Community Engagement
Washington County C-2000 Partnership
Community Engagement Report
February 2002
What does the Caring Communities Partnership do for Washington County?
The Partnership offers training and resources to help assess, interpret and prioritize the county's strengths and needs. Through a network of local, state, and federal partners, the Partnership enhances the county's access to funding sources and technical assistance to fill gaps or improve existing services.
What is the most immediate area of concern in Washington County?
The high school dropout rate. Between 1997 and 2000, Washington County has ranked 111, 110, 110, and 113 respectively out of 114 Missouri counties and St. Louis.
Risk and Protective Factors
The U.S. Dept. of Education identifies four risk factors associated with poor outcomes for children. These risk factors are:
- having a mother with less than a high school education:
- living in a family that received food stamps or cash welfare payments;
- living in a single parent household;
- having parents whose primary language is something other than English.
Children born in Washington County are at high risk in three of these areas: 32.9% are born to moms without h.s. diplomas, 41.6% receive food stamps and 21.9% live in single parent households according to Kids Count 2000 Data.
Prevention Pays
The Caring Communities Partnership supports preventive programs which build supports and connections for children before problems arise. These programs rely on early involvement in a child's life.
The two most successful methods to improve high school dropout rates are:
- Adequate preschool and early education programs that help prepare students
to learn and;
- Greater attention to early literacy
Under the Caring Communities Partnership Umbrella two programs and a literacy project provide these protective factors.
In it's third year, the Educare program provides training, educational toys, equipment and field trips for local childcare providers. Last quarter, 1373 Washington County children 1-5 years old participated in Educare.
FACES is a 5-year pilot project working with 50 families with pre-school children to reduce the potential for child abuse and neglect by streamlining coordinated services to enhance family life.
WalMart, the County Health Department, and the Washington County C-2000 Partnership teamed up to purchase 5,000 books. Each time a child gets a shot at the health department, they'll get a shot at improved reading skills ... with a free book!
