Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Lawrence County Kids Count
A few weeks ago the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) released its annual Kids Count report, with information about how children across the state, and each county, are faring.
As the saying goes, there is good news and bad news. We should talk about both so we can celebrate and support the things that are working, and work harder on the things that are not. TCCY states as its vision: “All children in Tennessee are safe, healthy, educated, nurtured and supported, and engaged in activities that provide them opportunities to achieve their fullest potential.” I believe that should be Lawrence County’s vision as well.
“We all know Tennessee’s future prosperity depends on what we do for our children today – the workforce and parents of tomorrow,” writes Linda O’Neal, TCCY Director.
For help understanding the issues facing Lawrence County children, I turned to Magistrate Ashley Dunkin. She has unique insight into the problems that affect this community because she hears cases against juvenile offenders, truancy and custody issues, child support, dependency and neglect.
Kids Count tells us how we rank among the other 95 counties in many different areas. Lower numbers are the best, for instance, we rank #1 in the state in the category of Teen Violent Deaths and Child Deaths because we have had the fewest over the past year. No one can argue that this is a score worth celebrating.
Sadly, the report reveals that suicide is one of the top two causes of death for children ages 5 to 14 (cancer is first) and 15 to 19 (homicide is second) statewide. A good ranking in this category does not give us permission to become complacent; it is proof that the school system’s AWARE program addressing student mental health issues is successful and necessary. As students become more “aware” of their own problems and their peers’, adults should educate themselves as well. We can prevent a tragedy by simply paying attention.
Our next-best ratings come under the category of Education. Our scores place us at #8 in the state overall, behind Williamson, Trousdale, Stewart, Henderson, Wilson, Sumner and Montgomery Counties. We rank 6th in reading proficiency and 4th in math proficiency in the third through eighth grades. I am so proud of our school system and the bright future ahead for the majority of our students.
Our 92.8% graduation rate puts us at 38th in the state, a number that has improved thanks to measures taken by the school system. The Adult High School allows students who lack only a few credits to earn their diplomas when their circumstances prevent them from attending a traditional classroom. One of my daughters graduated from the Adult High School after the birth of her oldest child interrupted her high school career. I am grateful for this program and I know many other families are, too.
Our ranking for chronic school absenteeism is not good, at 85th out of 95 counties. Dunkin explained that when a child changes school districts, our schools have not been officially withdrawing the student until a records request from the new school. All the days preceding that request were recorded as unexcused absences, a simple bookkeeping matter that is being amended now. “We should move up in this ranking,” she said.
Lawrence County children rank #26 in Tennessee for economic well-being, a number based on the number living in poverty, median household income, and housing costs. Twenty-eight point seven percent of our children fall below the poverty level in a range that begins at 5.3% in Williamson County and tops out at 47.9% in Lake. The report explains, “Economic well-being is an important part of the stability and security that contributes to healthy family relationships and positive outcomes for children.”
It continues, “Poverty is so much more than not being able to have many things. It is a constant, pervasive stress about meeting basic needs.” I think most of us have been there, or are there, and would agree. Kids Count goes on to say that up to one-third of Tennessee families are affected by fluctuations in household income. That means we live paycheck-to-paycheck, with too many jobs that are not steady or full-time.
The most concerning statistics relate to child health. We rank 79th in the state (5.2%) for children without health insurance. This is especially frustrating since we are 78th in the state (6.1%) for "children qualified for Medicaid/CHIP but uninsured.” Too many are falling through the cracks.
It should be obvious that no insurance is a bad thing, but Kids Count states it very well: “Children lacking health insurance are unlikely to get the regular, basic care they need to stay well and to grow into healthy adults. Lack of regular, preventive care can lead to untreated chronic conditions that affect children’s well-being.
“They require emergency care more often and are more likely to suffer frequent or long-term illness, which is recognized as a cause of chronic absenteeism. They are more likely to have health problems as adults.” Aside from the real humanitarian issue of sick children, the problem becomes a financial one for employers and society as a whole.
Teen pregnancy is another problem that contributes to all others: health, education, financial security, abuse and neglect. Our ranking in the state is 58, or 14.6% of each 1,000 births in Lawrence County. This is a call to support programs like Mom’s Time Out, which I wrote about recently. It offers moms of any age support, education, and the “time out” they all need and deserve in order to be the best moms they can be. Learn more at Mom’s Time Out on Facebook.
Finally, I asked Dunkin about problems she sees in her court that are not specifically addressed in the report. Her reply serves as a call for all of us to support the efforts of the Lawrence County Substance Abuse Coalition (layperson opioid overdose prevention training: November 27), the Faith-Based Coalition that is forming in our community (next meeting: December 5, Gum Springs Baptist), and programs including prescription drug take-back events (this Saturday, October 28).
“Looking at the cases we deal with in court on a daily basis, methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse are a huge epidemic. Nearly every dependency and neglect case we deal with has a parent who uses methamphetamine. I would love an opportunity to disclose details of every case, but the confidentiality of Juvenile Court prevents that.
“We need more foster homes in this community to provide safe and stable homes for these children. We need better drug and alcohol rehabilitative treatment options in this county that are at little or no cost to the participants.
“Anyone who wants to see how horrific the drug abuse epidemic is needs to come sit in on General Sessions or Circuit Courts any day. People need to understand that prescription drug abuse is more prevalent than illegal drug use.
“You could go to any congregation, community event, meeting, restaurant or anywhere where people gather to encounter prescription drug abuse. We need to start holding the right people accountable and that isn't necessarily the addict.”
Thanks to Ashley Dunkin for sharing the bottom line with us. You can see the full Kids Count report and more about the welfare of our children at TN.gov/tccy.
