Letter to the editor
Data is revealing
To the Editor:
On June 27, Kansas Action for Children (KAC), Inc. released the 2006 Kansas Kids Count Data Book at www.kac.org and in media across the state. KAC is a non-profit child advocacy group that keeps tabs on the Kansas Legislature to encourage legislative and budgetary decisions to benefit the safety and well-being of children and their parents, and informs the public about legislation that affect children and families.
KAC would like Kansans to know that children under age 6 in our state are more likely to be impacted by issues of poverty, child care, and parent employment than older children. This is equally true for our youngest children in Marion County. Why is this important?
Children under age 6 are among the most vulnerable and dependent of all populations. We now know that while human brain development occurs through the teen years into the early 20s, the critical formation of receptors and brain growth occurs primarily in the first years of life. The foundation for all subsequent mental functioning takes place by age 5.
Unfortunately, in Marion County not all children are provided the safe, nurturing environments needed for maximum cognitive, social, and emotional growth. The truth is we are among a group of counties with the highest reported and substantiated child abuse and neglect rates in the state.
Not all families have the economic resources needed to maintain their household to an acceptable standard of living. Children under age 5 in Marion County are more likely to be poor, especially if they live with a single mother. More than 77 percent of these children in our communities live below the federal poverty level.
Many two-parent families also struggle. Marion County parents work hard to sustain a middle-class lifestyle — the standard that is considered the norm for an average all-American family. While 67 percent of Kansas children and 59 percent of children nationally live in families where all resident parents work, in Marion County 69.5 percent of children under age 6 have both parents in the work force.
There are many discussions about economic development in Marion County. Although early childhood is directly related to economics, the topics are not often included in the same conversation. Studies show that when more funding is provided on the front end of life, millions of dollars of public funds are saved from being spent later for financial support, social services, incarceration, law enforcement, mental health services, special education, and other services for those whose needs may not have been met as young children.
The good news is that two entities have identified quality child care as a primary focus. USD #410 will have an integrated preschool program in the 2006-07 school year as a model for future centers in the community. Also, the City of Marion is proceeding with plans for a child care center in town.
While this is in progress, we should not be satisfied until every child in Marion County has a great start in life and a safe, nurturing place to learn and grown. We should not be satisfied until Marion County truly is the best place to raise a child to productive adulthood. After all, every one of us is dependent upon their success.
Linda Ogden
Executive Director
Communities in Schools
of Marion County
