'Cause for applause, cause for concern' over families, children
Teen pregnancy rates in Kent County are down. Teen suicides have increased. These insights and others, along with volumes of supporting statistics, are in the 20th edition of “Kids Count/Families in Delaware.”
The 248-page report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and released earlier this month, provides a county-by-county statistical breakdown that state officials said will help them work to improve the lives of children and families. As the executive summary indicates, the wellbeing of children and families is rapidly changing, which creates both “cause for applause and cause for concern.”
“I am grateful for the details and information included in this book that will provide an invaluable resource for us to make informed decisions as we strive to make the life of every young Delawarean more safe, healthy, productive and fulfilling,” said Gov. Markell in the foreword of the report.
Most of the statistics compare children in the state to those nationwide, providing important contextual information. For instance, the Kent-Sussex teen suicide rate increased in 2012 as national rates also increased.
Here is a snapshot of the some of the most important figures in Kent County.
Teenage pregnancy
Applause: The overall birth rate for Delaware teens, both ages 15-17 and ages 15-19, is below the national rate for the first time in 20 years. Live births per thousand females:
- Kent County, 16 for ages 15-17 and 34.4 for ages 15-19.
- Across Delaware, 16.2 for ages 15-17 and 33.7 for ages 15-19.
- Nationally, the rates are 17.9 for ages 15-17 and 34.7 for ages 15-19.
Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school, live in poverty and rely on public assistance, according to the report.
Ways the state and county helped reduce the rate: The Delaware Teen Pregnancy Prevention program aims to reduce unintended teenage pregnancies and teenage births. It uses various government, school and community-based programs, services and initiatives. Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention is supported with a grant from Health and Human Services and is designed to coordinate statewide adolescent pregnancy prevention initiatives, identify needs, target high-risk areas and populations, offer educational workshops and technical support and assist with linking programs and resources.
Did you know?
The Delaware Adolescent Program Inc. is the only statewide comprehensive school-based program in the nation that serves pregnant and parenting teens and their families. It offers academic instruction, childcare, and medical and social services.
Teen deaths by accident, homicide and suicide
Concern: Suicide has surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury-related deaths (averaging all age groups) nationwide. The suicide rate rose 15 percent in the last decade. Motor vehicle deaths decreased by 25 percent during the same period.
Sixty-four Delaware teens aged 15-19 committed suicide from 2000-2012 with a combined 20 suicides in the years 2011-12. Between January 1 and May 4, 2012, 11 teen suicides occurred in Kent and Sussex counties.
- In Delaware, 41.6 per 100,000 teenagers died injury- or suicide-related deaths per year from 2008-12.
- Nationally, the rate was 37.3 per year over the same time span.
Why is the Kent and Sussex County rate of teen suicide so high?
Following a high incidence of teen suicides in Kent and Sussex counties, the state invited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the epidemiology of suicide and nonfatal suicidal behavior of teens. The most commonly found circumstances surrounding suicide among the studied youth in Kent and Sussex counties were problems associated with mental health, a boyfriend, girlfriend or parent, legal issues and substance abuse.
Did you know?
Among youth 15-24 years old there are 100-200 suicide attempts for every completed suicide, according to the CDC.
Children with special needs: healthcare
Applause: Delaware’s figures outperform the national average when it comes to special needs children and the availability of healthcare.
- In Delaware, 7.9 percent of special needs children were without health insurance last year.
- Nationally, 9.3 percent of special needs kids went without health insurance in 2014.
On another positive note, 19.3 percent of these children in Delaware have unmet needs for specific healthcare services, better than the national average of 23.6 percent.
Exactly who are children with special needs?
The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau defines “children with special healthcare needs” as “those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.”
Across the list of 20 specific health issues asked about in the 2009/10 National Survey of Children with Special Healthcare Needs, the most common issue reported was asthma and/or allergies (59.4 percent). Nearly 50 percent of those children also had at least one other health issue from the survey list.
Did you know?
Delaware is one of the states to require newborn screening for all 29 metabolic deficiencies or disorders recommended by the March of Dimes.
Mental health professionals
Concern: The number of mental health professionals and psychiatrists working in Kent County is low compared to the rest of the state, while the number of patients they see per week is much higher.
Kent County mental health specialists who each see an average of 26 patients per week while New Castle and Sussex specialists see 22.
- Kent County has 105 mental health specialists seeing 26 patients per week and 20 psychiatrists seeing 69
- New Castle County has 405 mental health specialists (22 ppw) and 88 psychiatrists (42)
- Sussex County has 125 mental health specialists (22 ppw) and 11 psychiatrists (50)
If mental health issues are left untreated they can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence and suicide.
What is the state/county doing to help with this issue?
The Mental Health Association in Delaware, an affiliate of the National Mental Health Association, promotes improved mental well-being for all individuals and families in Delaware through education, support and advocacy.
The organization’s vision is to create “a climate for Mental Well Being in Delaware that is a model for the rest of the nation.” It hopes to help the public understand that mental illness, like physical illness, is part of an individual’s well-being and is a treatable condition.
Did you know?
Community mental health clinics throughout the state provide a variety of psychiatric and support services for Delawareans facing mental illness.
Children in one-parent families
Concern: The percentage of children (0 to 17 years old) in single-parent families in Delaware from 2012-14 was 39.5 percent, compared to the national average of 34.3 percent.
Research indicates that children growing up in families headed by a single parent face greater challenges and an increased risk for cognitive, financial, social and emotional concerns, according to the report. From 2008-12:
- In Kent County, 45.1 percent of all births were to single mothers
- In Sussex, it was 56.1 percent; in Wilmington, 70.1 percent
- For all of Delaware the percentage was 47.7
- Nationally, the number was 40.8 percent.
What is the state/county doing to help?
The biggest problem facing children in one-parent families appears to be receiving regular child-support payments from a noncustodial father or mother and the parent finding and paying for child care. The state has gotten tougher on parents who elect not to pay child support.
They could be faced with suspension of their Delaware driver license as well as occupational and professional licenses, they could have their state and federal tax refunds intercepted, or the state could require employers to deduct child support from paychecks, among other penalties. The additional funds can help ease the burden of paying for child care for a single parent.
Did you know?
For working single-parent families, child care is often very important. Research by Child Care Aware of America found that 21,442 Delawarean children under age 6 live with a single parent who is employed.
Children living in poverty
Concern: Close to 50,000 children in Delaware are living in poverty.
- In Kent and Sussex counties, 24.3 percent of children aged 0-17 are living in poverty.
- In Delaware, 21.2 percent of children are impoverished.
- Nationally, 22.1 percent of children live in poverty.
What is the state/county doing to help with this issue?
The Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research at the University of Delaware said the definition of poverty needs to be rewritten for the problem of poverty to be properly addressed.
The center said the measures currently used to define poverty are as much as 50 years old. Until today’s age of poverty is completely understood, it is going to be difficult to find a cure.
“Many research organizations, including the U.S. Census Bureau, have concluded that the official poverty measure is an antiquated standard that is no longer capable of capturing the economic need or determining whether working families earn enough to get by,” the center stated in the Kids Count report.
Did you know?
Children are especially vulnerable, and nearly twice as likely to be experiencing poverty as adults over age 65.
Download
The report download link is http://www.udel.edu/ccrs/KCDE2015/files/downloads/KCDE2015.pdf
To see the full report go to www.ccrs.udel.edu/kids-count