Some 583,000 children under the age of 18 reside in the five core counties of the St. Louis region (St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County in Missouri and Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois).  This seventh edition of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis (CMSL) report finds that large disparities continue to exist related to the health and well-being of our children.  Just over 172,000 children-almost 30% in this five-county area- reside in ZIP codes where risks to their well-being are severe.  An additional 35,000 children live in high risk ZIP codes.

Children who reside in the City of St. Louis are disproportionately impacted by the risks examined.  Of the 18 ZIP codes that make up the City of St. Louis, 13, or just over 72% have a severe risk ranking.  This compares to 23.3% of St. Clair County ZIP codes, 20% of ZIP codes that make up St. Louis County, 9.4% of Madison County ZIP codes, and no St. Charles County ZIP codes.

Risks to the health and well-being are most severe for minority children.  Of the 36 ZIP codes in this five-county region that have a minority population above the national norm of 32.2%, 27, or 75% fall in the severe risk category.  An additional five ZIP codes rank in the high risk category.  This translates into 88.8% of ZIP codes with a minority population greater than the U.S. average falling into the severe-to-high risk category.  All 13 of the St. Louis City ZIP codes which are in the severe risk category have a minority population greater than the national average. 

In the past few years, through partnerships among the non-profit, social service, and government sectors, there have been many victories for children in the St. Louis region.   A few examples include:  the Maternal/Child Health Coalition securing on-going funding to improve the health of children in the region; voters in Jefferson and St. Charles Counties and the City of St. Louis supporting the creation of taxes to fund services for children; the City of St. Louis receiving a $1 million Early Learning Opportunity Act grant to improve early learning and literacy for the very young; and Mayor Slay’s establishment of the Commission on Children, Youth and Families in the City of St. Louis.  It is our hope that in the coming years these initiatives will produce better outcomes for those children most at-risk.

Working to improve the health and well-being of children and youth can no longer be addressed by non-profits and social service agencies alone.  The leadership, resources, and supports of the civic, business, philanthropic, and corporate sectors are needed to improve the future of our region by investing in children and youth.  Providing children with quality opportunities to learn, grow, and develop ensures that they will become healthy, productive members of our society.  That is essential to creating a more viable and sustainable St. Louis region.     

Following are data highlights from each of the critical needs areas addressed by the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis report.

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.