Children’s advocacy group fails state on key issues
Few parents would be happy with a report card that offered up
five Cs and 4 Ds, with a handful of Bs. But those are the grades
handed out by the Oakland-based children’s advocacy and research
group Children Now for statewide issues such as health, education
and child safety. And according to staff and directors, even in an
economic crisis it is in the best interest of Californians to
respond quickly.
Children’s advocacy group fails state on key issues
Few parents would be happy with a report card that offered up five Cs and 4 Ds, with a handful of Bs. But those are the grades handed out by the Oakland-based children’s advocacy and research group Children Now for statewide issues such as health, education and child safety. And according to staff and directors, even in an economic crisis it is in the best interest of Californians to respond quickly.
“Given the state’s current fiscal crisis and poor long-term economic forecast, lawmakers must clearly articulate and substantiate an investment strategy now to right the ship,” said Ted Lempert, the president of Children Now. “By all measures, smart investments in children make the most sense and should come first. That’s also what voters have been asking for and promised for years.”
The nonprofit collected data from a variety of sources from university studies to those conducted by the Henry. J. Kaiser Family Foundation to find out how California agencies fare when it comes to such things as providing health care, oral care and after school programs to children, among other issues.
The nonpartisan group has been active since 1988, and puts out an annual report card for the state and for individual counties that can be viewed on their Web site.
The release of the statewide report card comes on the heels of a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pull funding to First 5 California and Healthy Families, programs that provide funding for prenatal to 5 year olds and low-cost health coverage, to cover the cost of other Department of Social Service programs.
On Jan. 7, First 5 San Benito’s commissioners voted to contribute $35,672 as part of a joint initiative with First 5 California to keep children off waiting lists for health coverage, according to Casey Castillo, the executive director of the county program.
“First 5 San Benito is pleased to help expand health coverage access to more children in our county, particularly during this period of rising unemployment and economic stability,” Castillo wrote in a press release. “This important collaboration continues to make health coverage affordable and accessible to our most vulnerable children.”
The report offers up striking statistics. According to their numbers one million children in California are expected to be without health insurance in 2009. They estimate that it costs $7,000 every time an uninsured child visits a hospital for a preventable ailment, while it costs $1,200 annually to provide health coverage.
Still a gap remains between those who have health coverage and those who don’t, and Children Now awarded the state a D+.
While 60 percent of families are eligible for coverage through Medi-Cal, which is free, or Healthy Families, which charges a low monthly premium, only 34 percent of eligible children were enrolled. The report cited increased reporting requirements for families to continue enrollment in Medi-Cal and higher premiums for Healthy Families as an obstacle to families keeping coverage.
“Ensuring all children have access to regular, high quality preventative care is essential to driving down health care costs for all Californians and ensuring the wellness and productivity of future generations,” the report reads.
In addition, California received below average grades – ranging from C to D+ –for oral health, asthma, mental health, early care and education, K-12, integrated services, obesity and child safety.
Concerns for older children include the high school dropout rate, which has been reported as one in five students. Every 120,000 high school dropouts costs the state approximately $40.6 billion in total economic losses, according to the report. Other issues include the growing rate of children who are classified as overweight or obese.
California scored best in the after school category, with a B+. Children Now staff reported that there are nearly 3,900 after school programs in California, largely funded through the 2002 voter approved Prop. 49, which increased state funding for after school programs at every public elementary and middle school.
For the first time this year, staff provided not just their concerns but immediate health and education policy actions that legislatures and other government officials can use.
“We are calling on the Governor and the Legislature to give children their due in 2009,” said Lempert, the president of Children Now. “And to prioritize children’s health and education reform.”
In October, a county scorecard released by Children Now gave San Benito County a D+ overall. The score can be viewed online at www.childrennow.org. They found that San Benito children scored low on a variety of factors that can be improved such as the number of children with health coverage, the rate of breastfeeding infants and the number of children in a healthy weight zone. The report did have some high points however, reporting that a majority of children see a dentist regularly and that children are generally safe on and around roadways.
“We simply can’t afford to wait any longer to support the success of the next generation,” Lempert said. “The ongoing lack of significant progress for children is costing all of us – especially our children – too much already and will only get worse.”
To view the full California Report Car ’09, visit www.childrennow.org. The San Benito County scorecard for 2007 and 2008 is also available.
Policy objectives:
– Create and fund a statewide system for healthcare for children
– Improve access to oral health
– Reduce the prevalence of asthma
– Ensure children have access to mental health services
– Improve access to infant and toddler care, as well as preschools
– Continue access to after school programs
– Create a statewide obesity prevention agenda supported by policymakers
– Evaluate existing intervention programs
– Ensure all children in foster care have support to transition to adulthood
– Increase community and local programs that focus on prevention of delinquency
