Family Support
Children need loving and competent adult caregivers to provide them with a safe and secure environment.? Unfortunately, too many children are not given the opportunity to grow and thrive in a supportive home--the place where their safety should be guaranteed.? In the most extreme cases, children are taken out of their homes and placed in alternative care.? The national alternative care rate per 1,000 children under 18 was 6.5 in 2003.? In the five core counties that provide the focus for this report, 43 ZIP codes exceed the national rate.? Of these 43, 17 have rates more than double the national average.

Maternal/Child Health
Early and adequate prenatal care is critical to ensuring that children get a healthy start in life.? When a mother has no access to medical care and receives late or no prenatal care, infants are placed at an increased risk of low birth weight, premature birth, long-term health problems, and even infant death.? In 2001, 3.1% of all births nationally were to mothers who had no or inadequate prenatal care.? Of the 138 ZIP codes examined in this report, 88, or nearly 64% have rates greater than the national percentage.? Of these, 30 have rates four times higher than the national rate.

Quality Education
A high school diploma is the minimum requirement for most jobs.? Individuals without high school diplomas experience major impediments to achieving economic security and are more likely to be unemployed for longer periods of time.? The U.S. dropout rate in 2002 was 10.7%, while statewide dropout rates for Missouri and Illinois were lower at 3.9% and 4.6% respectively.? Of the 52 school districts in this region, none have dropout rates that were greater than or equal to the national rate.? However, six Missouri and nine Illinois school districts in these five counties have dropout rates that exceed their statewide rates.?

Safe Neighborhoods and Juvenile Justice
Criminal activity in communities undermines the safety, health, and well-being of all its residents, particularly children.? In 2003, the national crime rate was 35.8 per 1,000 residents, while the violent crime rate was 4.7 per 1,000.? At the core of the St. Louis region, 127 St. Louis municipalities or city neighborhoods have overall crime rates that exceed the national rate, and 100 local communities have violent crime rates greater than the national figure.?

Youth Development and Economic Opportunity
The employment of parents is a key factor in determining if the fundamental life needs of children are met. ?Between 2001 and 2003, the number of parents unemployed for long periods of time (six months or longer) more than tripled.? ?Although the national unemployment rate has gone from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2003, rates in the St. Louis community have not declined significantly.? There are 55 ZIP codes in this region where unemployment rates are greater than the national rate.?

The employment of parents is a key factor in determining if the fundamental life needs of children are met. ?Between 2001 and 2003, the number of parents unemployed for long periods of time (six months or longer) more than tripled.? ?Although the national unemployment rate has gone from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2003, rates in the St. Louis community have not declined significantly.? There are 55 ZIP codes in this region where unemployment rates are greater than the national rate.?

Criminal activity in communities undermines the safety, health, and well-being of all its residents, particularly children.? In 2003, the national crime rate was 35.8 per 1,000 residents, while the violent crime rate was 4.7 per 1,000.? At the core of the St. Louis region, 127 St. Louis municipalities or city neighborhoods have overall crime rates that exceed the national rate, and 100 local communities have violent crime rates greater than the national figure.? The employment of parents is a key factor in determining if the fundamental life needs of children are met. ?Between 2001 and 2003, the number of parents unemployed for long periods of time (six months or longer) more than tripled.? ?Although the national unemployment rate has gone from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2003, rates in the St. Louis community have not declined significantly.? There are 55 ZIP codes in this region where unemployment rates are greater than the national rate.?

A high school diploma is the minimum requirement for most jobs.? Individuals without high school diplomas experience major impediments to achieving economic security and are more likely to be unemployed for longer periods of time.? The U.S. dropout rate in 2002 was 10.7%, while statewide dropout rates for Missouri and Illinois were lower at 3.9% and 4.6% respectively.? Of the 52 school districts in this region, none have dropout rates that were greater than or equal to the national rate.? However, six Missouri and nine Illinois school districts in these five counties have dropout rates that exceed their statewide rates.? Criminal activity in communities undermines the safety, health, and well-being of all its residents, particularly children.? In 2003, the national crime rate was 35.8 per 1,000 residents, while the violent crime rate was 4.7 per 1,000.? At the core of the St. Louis region, 127 St. Louis municipalities or city neighborhoods have overall crime rates that exceed the national rate, and 100 local communities have violent crime rates greater than the national figure.? The employment of parents is a key factor in determining if the fundamental life needs of children are met. ?Between 2001 and 2003, the number of parents unemployed for long periods of time (six months or longer) more than tripled.? ?Although the national unemployment rate has gone from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2003, rates in the St. Louis community have not declined significantly.? There are 55 ZIP codes in this region where unemployment rates are greater than the national rate.?

Early and adequate prenatal care is critical to ensuring that children get a healthy start in life.? When a mother has no access to medical care and receives late or no prenatal care, infants are placed at an increased risk of low birth weight, premature birth, long-term health problems, and even infant death.? In 2001, 3.1% of all births nationally were to mothers who had no or inadequate prenatal care.? Of the 138 ZIP codes examined in this report, 88, or nearly 64% have rates greater than the national percentage.? Of these, 30 have rates four times higher than the national rate. A high school diploma is the minimum requirement for most jobs.? Individuals without high school diplomas experience major impediments to achieving economic security and are more likely to be unemployed for longer periods of time.? The U.S. dropout rate in 2002 was 10.7%, while statewide dropout rates for Missouri and Illinois were lower at 3.9% and 4.6% respectively.? Of the 52 school districts in this region, none have dropout rates that were greater than or equal to the national rate.? However, six Missouri and nine Illinois school districts in these five counties have dropout rates that exceed their statewide rates.? Criminal activity in communities undermines the safety, health, and well-being of all its residents, particularly children.? In 2003, the national crime rate was 35.8 per 1,000 residents, while the violent crime rate was 4.7 per 1,000.? At the core of the St. Louis region, 127 St. Louis municipalities or city neighborhoods have overall crime rates that exceed the national rate, and 100 local communities have violent crime rates greater than the national figure.? The employment of parents is a key factor in determining if the fundamental life needs of children are met. ?Between 2001 and 2003, the number of parents unemployed for long periods of time (six months or longer) more than tripled.? ?Although the national unemployment rate has gone from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2003, rates in the St. Louis community have not declined significantly.? There are 55 ZIP codes in this region where unemployment rates are greater than the national rate.?