that it’s trite, but the health of our children is going to be the health of our nation and the future — how competitive we are, how well we can support the old people in the country ... without that we’re all going to sink.

“Children are our future. Everybody’s said it a thousand times, but we need to care about these dismal statistics because it is a harbinger of what might befall us if we don’t address these problems.

“It goes to our basic humanity, too, how you care for your children is how advanced and civilized and human you are, really. In a very broad way, it goes to the heart of what it is to be human.”