ST. LOUIS , December 1, 2003 – Wide disparities in child well-being exist between various parts of the St. Louis region, according to the 2003-2004 Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report produced by Vision for Children at Risk, a non-profit agency dedicated to improving the health and welfare of local children.

The report compares the well-being of children in 28 key indicators such as infant mortality, child abuse, high school graduation, and out-of-home placement. Data is broken down by zip code over five counties in the Missouri and Illinois portions of the region. This is the sixth edition of the report, first published in 1991.

“Disparities in child well-being in the St. Louis region are more severe than in other metropolitan areas,” said Richard Patton, executive director of Vision for Children at Risk. The disparities are largely related to socioeconomic disparities within the region, he said, and arise in part from the region's governmental fragmentation.

Risks disproportionately impact children of color. Of 37 zip codes in the region with an above-average minority population, children in seven out of 10 of these zip codes face severe risks to their fundamental well-being.

“The essential message of the report is this: To the extent we invest in the well-being of children and ensure that their fundamental life needs are met, will determine in large part how they will succeed in life,” Patton said.