The Future of Texas: A Report on the Status of Our Children 2008-2010

THE

Future OF Texas A Report on

the Status of Our Children

2008-2010

Featuring

POLICY PRIORITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN:

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Food Programs

Health Care Immunizations

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Children’s Mental Health

CHILD POVERTY Juvenile Justice Child Care and Early Education CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Speak Out AND Drive Change FOR

CHILDREN!

Join our E-Advocacy Network!

CHILDREN AT RISK has launched an online initiative to educate community members and child advocates on pressing issues regarding Houston’s children. Members will receive informational updates on the prevalent needs of Houston’s children and calls-to-action as the Legislative Session progresses. We urge you to join our initiative to improve the quality of life of all of Houston’s children.

Sign up at www.childrenatrisk.org

OUR STAFF Robert Sanborn Ed.D. President & CEO sanborn@childrenatrisk.org

Diana Zarzuelo Deputy Director dzarzuelo@childrenatrisk.org

Mandi Sheridan Kimball Senior Public Policy Analyst mkimball@childrenatrisk.org

Jennifer Solak Staff Attorney jsolak@childrenatrisk.org

Margot Dankner Project Coordinator mdankner@childrenatrisk.org

Jaime Hanks Project Coordinator jhanks@childrenatrisk.org

Sara Prentice Operations Coordinator sprentice@childrenatrisk.org

Heidi Black Development Associate hblack@childrenatrisk.org

Shilpa Rao Volunteer Coordinator srao@childrenatrisk.org

Karen Clark Harpold Staff Attorney/Writer kharpold@childrenatrisk.org

Richard Kerr Business Manager rkerr@childrenatrisk.org

Rashena Lindsay Public Relations Consultant rashena@pretcfirm.com

Alexandra Montgomery Futurist/Researcher amontgomery@childrenatrisk.org

L E T T E R

F R O M

T H E

P R E S I D E N T

A N D

C E O

In the two decades that CHILDREN AT RISK has published its report Growing up in Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children, we have tracked 130 indicators that demonstrate a dangerous gap between what is best for our children and what we in the state of Texas, and in the city of Houston, provide.

Consider the following: Drop out rates: More than half of students who start high school in Houston ISD do not graduate in four years.

Poverty: 22% of children in Texas live in poverty. Almost half our children in Harris County live at or near the poverty line.

Infant Mortality: The death rate of infants less than a year has been on the rise in Harris County since 2000, a trend opposite that seen nationally.

Teen Births: Texas is number three in the U.S. with 14% of all births being to teen mothers.

Human Trafficking: Across the U.S., approximately 100,000 runaway youth are lured into a life of sexual slavery each year. Houston is one of the major hubs of human trafficking.

Progress has been made, but it is not enough.

CHILDREN AT RISK believes that our society’s highest goal must be to ensure that its children are safe and their basic needs are met, including access to quality health care and education. The human cost of failure is tragic, and the financial tab staggering. A youth directed to juvenile detention instead of community-based services costs our community $55,000 year; more than 25% of high school dropouts live at our below the poverty line; the direct health care costs of obesity was $4.7 billion in 2001. CHILDREN AT RISK’s legislative agenda for the 81st Texas Legislative Session reflects our belief that now is the time to act on these issues, and provides concrete solutions that will make a difference. By working together, we can provide hope to the children of Houston and Texas that their future is bright and that we can achieve our vision of making our state the best place for children.

Sincerely,

Bob Sanborn, Ed.D.

IN THIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WE HIGHLIGHT 10 PRIORITIES: Child Poverty.............................................................................................................. 2 Food Programs........................................................................................................... 3 Health Care................................................................................................................ 4 Immunizations............................................................................................................ 5 Childhood Obesity...................................................................................................... 6 Children’s Mental Health.............................................................................................. 7 Human Trafficking...................................................................................................... 8 Juvenile Justice.......................................................................................................... 10 Child Care and Early Education.................................................................................. 11 Public Education....................................................................................................... 12

P O L I C Y P R I O R I T I E S A N D R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

Child Poverty Over 23 percent of Harris County children live in poverty.

Similarly, 22 percent of Texas children live below the poverty line compared to 17.6 percent nationally.

Poverty is one of the most far reaching and wide-spread problems in the United States. It is especially debilitating for children, as it affects nearly every aspect of their lives in key stages of development, leaving lasting consequences. Texas is ranked 46th in the nation for percentage of children living in poverty. Over 23% of Harris County children live in poverty. Similarly, 22% of Texas children live below the poverty line compared to 17.6% nationally.

A family living on income below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is referred to as poor. In 2008, the FPL was $21,200 for a family of four.

Families living with incomes below 200% or twice the FPL ($42,400 in 2008), are referred to as low-income.

Even this level is often inadequate, as expenses today account for much more than three times the cost of food. 1 Expenses such as health care, rent/mortgage, childcare, and transportation greatly increase the amount a family needs to meet their basic needs. A family of four living in Houston needs between 208% to 260% of the federal poverty level, depending on insurance coverage.2

Recent statistics show that 47% of children in Harris County live in low-income families. This statistic compares to 39% of children nationally. Of the low-income children in Texas, 56% were living in families with married parents, compared to 48% nationally. Of these children, 62% have at least one parent who is employed full-time, year round, compared to 56% nationally.3 Poverty deprives a child of many of the most basic necessities in life, and it affects a child’s social, emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Growing up at or below the poverty level is indicative of other related problems, such as teen pregnancy, low graduation rates, and inadequate early childhood education and healthcare. Our communities must be prepared to address not only the root issue of poverty, but also to prevent consequences that otherwise may be the result of growing up in need.

Policy Recommendations: To assist greater numbers of those in need, eligibility, income requirements, and the application process for aid should be made less restrictive and more accessible.

Poverty issues can also be alleviated by addressing related problems such as teen pregnancy, low graduation rates, and inadequate early childhood education and health care.

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK has held press conferences, continuing legal education conference and policy luncheons to educate the community and will continue to raise awareness during the legislative session.

children at risk 2008-2010

Food Programs Texas has over 1.3 million households, or 16%, that are food insecure.

The Food Stamp Program, School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, and Summer Food Program each contribute to alleviating food insecurity for these families. The number of people participating in the Food Stamp Program in Texas has increased by 82 percent since 2000. However, only 60% of those eligible for food stamps in Texas participate in the program. 4 Childhood hunger continues to be a real and persistent problem in the Houston/Harris County area. In Harris County, participation numbers for children who are approved to receive a free school lunch and breakfast continue to be too low. In 2007, only 75 percent of children approved to receive free lunch participated, and only 39 percent of children approved to receive free breakfast took advantage of the benefit.5 Participation numbers are similarly low for those students approved to receive a reduced-price lunch and breakfast. During summer months, participation in these federal nutrition programs drop significantly.

In Texas, only 8.1% of low-income children participated in the Summer Food Program compared to 18.1% of low-income children nationwide in 2007.6

Only 60 percent of those eligible for food stamps in Texas participate in the program.

Policy Recommendations: For many low-income students, eating at school may be the only nutritious meals they have during the day and research shows breakfast is a key component in combating childhood obesity. It is imperative to increase School Food Program participation rates for low-income children. Texas should: (1) invest in universal school breakfast and lunch programs that have proven to be successful and financially beneficial to school districts; (2) explore alternative service methods to maximize student participation such as grab-and-go, and breakfast in the classroom; and (3) develop partnerships between school boards, corporations and government officials to bring in additional resources to expand meal programs to all students.

children at risk 2008-2010

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK has met with local school districts to learn ways in which universal breakfast and lunch programs can become more utilized and easy for students to access.

CHILDREN AT RISK promotes awareness of these policies through press conferences and policy luncheons.

Health Care Texas has by far the highest percentage of uninsured children at 24.6 percent compared to the national average of 15.3%.7 Of the approximately 1.4 million Texas children who lack health insurance, more than 700,000 are eligible but not enrolled in health coverage.

A 2007 agreement in the Frew v.

Hawkins lawsuit allocated $706.7 million in general state revenue to increase eligible children’s access to Medicaid, including increasing physician and dental reimbursement rates. In addition, the 80th Texas Legislature amended the law to

state dollar it spends on Medicaid.

Currently, Texas spends $1,583 per year per child enrolled.

Children without health coverage are three times more likely as insured children to lack having a regular doctor. Uninsured children are less likely to be up-to-date on immunizations and to receive treatment for sore throats, earaches, and other common childhood illnesses, and have more school absences than children with insurance.

CHILDREN AT RISK As chair of the Gulf Coast CHIP Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK collaboratively works with statewide leaders to ensure that children have access to quality health care.

Texas has by far the highest percentage of uninsured children at 24.6 percent compared to the national average of 15.3%. enable Texas to insure more of its children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and provide the services necessary to children’s health. From June 2007 to June 2008, CHIP enrollment in Harris County has steadily increased to a high of 90,553, compared to the Texas enrollment of 444,873 children.

CHIP Perinatal has proven to be a successful program with 15,748 children enrolled in June 2008 in Harris County compared to 60,086 children enrolled in Texas.8 Children make up the majority of Medicaid enrollees in Texas. In 2006, children were 59% of Texas Medicaid enrollees. However, Texas only spends 28% of the state’s Medicaid budget on children.9 It is important to insure all eligible children and maximize federal funding. The state receives $1.55 in federal matching funds for every

Policy Recommendations: It is critical to increase awareness of resources available to the uninsured in order to increase enrollment. It is also critical to maximize federal funding and appropriate state dollars so that all Texas children will be insured. CHILDREN AT RISK strongly recommends: (1) twelve month eligibility for Medicaid; (2) a CHIP buy-in program for children whose families do not qualify for CHIP due to their income, but cannot afford private health care coverage; and (3) increase provider reimbursement rates for CHIP and Medicaid.

children at risk 2008-2010

Immunizations CHILDREN AT RISK

Vaccination programs that target infants and children have dramatically reduced the prevalence of many serious diseases in the United States.

Timely vaccinations are crucial.

If children are not vaccinated during their first two years of life,

In 2006, Texas ranked 34th nationally in immunizing children ages 19 to 35 months.12 Challenges to on-time and age-appropriate immunizations include lack of awareness and low vaccination reimbursement rates for physicians.

By co-sponsoring an annual Health Fair with Univision, CHILDREN AT RISK enables thousands of Houston families to receive free immunizations and basic medical services. In addition, CHILDREN AT RISK collaborates with statewide coalitions to ensure that all children have access to immunizations at an early age and that records are appropriately registered in a statewide database.

In 2006, 70 percent of Houston children received timely vaccination coverage. This is less than the Texas rate at 74.7 percent and the national average of 77 percent. when they are most susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases, they are left unprotected. Recent efforts by providers in Harris County to increase immunization rates have had a significant impact: in 2005 nearly 76.6 percent of Houston children between 19 and 35 months had completed the 4:3:1:3:3:1 schedule on time. In 2006, 70 percent of Houston children received timely vaccination coverage. This is less than the Texas rate at 74.7 percent10 and the national average of 77 percent.11

Policy Recommendations: In public health emergencies, it is critically important that immunization information is readily available for children and adults so that resources can be directed to where they are most needed to prevent the devastating effects of infectious diseases. It is imperative that immunization records be stored in a state-wide immunization registry to reduce record fragmentation and the need to re-immunize children.

children at risk 2008-2010

CHILDREN AT RISK recommends: (1) allowing children currently in ImmTrac to maintain their records in ImmTrac after they turn 19 years old; (2) permit ImmTrac to link to health information networks in other states, particularly during public health emergencies; (3) mandate higher reimbursement rates from insurance companies for vaccines; and (4) repeal the business tax on vaccine inventory so that providers can afford to continue to offer vaccines in their clinics.

Childhood Obesity Over the past 25 years, the prevalence of overweight American children between the ages of 6 and 19 has nearly tripled, with one third of current children being overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

Texas is ranked sixth in the nation for childhood obesity, with over 25 percent of Texas children classified as overweight. Over 21 percent of Harris County students are overweight, and an additional 16.1 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. The increase in the number of American children who are overweight or at

in adults, increases a person’s risk for several health problems.

Approximately 60% of overweight children between 5 and 10 years of age already have one risk factor for heart disease.13 The direct health care costs of obesity totaled $4.2 billion dollars in Texas during 2001. Indirect costs of obesity, such as lost productivity due to illness or premature death, amounted to $6.3 billion in Texas during 2001.14 Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) organization

drafted legislative policies that encourage ways of promoting child health and reducing childhood obesity. These include: (1) creation of oversight of the school health requirements; and (2) a consistent methodology for measuring a child’s body composition by calculating a child’s body mass index (BMI).

School health requirements should be subject to oversight, and we must strengthen policies in our cities, counties and in our schools that promote healthy lifestyles and decrease childhood obesity.

Texas is ranked sixth in the nation for childhood obesity, with over 25 percent of Texas children classified as overweight.

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK has joined forces with statewide coalitions to strengthen school polices that will decrease childhood obesity.

risk for becoming overweight is an alarming public health epidemic of this generation.

As an epidemic, childhood obesity affects not only the health of our population but also our economy.

Poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity are the fundamental causes of childhood obesity. Obesity in children, similar to obesity

(which conducts research on the prevalence of childhood obesity) has been unable to produce the necessary data for 2006-2008 to provide full and accurate updated information.

Texas lawmakers have aimed to prevent and treat the public health epidemic through multiple avenues.

For example, the Legislature has directed schools to implement coordinated health and physical education programs and school nutrition has also been a focus. The 80th Texas Legislature attempted to address childhood obesity through minimum physical education requirements for students in grades K-8 and fitness exams.

Policy Recommendations: Although Texas has made significant progress in addressing childhood obesity, more in-depth guidance is needed. CHILDREN AT RISK has

Children’s Mental Health The prevalence rate of children and adolescents with mental health illnesses is staggering. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 20% of the nation’s

begin by age 14 and three quarters by age 24.16 Of youth in juvenile justice systems, 60% have at least one mental disorder, with at least 20% experiencing significant functional

for mental health assessment and determination of status offenses, misdemeanors, or need for detention.

During the same year, 25% of the youth committed to Texas Youth

Among the estimated 1,443,371 children in Texas with a diagnosable mental illness, 214,064 children are residents of Harris County. children have a diagnosable mental illness; this equates to one in five children and adolescents having a mental health disorder.15 Among the estimated 1,443,371 children in Texas with a diagnosable mental illness, 214,064 children are residents of Harris County. It is estimated that only half of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive mental health services in a given year.

Several studies have shown that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness

impairment from a serious mental illness.17 More than 50% of students with a mental disorder age 14 and older drop out of high school, resulting in the highest dropout rate of any disability group.18 Texas ranks 49th in funding for children’s outpatient mental health services.

CHILDREN AT RISK has found that in 2007 there were 23,164 children in Harris County age 10-17 who were referred to intake units

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK in partnership with local community organizations submitted a Mental Health Docket proposal to the Harris County Commissioner’s Court. The goal of the proposed Juvenile Mental Health Docket is to coordinate effective services for seriously mentally ill juvenile offenders, while ensuring the safety of the community. The Juvenile Mental Health Docket was approved for funding in December of 2008 and implemented early January 2009. Benefits to Harris County include: decreased recidivism of mentally ill juvenile offenders; savings generated by diverting youth from expensive placement facilities; the development of mental health resources in our the community; and the best use of available resources.

Commission (TYC) facilities came from Harris County. Of those 593 youth, 36% were diagnosed with mental illness. Research has shown that juvenile detention has critical, long-lasting consequences for courtinvolved youth.19 Furthermore, detention in juvenile facilities is expensive, costing taxpayers $149.58 a day per child in 2007.20 The cost of providing community based wraparound services to juvenile offenders is much less, as evidenced by the adult mental health program in Harris County. The community based supervision and treatment programs provided to adults in the Mental Health Court system costs $4,500 per year, compared to the $14,600 per year it costs to incarcerate one adult offender.21 And treating the mentally ill as they cycle through jail and emergency psychiatric wards is even more expensive.

Policy Recommendations: CHILDREN AT RISK recommends the 81st Legislature appropriate and maximize funding for Juvenile Mental Health Dockets including funding to expand mental health community based services to divert juvenile justice-involved youth from detention.

Human Trafficking Human Trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world and yields an estimated $9 billion in profit each year.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. Human trafficking is a high-profit, low-risk endeavor for traffickers and often carries penalties far less severe than that of drug trafficking. For that reason, there is now an international and domestic market for the trade of human beings.

It is the second largest criminal industry in the world and yields an estimated $9 billion in profit each year.22 The most common victims to this crime are women and young children.23 The United States is especially challenged with a large

internal or domestic component of human trafficking for the purposes of both sexual and labor exploitation.

Houston is a major hub for both international and domestic human trafficking. Texas is especially vulnerable to this crime as the I-10 corridor has been named by the Department of Justice as the main route for human trafficking in the United States.

Nationally 450,000 children run away each year. It has been reported that

within 48 hours of being on the street one out of three children (150,000 children) are lured into prostitution or pornography. In the United States, the average age of entry into pornography and prostitution is 12.24 Seventy-five percent of these children are controlled by a person who solicits them for prostitution, receives money and then maintains control of their daily lives. In Houston, approximately 600 children and adolescents are victims of this horrendous crime per night.

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK was instrumental in the authoring and passage of four major pieces of human trafficking legislation during the 80th Texas State Legislative Session. Through press conferences, continuing legal education programs, and policy luncheons, CHILDREN AT RISK has worked to raise awareness of this overlooked issue from both the domestic and international perspectives. CHILDREN AT RISK works collaboratively with other statewide coalitions to educate the legal and law enforcement communities on the problem of human trafficking so that more victims can be identified and ultimately, receive assistance.

Due to the hidden nature of human trafficking, gathering statistics is complicated and difficult. Most are educated guesses based on trends and usually represent an underestimation of trafficking on a global and national scale. However, despite the complications, the U.S. Department of State has determined that of the 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked across borders each year, 70% are female and 50% are children, the majority of which are forced into the sex trade. The Department of State also has estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year, and the number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even greater.

In Harris County, since 2005, the Human Trafficking Assistance Program and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance have worked together to certify 110 victims.

Within the last quarter of 2007, 30% of all the National Human Trafficking Hotline calls were from Texas and 25% of all certified victims were from Texas. From December 2007 through May 2008, 275 calls were made to the Human Trafficking Hotline. Houston

leads Texas with 99 calls, followed

by Austin (27), Dallas (24), and San Antonio (18).25

Policy Recommendations: The 81st Legislative Session provides a unique opportunity to strengthen Texas’ current human trafficking laws, pass new laws that will further prevention and prosecution of the crime, and educate law enforcement and the public about human trafficking.

CHILDREN AT RISK strongly recommends: (1) creating a statewide Human Trafficking Task Force that would provide centralized oversight, direction, and assistance of these priorities; (2) mandating training of law enforcement; (3) mandating hotline postings in sexually oriented businesses; (4) increasing protection against underage human trafficking victims; and (5) studying alternatives to the juvenile justice system for domestic human trafficking victims.

Juvenile Justice The number of children and adolescents that are impacted by the juvenile justice system continues to increase and has a long lasting impact. Recidivism is defined as the adjudication for a second offense which is greater than or equal to the severity of the first adjudicated

In 2007, 4,978 juveniles were housed in Harris County Juvenile Detention facilities at an approximate annual cost of $54,500 per child. The average per-day cost to retain children in these facilities continues to rise, increasing 16 percent from 2005 to 2007.

percent to 25.5 percent since 2003.

The average cost to house a juvenile committed to TYC has continued to increase over the past 16 years. In 2006 the average cost was $162.88 a day or $59,451 a year. 27

In Harris County, of those juveniles adjudicated for an offense, 61.2% were referred again by committing another offense within one year of the original referral. offense. In Harris County, of those juveniles adjudicated for an offense, 61.2% were referred again by committing another offense within one year of the original referral.26 These statistics imply that a need exists for increased prevention and support measures following the juvenile’s adjudication to keep them from re-committing offenses.

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK works to decrease recidivism rates in the juvenile justice system by calling for communitybased programs as well as working to strengthen the position of the Independent Ombudsman to the Texas Youth Commission.

The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) is the state’s juvenile correction agency. Once a juvenile is found guilty of a delinquent act, a judge can commit the juvenile to TYC. In 2007, the Texas Legislature changed the definition of conduct that makes a youth eligible for commitment to TYC to include only felony conduct and repealed committable misdemeanor conduct. Commitments to TYC typically are children ages 10 to 17. However, TYC can maintain jurisdiction over these offenders until age 19. Lawmakers instituted sweeping changes to TYC to address longstanding institutional problems affecting some of Texas’ most at-risk children and created the Independent Ombudsman position. Subsequent to these reforms, there were 2,327 new commitments to TYC in 2007, ending six straight years of increasing new commitments to TYC facilities.

In 2007, Harris County accounted for 25 percent of all new TYC commitments in Texas. Although the overall number of new commitments has decreased, the percentage of commitments from Harris County has steadily increased from 15.9

In Harris County, the number of youth prosecuted and certified as adults nearly doubled in 2006.

While approximately 55 juveniles were prosecuted as adults each year between 2003 and 2005, that number jumped to 90 in 2006 and to 81 in 2007. Placing children in the adult criminal court system and detaining them in adult correctional facilities is known to put them at significantly greater risk of harm.

Policy Recommendations: The Ombudsman’s Office, created by the 80th Texas Legislature, is charged with investigating, evaluating and securing the rights of children committed to TYC. The efforts of this office are futile however if TYC is not required to respond to or address issues raised in the Ombudsman’s report.

CHILDREN AT RISK recommends that TYC be required to respond to the Independent Ombudsman reports and investigations.

Child Care and Early Education Education is the pathway for many children to pull themselves out of poverty. A child’s healthy development and academic progress greatly depends on positive and stimulating experiences during the first six years of life. Multiple studies have shown that there are significant measurable benefits for a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and language

facilities accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). These higher standards are meant to provide a safe and healthy physical environment and maintain policies that ensure higher-quality experiences for the children, families, and staff. Of all Texas’ accredited providers, 15% are within Harris County.

Policy Recommendations: In order to ensure that our schools and early education opportunities meet the needs of our vast population of children, CHILDREN AT RISK recommends mandatory Kindergarten for all age-appropriate children in Texas and the creation of a full-day voluntary Pre-K program.

As of early 2006, 33,506 eligible children in Texas were on a waiting list for child care subsidies and not receiving assistance. development if introduced to highquality early child care, especially for low-income children. Specifically, the future academic success of early child care can reap benefits such as higher graduation rates and college attendance, higher math and reading scores, and fewer teen pregnancies.

With almost half of Houston children living at or below the poverty level, parents are challenged to find affordable and safe quality child care.

The Texas Workforce Commission manages federal funds that provide child care subsidies for Texas’ lowincome children. In 2007 the WorkSource provided child care subsidies to a total of 46,893 children in Harris County under the age of 14. However, as of early 2006, 33,506 eligible children in Texas were on a waiting list for child care subsidies and not receiving assistance. In Harris County alone, only 10% of children who are eligible for subsidized child care are receiving services. In 2008, Texas had the sixth highest number of accredited child care providers with 396 providers, or 4.4% of all

Both Head Start and district Pre-K programs are important in providing low-income children learning opportunities that they would not otherwise be able to access. The availability of these programs also positively impacts parents’ ability to work during the day. In Texas, it is mandated that Pre-K be offered in each district that identifies 15 or more children who are eligible in the system and are at least four years of age. Eligibility for Pre-K is given to those children who are unable to speak or comprehend the English language, are economically disadvantaged, are homeless, are the children of active military personnel, or the children of someone killed or inured in active duty. In 2004, 24,563 Harris County children participated in a Pre-K program; this number increased to 34, 965 in 2007. In Texas, 176,547 attended Pre-K in 2004 and 193,869 in 2007.28 Although participation in Pre-K has increased, there are still many children going without the opportunity to receive an early education.

CHILDREN AT RISK Research shows that early education is a key to future success in school achievement. For that reason, CHILDREN AT RISK works to ensure that every child has access to this crucial step in their educational development, especially including access to Pre-K and Kindergarten.

Public Education According to several independent research organizations, nearly one in three students in Texas fail to graduate.29 Students drop out for complex reasons. Several indicators contribute to academic success such as early education, economic status, community support, and studentteacher relationships. However, students often encounter obstacles and challenges in their educational experience such as disconnection to one’s school, home or community, boredom, lack of guidance and encouragement, disengaging teaching practices, and economic hardships.

In 2007, 53.5% of children in Harris County public schools were considered “at risk” of dropping out, compared to 48.3% of children in Texas.30 It is important that communities and schools develop

CHILDREN AT RISK CHILDREN AT RISK continues to host an Annual Education Reform Conference and publish our High School Rankings Report with the Houston Chronicle to draw attention to our public education system and highlight solutions to improve the quality of education provided to our children. In addition, CHILDREN AT RISK continues to seek transparency in the methodology of reporting graduation rates.

2007 were classified as economically disadvantaged.31 Research indicates that economically disadvantaged students struggle in public schools as a result of their low-income status.

Low-income children are faced with several obstacles, such as safe and stable child care, health coverage,

In 2007 there were a total of 399 registered alternative education program (AEP) campuses in Texas, six of which are in Harris County.

Students may be referred to AEPs if they exhibit poor grades, disruptive behavior, pregnancy, delinquency, or other dropout warning signs.

In 2007, 53.5% of children in Harris County public schools were considered “at risk” of dropping out, compared to 48.3% of children in Texas. programs that support effective, sustainable, and coordinated dropout prevention and re-entry programs in high schools with high dropout rates. As the number of students identified as at-risk increases, Texas must proactively implement new systems and policies that support the academic, emotional, and social needs of these students.

In 2007, 53.6 percent of students in Harris County, compared to 55.2 percent in Texas, were economically disadvantaged according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In the Houston Independent School District, 82.8 percent of students in

housing, and food security. Students deemed economically disadvantaged are 52 percent more likely to quit school than their counterparts.

Texas ranked 41st out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in expenditure per student. In 20052006 Houston ISD spent $7,472 per student and Texas spent $7,561, compared to the national average of $9,138.32 Texas also has higher average class size and average studentto-teacher ratio than the national average. Due to research showing that students do better in smaller classes, student-to-teacher ratios are on the decline in Harris County as well as across the nation.

Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs) were mandated in 1995. The number of students

placed in DAEPs has increased dramatically, approximately 47 percent in five years. Over the past few years, the length of students’ stays at DAEP campuses has also increased significantly. Studies show that students that are referred to DAEPs are five times more likely to dropout of school.33 According to the TEA, in 2005-2006, 23.9 percent (30,606 referrals) of referrals to DAEPs were special education. In most counties in Texas however, only nine to thirteen percent of students are classified as special education.34 In addition to increased referrals to alternative education programs, data shows that 80% of referrals are discretionary.

Statistics for graduation and dropout rates vary depending on the formula used to calculate them. Using either measure, Houston has a surprisingly high number of students who do not finish high school. The Manhattan Institute’s graduation calculation

method compares the number of entering freshmen and the number of graduating seniors in that class four years later. A similar method used by CHILDREN AT RISK shows that in the Houston Independent School District alone 51.2% of the students who start the 9th grade will not graduate from high school in four years.

This is a more stringent calculation of graduation and dropout rates than that used by the TEA. In comparison, the self-reported graduation rate for Texas was 80.4 percent with Houston ISD at 67.1 percent. In addition to addressing why students drop out of high school, accuracy in the data reported by government agencies has been an issue brought to light by consistent underreporting of dropout rates across the nation and in Texas. Underreported dropout data underscores the urgent need for legislation creating transparency in

C O N C L U S I O N The needs of our children cannot be met by one organization, one lawmaker, or one school principal.

They cannot be met without the collaboration, hard work, and imagination of all those in our community who affect the daily lives of our children. Every child has the right to a safe, stable home in which to grow; sufficient shelter, food and medical care; and adequate opportunity for social, emotional and intellectual growth. The challenges facing our children are not new, and it is urgent that we, as a community, address them now if we hope to look ahead to a bright future for our city and state. CHILDREN AT RISK is optimistic that a new awareness has dawned that our children truly are our future.

graduation and dropout rates and the need for change to our current public education system.

Policy Recommendations: Dropouts cost a state in many different ways –higher crime and incarceration rates, increased welfare, more dependence on public health care, and most significantly, the future economic benefits of earning a high school diploma. The quality of our future workforce, social services, and economy depends on the current education of our children. CHILDREN AT RISK strongly recommends: (1) increased behavior management training for teachers to decrease discretionary referrals to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs; and (2) a transparent methodology for calculating graduation/dropout rates so that Texas realizes the significant number of children the education system loses every year.

C H I L D R E N AT R I S K 2 0 0 9 E V E N T S 2009 CALENDAR Corporate Breakfast on the Status of Houston’s Children and Our Future Workforce

January 13

3rd Annual Children’s Summit: The Status of Our Children

January 20

Children’s Advocacy Day in Austin

February 4

State Human Trafficking Summit

February 17

Human Trafficking Advocacy Day

February 25

High School Rankings Report Published in the Houston Chronicle

April 12

Policy Lunch Series: Childhood Obesity

April 23

Legislative Report Card Press Conference

Early June

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Conference

June 12

3rd Annual Future of Houston’s Children Conference

June 30

Policy Lunch Series: Juvenile Justice and Mental Health

September 9

Children’s Law Symposium (CLE)

October 16

Nuestra Familia, Nuestra Salud Health Fair In Partnership with Univision

November 1

4th Annual Education Reform Conference

November 3

Listen Up! Tune in for 30 minutes of lively expert discussion about Houston’s children!

CHILDREN AT RISKS’s Weekly Radio Show

Growing Up in Houston Tuesdays, 11:30-Noon on KPFT 90.1 FM

THA N K YOU TO OU R 2008 TOP S UPPO RTE RS The Holthouse Foundation for Kids The Brown Foundation St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities Anonymous El Paso The Simmons Foundation

Shell Baylor Methodist Community Health Fund Maconda B. O’Connor, Brown Foundation, Inc. United Way Reliant Energy Gulf States Toyota

CH I LDR E N AT R ISK BOAR D OF DI R ECTO RS Marcia Alexander Community Volunteer Jason Bailey The Downtown Club Philamena Baird Community Volunteer Bob Baker El Paso Kevin Berchelmann Triangle Performance Mary Botkin Willis HRH Andy Buttacavoli Sara Lee Justin R. Curren AmWINS Brokerage of Texas Susie Dilg Community Volunteer Angelo Giardino, MD, PhD, MPH Texas Children’s Health Plan & Baylor College of Medicine Christopher Greeley, MD UT Health Sciences Center

Regay M. Hildreth RMH Marketing & Media James Holtz Holtz & Wright Pam Humphrey ACE USA Toby Hynes Gulf States Toyota, Inc. George Jordan III Fulbright & Jaworski Shelda Keith ABB Mortgage Jane Lehman Attorney Susan Lindberg Attorney Michael Maher Presenture Susan Mullins Gifts with Heart Jim Outlaw Trustmark Bank - Texas Larry Payne Educational Excellence Resource Group LLC

Carroll G. Robinson, Esq. Texas Southern University Alyssa Rodriguez UBS Financial Services David Roylance Reliant Energy Jeffrey R. Starke, MD Ben Taub Hospital Myron F. (Buddy) Steves, Jr. Myron Steves Lisa Wallace Community Volunteer Robert Westendarp Griffin Americas Drew Wilson Thomson Reuters Frazier Wilson, EdD Shell Oil Company Robert Zincke Former President, Kroger Robert Sanborn, EdD

President & CEO

ENDNOTES 1

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8

9

NCCP, “ Basic Facts about Low-Income Children”. www.nccp.org/publications/pub_678 Center for Public Policy Priorities, Family Budget Estimator. www.cppp.org/fbe/estimator_step1.hph.

NCCP, “ Demographics of Poor Children” www.nccp.org/profiles/TX_profiles_7.

Texas Health and Human Service Commission. Information request 2008.

Texas Department of Agriculture. Information request.

Food and Research Action Center. “State of States 2005”.

Texas Health and Human Service Commission. Information request 2008.

Texas Health and Human Service Commission. Information request 2008.

American Academy of Pediatrics. Texas Medicaid Fact- January 2007 10 Texas Medical Association. https://texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=6110 11 Center for Disease Control and Prevention 12 Texas Medical Association. https//texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=6110 13 Childhood obesity, Office of the Governor Rick Perry: www.Governor.state.tx.us/divisions/women/work/health/obesity 14 The Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Texas, 200- 2004. Austin, TX: Texas Department of Health, 2004 15 United States Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Mental Health Information Center.

16 Kessler, R., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, & Walters, E. (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV. 17 Skowyra, K.R. &Cocozza.J.J. (2007) Blueprint for change. National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; Policy Research Associates, Inc. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

18 U.S. Department of Education. Twenty Third Annual Report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Washington, D.C. 2006.

19 Information Request, Texas Youth Commission, July 2008 20 Information Request, Texas Youth Commission, July 2008 21 Information Request, Texas Youth Commission, July 2008 22 Polaris Project “International Trafficking.” www.polarisproject.org, 23 “Human Trafficking,” www.ojp.usdoj.go/ovc/ncvrw/2005/pg51.

24 From U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/prostitution.

25 Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance. Public Information Request 26 Harris County Juvenile Probation Department. Public Information Request 27 Texas Youth Commission. Public Information Request 28 TEA, 2004 and 2007 Enrollment report.

29 Longitudinal Completion Rates, Grades9-12, Class of 2006. Texas Public Schools. Texas Education Agency 30 Texas Education Agency 31 TEA, Economically Disadvantaged Standard Report.

32 U.S. Census Bureau 33 Texas AppleSeed. School to Prison Pipeline Report 34 Texas Education Agency. Public Information Request 2

8 1 s t T E X A S L E G I S L AT I V E P R I O R I T I E S Education • Create transparency in graduation/dropout rates • Amend/strengthen policies for teachers regarding disciplinary behavior management • Kindergarten for all age appropriate children

Human Trafficking • • • • • • • • •

Mandate training on human trafficking for law enforcement Mandate sign posting in sexually oriented businesses Create a state-wide Human Trafficking Task Force Revise Compelling Prostitution statute to make commercial aspect consistent with human trafficking Remove “Force/Fraud/Coercion” language in case of minors Remove “Knowing” language regarding a child’s age in case of human trafficking Separate sex trafficking and labor trafficking in statute Study alternatives to the juvenile justice system for human trafficking victims Increase protection against underage human trafficking victims

Children’s Health Mental Health

• Appropriate and maximize funding for Juvenile Mental Health Dockets • Appropriate funding to expand mental health community based services to divert juvenile justice-involved youths from detention

Childhood Obesity • Create oversight of the school health requirements • Include BMI measurements when assessing body composition in schools • Strengthen policies that promote healthy children and decrease childhood obesity

Juvenile Justice

Ombudsman Office Texas Youth Commission • Require TYC to respond to Ombudsman reports • Require TYC to create disciplinary consequences for those who do not provide accurate information in an Ombudsman investigation

Certification of Juveniles as Adults

• Extend the time in which the defense attorney and prosecutor have to review the juvenile’s file before the certification petition hearing from one day to five days

20

CELEBRATING

YEARS

Speaking Out for Houston’s Youth

CHILDREN AT RISK • 2900 Weslayan, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77027 • www.childrenatrisk.org • p: 713.869.7740 • f: 713.869.7409