Press Release

The Solano County Children’s Report Card 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: June 2, 2004

Contact: Jennifer Kaiser, Communications & Outreach Manager

Telephone: 707.421.7229 ext. 114

Email: jkaiser@childnet.org

Some Improvements, but Many Reasons for Concern about Solano Children

FAIRFIELD, Calif. – Improvements in the rates of infant mortality, teen pregnancy and health care coverage give reason for hope for children and families in Solano County. At the same time, concerns rise sharply when race and ethnicity are factored in. These findings and many more can be found in The Solano County Children’s Report Card 2003, a comprehensive report that monitors the effectiveness of programs that benefit children and families. The report is funded by The California Endowment, a private statewide health foundation.

The report, the third in an annual series produced by the Children’s Network, found that significantly more prenatal care for Solano women is needed; that despite recent efforts there is still only one shelter bed for every 17 homeless persons in the county; and that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions, with more than 15% of children age 2-5 and more than 20% of children age 5-20 overweight or obese. This year’s Report Card identifies state and national economic trends that are having an impact on children’s services in Solano County and offers strategies for maximizing resources for children’s services.

“This Report Card shows that we are definitely making progress.” said Kim Thomas, executive director of the Children’s Network. “This progress needs to be sustained, and in the present economic environment, that support is in jeopardy. This report is an important tool for decision makers and child advocates to determine policy, set goals, and measure the results of their work.”

The result of months of analysis by a team of Children’s Network staff, county officials and community members, The Solano County Children’s Report Card 2003 is a tool for tracking how well Solano County is meeting the needs of children and families. By examining more than 80 separate indicators of performance, the report is the only resource to provide a complete picture of the effectiveness of children’s programs in Solano County. These indicators are compared to regional, state and national data and trends. This year’s Children’s Report Card includes detailed information about Economic Security, Health & Wellness, School Readiness and Education, and Safety issues.

Key findings include:

• Less than 75% of pregnant women in Solano County receive first trimester prenatal care. The national objective is 90%.

• In spite of significant improvement in the overall infant mortality rate, there are great disparities by race and ethnicity that need to be addressed. The same improvement and disparity exists when looking at low birth weight rates.

• The teen birth rate has steadily dropped over the past ten years. Again, disparities in race and ethnicity need to be examined: pregnancy rates in 15-17 year olds are 7 per 1,000 white teens, but 30 per 1,000 black teens and 45 per 1,000 for Hispanic teens.

• Less than 5% of children in Solano County are without health insurance, one of the lowest rates in the state. While a tremendous success, the rate at which Solano County is growing means that these efforts will need to be sustained.

The Children’s Network is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children in Solano County through education, advocacy, and collaboration with public and private partners.

For more information about The Solano County Children’s Report Card 2003, call Dr. Tamsen Stevenson, Senior Research Analyst, at the Children’s Network at (707) 421-7229 or visit our website at www.childnet.org.