Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Early Childhood Obstacles to Success and Survival

http://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-28DC-Infants-Toddlers.pdf


Young children living in the District of Columbia’s Ward 7 and Ward 8 disproportionately face obstacles that impede their educational, developmental, and even survival potential, a new report finds. The analysis, conducted by Child Trends for the Bainum Family Foundation, indicates that infants and toddlers in those wards are up to 40 times more likely to face these obstacles than their peers in the District’s more affluent areas.

The analysis in Infants and Toddlers in the District of Columbia: A Statistical Look at Needs and Disparities explores factors correlated with early childhood success, assessing their prevalence in different parts of the District. It finds that, compared with those in more affluent areas, young children in the District’s poorest wards are:
  • Nearly 40 times more likely to have been born to women under age 20;
  • More than 20 times more likely to live in “concentrated poverty”;
  • More than six times more likely to live with only one parent;
  • Nearly five times more likely to live with parents who do not have a bachelor’s degree; and
  • Twice as likely to live in homes where no parent has stable employment.
The analysis also compares early childhood outcomes by ward and region. It finds that, compared with those in more affluent areas, young children in the District’s poorest wards are:
  • More than 100 times more likely to face neglect or other maltreatment;
  • Twice as likely to have been born prematurely and born to moms who received late or no prenatal health care; and
  • 25 times more likely to die before their first birthdays.

Approximately 9,000 infants are born in the District each year. U.S. Census Bureau data for 2014 indicates that more than 26,000 children ages 0-2 live in the District. Based on the 2010 census, African Americans accounted for 94 percent of Ward 8 residents and 95 percent of Ward 7 residents. African Americans accounted for 5 percent of Ward 3 residents.

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