Successful Children and Youth

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Successful Children and Youth

Successful Children and Youth are cared for by nurturing adults who support their healthy growth and development; live in safe environments free from abuse, neglect, and trauma; have basic necessities; have access to suitable recreational opportunities; have access to quality early care and education that fosters school readiness; choose healthy over risky behaviors; and have supports to develop employment and independent living skills.

The human services system promotes the success of children and youth through numerous programs and services including, but not limited to: after-school programs and resources; child abuse prevention; child care assistance and referral; child protective services;

employment-related services; family preservation services; foster care and adoption; intervention and treatment for at-risk children and youth; maternal and child health services; probation services; residential programs for court-involved youth; residential treatment; school health support services; and wellness and health promotion.

The Successful Children and Youth Policy Team, comprised of leaders from human services, the school system, community members and families, sets community-wide goals and priorities for public policy as it relates to children, youth and families. According to the team’s charter, “in order to become confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens, all of Fairfax County’s children need to be safe, nurtured, healthy, achieving, active, included, respected and responsible.”



Improve the ability of children to get a healthy start in life



Improve the ability of children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed

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Improve the ability of children to succeed academically

GOALS:

Community stressors such as unemployment, housing instability, lack of personal transportation among other factors, influence children, youth, and their families. Effects of these stressors are wide ranging and youth have greater opportunities for success with access to prenatal care for maternal and child health, opportunities to participate in programs that promote school readiness, and access to academic supports for improved performance in school.

Why Does This Matter?

Fairfax County monitors the indicators below to assess conditions which may impact Successful Children and Youth.

What is happening in our county? — Representative Indicators of Fairfax County

Population Indicator Baseline Most Recent

% of children in poverty* 8% (2012)

20,550 / 264,718

7% (2013) 19,704 / 268,578

% of women receiving prenatal care within the first trimester** 80% (2011) 12,120 / 15,148

81% (2012) 12,087 / 15,017

% of children in early childhood care and education programs* 58% (2012) 22,595 / 38,823

54% (2013) 21,552 / 40,209

High school graduation rate*** 92% (2013)

13,596 / 14,762

93% (2014) 13,745 / 14,795

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Successful Children and Youth

What is happening in our county?

Overall, one out of every four students has an identified medical condition that requires a health care plan (approximately 46,000 students) with the number of students that require support for their health condition increasing by 3% (or 1,580 addi- tional students) since 2012. (Source: Fairfax County Pub- lic Schools).

Among the population under 18 years of age in Fairfax County, approximately 5.7% did not have any health insurance in 2013 (15,594 chil- dren and youth). This represents a decrease from 6.4% (or 16,513 children and youth) in 2009. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey).

The 2013 Fairfax County Youth Survey findings indicate:

17% of respondents considered suicide in the past year. Fairfax County remains below the national average for attempting suicide.

There appears to be a downward trend in being a victim of bullying. 51% of respondents reported having been bullied in the past year. Nearly half of Fairfax County students (46%) reported bullying someone in the past year. Both rates of bullying and of being bullied declined as grade level increased.

241,216 255,814

16,513

15,594

220,000 230,000 240,000 250,000 260,000 270,000 280,000

2009 2013

Health Coverage in Population Under Age 18

Persons w/Coverage Persons w/out Coverage

The number of Fairfax County Public School stu- dents with autism has grown exponentially from 235 in 1997 to 2,098 in 2013 (793% increase).

There has been a steady increase in these num- bers by an average of 8% over the last 5 years, indicating an increased need to accommodate this significant growth in programs and services.

(Source: Virginia Department of Health).

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Successful Children and Youth

What is happening in our county?

Estimates show a downward trend in enrollment of Fairfax County children in nursery school or preschool over the last decade with approximately 21,500 children enrolled in school in 2013. School enrollment of children ages 3 and 4 years decreased from 60% in 2005 to nearly 54% in 2013. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey).

59.9%

53.6%

23,707 21,552

- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Children Enrolled in Early Childhood Care and Education in Fairfax County

91.2% 90.4% 91.2% 91.4% 91.4% 92.1% 92.9%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

On-Time Graduation Rate

The number of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students in Fairfax County Public Schools in- creased by approximately 10,000 individuals from 2008 to 2013 (39,620 versus 49,443 students respectively). (Source: Virginia Department of Education)

In Fairfax County, the overall on-time high school graduation rate has trended upward reaching al- most 93% in 2014. In 2014, the graduation rate by race/ethnicity was 81% for Hispanic, 91% for Black, 96% for Asian, and 97% for White students.

(Source: Virginia Department of Education). Racial disparity in graduation rates are but one example of a challenge reaching beyond education and human services requiring review and update of policy, The 2012 Fairfax County Youth Survey indicated a

positive correlation between parent-child inter- action and good grades in nearly 77% of surveyed students in grades 8, 10 and 12. This represents an increase from 75% in 2010.

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Successful Children and Youth

What is happening in our county?

Poverty and the related inability to afford prenatal care may adversely affect health outcomes.

While the poverty rate among children under 18 years of age decreased from 2012 to 2013, this rate increased between 2008 and 2013 by 27% or roughly 4,200 children. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey).

Children in the county are increasingly rep- resented in food assistance programs – 28% of all Fairfax County Public School students were eligible for free or reduced- priced meals during the 2013-2014 school year (50,629). Over one-third of kindergarten students have been eligible in the past two years. (Source: Virginia Depart- ment of Education).

In 2013, 9% of the students who responded to the Youth Survey said they were hungry sometimes, most of the time, or always due to a lack of food.

(Source: Fairfax County Youth Survey).

15,467

19,704

- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

2008 2013

Population Age 18 and Under

Living in Poverty

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How are we doing?

Prenatal care is important for the health of a pregnant woman and her baby. The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program offers comprehensive prenatal care and support services to pregnant, low-income women who cannot access prenatal care through any other mechanism. This program is offered by the Fairfax County Health Department in partnership with InovaCares Clinic for Women. The goal of the program is to reduce infant mortality and morbidity and to promote the health of women, infants, and children in the Fairfax community.

System Indicator Baseline Most Recent

% of pregnant women who deliver a low birth weight baby* 5% (FY 2013)

92 / 1,826

5.5% (FY 2014) 90 / 1,647 Source: *Fairfax County Human Services System Data

An indicator of a healthy start in life is birth weight, which is the first weight of the baby. A healthy birth weight is defined as more than 2,500 grams, or 5 pounds and 8 ounces. Compared to infants of normal weight, low birth weight infants (less than 5 pounds and 8 ounces) may be more at risk

for many health problems (e.g., delayed motor and social development, learning disabilities. chronic disease in adulthood).

In FY 2014, 5.5% or 90 (out of 1,647) women served by the MCH program delivered a low birth weight baby. The number of low birth weight babies has trended downward since FY 2010.

Barriers to healthy birth weight include language, transportation, education, and cultural attitudes towards prenatal care.

Successful Children and Youth

Healthy Start In Life

Goal: Improve the ability of children to get a healthy start in life

5.6% 6.1% 6.5%

5.0% 5.5%

118 109

139

92 90

0 30 60 90 120 150

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

Pregnant Women Served Who Deliver a Low Birth Weight Baby

LEGEND:

An opportunity to celebrate the significant progress made in moving toward achievement of the desired result.

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How are we doing?

Early childhood education programs provide critical support in the development of children’s cognitive and emotional development, leading to success in school. Head Start is a national and county program designed to enhance the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of culturally inclusive educational, health, nutritional, social and other comprehensive services to eligible children, their families, and pregnant women. Head Start enrolls families whose incomes are at or below the poverty guidelines.

% of children who demonstrate school readiness at program exit (Literacy)* 89% (2013) 1,221 / 1,372

90% (2014) 1,264 / 1,411

% of children who demonstrate school readiness at program exit (Math)* 85% (2013) 1,166 / 1,372

84% (2014) 1,181 / 1,411 Source: *Fairfax County Human Services System Data

Head Start programs experienced a 14% increase in enrollment from 2011 to 2014. Benchmarks in literacy and math show a decline from 2012 (i.e., from 98% in Literacy and 92% in Math).

Seventy-eight percent of children and pregnant women enrolled in Head Start speak a primary language at home that is not English and this factor may potentially impact readiness for school.

School Readiness

Goal: Improve the ability of children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed

Successful Children and Youth

98% 89% 92%

90% 85%

84%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Head Start/Early Head Start - Literacy (DFS)

Head Start/Early Head Start - Math (DFS) Percent of Children Served Who Demonstrate School Readiness at

Program Exit

Program Year 2012 Program Year 2013 Program Year 2014

1,221 1,166

1,269 1,264 1,191 1,181

LEGEND:

An opportunity to continue to improve upon the progress made toward achievement; this reflects less progress than the opportunity to celebrate;

however, positive movement has been made.

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How are we doing?

Various county programs contribute to the goal of children succeeding academically. In FY 2014, approximately 27,200 youth were served by the Middle School After School Program (MSAS), the Comprehensive Services Act System of Care, as well as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program. MSAS is designed to help youth to improve academic achievement and student behavior through after-school activities. Among other objectives, WIA strives to meet education, employment and life skills needs of at-risk youth with limited means.

% of youth with improved academic performance* 82% (FY 2013)

921 / 1,120

84% (FY 2014) 1,104 / 1,322

% of youth who are attending school, have graduated or received a GED at program com- pletion*

85% (FY 2013) 395 / 463

85% (FY 2014) 388 / 459 Source: * Fairfax County Human Services System Data

Combined, Fairfax County programs which seek to help students improve their academic performance, did so for 84%, or 1,104 program participants, in FY 2014. This is an increase from 82% in FY 2013.

County programs which measure the educational attainment of youth participants, include among others Foster Care, Evening Reporting Center, Transitional Living, Juvenile Probation, among other programs. In FY 2014, 85% or 388 youth graduated school or obtained a GED.

Academic Success

Goal: Improve the ability of children to succeed academically

Successful Children and Youth

82% 84%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Youth Demonstrating Improved Academic Performance

FY 2013 FY 2014

921 1,104

LEGEND: