Vision for Children - CMSL Report 2005

If you’re a child in the 63107 zip code in north St. Louis, you’re 17 times more likely to have been born with little or no prenatal care than if you reside in 63017 in west St. Louis County, and seven times more likely now to be living in alternative care away from your family. And, in 63107 there’s almost a two-thirds chance your family lives below the federal poverty level; in 63017 only 2 in 100 children live below the poverty level.

These figures typify the wide disparities in the health and well-being of children across the St. Louis bi-state region, according to the newly released 2005 edition of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis report published by Vision for Children at Risk, a non-profit agency dedicated to improving the health and welfare of local children.

The report shows that 3 in 10 area children, or 172,000, live in locations where risk factors are at severe levels. In addition, minority children are more likely to face severe risk; 75% of zip codes with above-average minority populations fall into the severe risk category. The number of children living in areas of severe risk has grown by 30,000 since the last Children of Metropolitan St. Louis report was published in 2003, with the increase attributed to rising levels of poverty.

“These wide gaps in child well-being are a major concern for our region,” said Richard Patton, executive director of Vision for Children at Risk. “When children are left behind because we don’t meet their basic needs for a healthy upbringing, our region pays for it. The cost is lost human potential as well as remedial costs from crime, chronic health conditions and an uneducated workforce.”

“The leadership, resources and support of the civic, 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,” Patton said.

Specific concerns noted in the report include:

The percentage of births to mothers in the St. Louis region receiving late or no prenatal care is more than four times the national average in more than 1 in 5 of the region’s zip codes.
The percentage of children placed in out-of-home care is more than double the national average in 17 of the 138 zip codes in the region.
In 127 municipalities and neighborhoods across the St. Louis region, crime rates exceed the national average.

Patton noted that a significant forward step in providing funding for children’s services is the 2004 passage of Children’s Services Fund taxes in the City of St. Louis, St. Charles County and Jefferson County. In addition, a Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Success has launched early literacy efforts in St. Louis city with the support of Mayor Francis Slay and funding from a $1-million federal Early Learning Opportunities Act grant.

The Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report compares the well-being of children across zip codes across the region, covering the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County in Missouri and Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois. More than 25 indicators are researched. This is the seventh edition of the report, first published in 1991.

Findings of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report have led to community action through the St. Louis Metropolitan Children’s Agenda. Convened and facilitated by Vision for Children at Risk, the Children’s Agenda involves more than 300 local children’s agencies and community organizations in collaborative strategic action. Efforts of the Children’s Agenda have resulted in many new programs and policies benefiting children.

Sponsors of the 2005 Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report are the St. Louis Mental Health Board, lead sponsor, along with SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Mercy Health Plans, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, First Bank and HealthCare USA.

Vision for Children at Risk brings together people, organizations and resources to work regionally to improve the well-being of St. Louis-area children. For more information, contact Vision for Children at Risk at (314) 534-6015 or visit www.visionforchildren.org.