Survey Finds Gains, Losses in Child Welfare

Los Angeles County has made significant progress in reducing teen births and child poverty levels and in boosting childhood immunizations, but troubling geographic and ethnic inequalities in children’s welfare persist, a new study has found.

The Children’s Scorecard, scheduled for release today by the county’s Children’s Planning Council, also showed gains in the percentage of mothers receiving prenatal care and the percentage of children who are read to daily by a family member, among other indicators.

But the report, which tracks data from 1998 through 2002, found that in a small section of Watts, north of 103rd Street, between Wilmington Avenue and Alameda Street, the childhood poverty rate hovers near 64%, compared with a countywide average of 21%.

There are also significant ethnic disparities, with Latino children, who represent 59% of the child population, accounting for 72% of all those in poverty, and African American children, with 10% of the child population, making up 45% of those in foster care.

The federal poverty threshold for a family of four was $18,244 in 2002. Officials say that figure is $30,346 below their estimate of what a family requires to meet basic needs for food, transportation, housing, child care and health insurance in Los Angeles County.

“We’re making progress, and that really is the good news,” said Planning Council Executive Director Yolie Flores Aguilar. “But unfortunately, that progress does not translate into good news for all kids. The report highlights how tremendous the disparities still are, for Latino and African American children especially.”

The Children’s Planning Council has been measuring the conditions of children since 1994. This year’s scorecard is the first to provide ethnic and geographic detail about health, safety, economic security, school readiness, and social and emotional well-being.

Among other noteworthy indicators: African American children have the lowest high school graduation rate -- 73%, compared with 82% countywide. They also suffer the greatest prevalence of childhood asthma -- 16%, compared with 8% countywide; and have the highest juvenile felony arrest rate -- 3,313 per 100,000 youths ages 10 to 17, compared with a countywide rate of 1,283.

Latino youngsters have the highest teen birthrate -- 13 per 1,000 females ages 10 to 17, compared with nine countywide; are more prone to being overweight in grades five, seven and nine; and have the lowest percentage of public school students reading at or above the national average -- 27%, compared with 38% countywide.

Meanwhile, more white children have special health needs -- 22% -- than the county average of 15%. Native Americans have the lowest proportion of high school graduates prepared to enter college -- 24% -- compared with the countywide average of 37%.

Elise Buik, interim president of the United Way of Los Angeles, said such findings showed the hurdles faced by public and private agencies trying to improve children’s lives across such a broad spectrum of ethnicities, languages and communities.

The group is working with the county on a number of initiatives to help families reach economic stability.

“The challenges are really mind-boggling,” said Buik. “I think for a while there’s been a lot of emphasis on program funding, but I’m hearing from people more about moving toward neighborhood funding. We have to surround families with a support system in their own community.”

But Buik noted many trends in the study suggesting that, overall, the county’s 2.8 million children and youths have experienced significant gains in their social and emotional well-being, safety and survival.

Between 2000 and 2002, children living in poverty declined by about 2 to 5 percentage points across all ethnic groups.

Among other noteworthy trends:

* Mothers receiving prenatal care increased from 84% to 88%.

* Children fully immunized by age 2 increased from 63% to 73%.

* Juvenile felony arrests decreased from 1,937 to 1,275 per 100,000 youths ages 10 to 17.

* Teen births fell from a rate of 14 per 1,000 females ages 10 to 17, to nine.

* The number of children who watch television three or more hours per day dipped from 30% to 27%.