The secenth annual KIDS Count in Missouri 1999 Data Book, has ben released.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
The seventh annual KIDS Count in Missouri 1999 Data Book, has been released by Citizens for Missouri’s Children (CMC) and the Children’s Trust Fund. It shows progress in a number of important measures of children’s well-being.
“Since we began this project in 1993, we’ve seen steady declines in the areas of infant mortality, dropout rates, child deaths and violent teen deaths,” says Beth Griffin, CMC’s Executive Director. Missouri’s good economic climate is helping families as unemployment decreases and salaries increase.
“We have also made significant changes in the way we help children and families,” explains Griffin. “Creative, collaborative programs have made a difference for Missouri’s children in the past seven years and we want to acknowledge that progress.”
The report also notes that some measures of child well being have deteriorated. More than one-third of Missouri’s school children live in families whose incomes are low enough to qualify for free and reduced price lunches. The rate of children born at low birth weight is also on the rise. Over 10,000 infants were born to teen mothers in 1998.
“We have come a long way, and made great progress, but we still have along way to go,” says Griffin. “The work that has been done gives us a good foundation for continuing to improve life for Missouri’s children.”
KIDS COUNT in Missouri (KCM) is a collaborative project of Citizens for Missouri’s Children, the Children’s Trust Fund and more than 30 public and private organizations across Missouri. The mission of the project is to improve the well being of the state’s children by heightening awareness of children’s issues within local communities and by promoting more effective responses to children’s needs through the state.
The cornerstone of KCM is the annual KIDS COUNT in Missouri 1999 Data Book, which contains information about the condition of children in each of the state’s 115 counties. The project also receives support form the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Citizens for Missouri’s Children is a statewide public interest organization serving as an independent voice for children on issues, policies and government programs that affect their lives. The organization’s mission is to advocate for the rights and well being of all Missouri children, with a primary emphasis on those with greatest need.
The report can be accessed via the CMC web site at http://www.umsl.edu/~cmc;. For more information contact Ruth Ehresman at 314-647-2003 or Cande Iveson at 573-634-4324.