N.C. Child finds no devastating impact from recession
Despite a recession that plunged the county into a stagnant economy and skyrocketed the need for public assistance, Henderson County children have done well in the realm of health, according to a recent study. But local agencies warn the county isn’t out of the woods yet.
The study, released Wednesday by N.C. Child, an independent, nonprofit child advocacy group in Raleigh, said Henderson County children have “experienced improvement” in insurance coverage, dental care, teen pregnancy and even high school graduation rates since 2007.
“These gains are at odds with what’s expected during economic downturns when health outcomes typically worsen,” according to a news release announcing the results.
“Poverty causes increased financial and emotional strains on families that often result in poorer health outcomes for children,” Laila A. Bell, director of research and data at N.C. Child, said in the release. “These data show that public policy actions which promote evidence-based programs and support local communities can be powerful tools to safeguard our children’s health during tough economic times.”
But despite the gains in health, the number of families living in poverty and struggling to meet their nutritional needs remains a big concern.
The study found that between 2007 and 2012, enrollment in public health insurance rose by 36.2 percent in Medicaid and 21.6 percent in N.C. Health Choice in Henderson County. The numbers followed a statewide trend of a 30 percent decline in uninsured children.
A recent study by a local coalition of at least 30 partnering agencies forming the United Agenda for Children Henderson County reaffirmed the findings.
“Our data shows the number of children enrolled in public health insurance in Henderson County has grown steadily from 8,413 in 2006 to 10,554 in 2010,” said Elisha Freeman, executive director of Children & Family Resource Center, a partner in the coalition. “This shows a steady increase of children needing enrollment of available programs, as well as stronger awareness of what is available for those families in need. In 2011, for children under 18 years of age, 9 percent had no health insurance coverage.”
Freeman said a long-term look at data from 2004 to 2012 revealed “that 48 percent of our county’s children are enrolled in public health insurance” — up from 39.7 percent in 2004.
Betsy Alexander, interim director at the Henderson County Department of Public Health, cautioned, “An increase in children enrolled in Medicaid may indicate not only improved access to services, but an increase in the number of families who met the poverty cut-off to qualify for Medicaid.”
The N.C. Child study found that Medicaid-eligible children who received dental care increased by 15.9 percent for children aged 1-5 and 2.5 percent for children 6-14 in the county.
“For over a decade, Smart Start has funded the health department to provide services that help childcare centers improve the safety, nutrition and health of children and prevent dental problems… for children in need of care,” Alexander said. “As a result, Henderson County has seen a significant increase in the quality rating of childcare centers and a decrease in the number of children entering kindergarten with untreated dental caries.”
Pregnancies down
The N.C. Child study found the teen pregnancy rate in Henderson County dropped 55.4 percent between 2007 and 2012 (rate calculated among pregnancies per 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 17). The decline rivaled the state’s 43 percent drop over the same period.
“In 2011 in Henderson County, there were 124 babies born to mothers between 15 and 19 years of age,” Freeman said, citing the recent United Agenda “5 Promises” study. “This number shows a decrease from 2009, when 152 babies were born to mothers ages 15-19. In 2011 in Henderson County, 24 percent of the teen pregnancies for girls between the ages of 15-19 were repeat pregnancies. This is a decrease from 26 percent in 2009.”
Freeman said lowering repeat teen pregnancies and raising high school graduation rates are two main goals of the Children & Family Resource Center’s Adolescent Parenting Program. The program offers help to teens age 19 and younger who are pregnant or parenting for the first time, and their children.
Through counseling and support services, caseworkers work with teens to delay second pregnancies until adulthood and help moms meet educational goals. They also assist teen moms in making a successful transition to adulthood through post-secondary education, vocational training or employment at a livable wage and help them find safe, stable housing.
The Adolescent Parenting Program is part of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. Alexander said the program has been “very successful.”
The graduation rate in Henderson County improved by 7.5 percent — from 79 percent in 2007 to nearly 85 percent in 2012, according to the study.
“It’s no coincidence that Henderson County experienced a significant decline in its teen pregnancy rate and increase in its graduation rate over the past several years,” Bell said in the N.C. Child release. “Both of these indicators have been targeted by well-funded state efforts. This improvement should give us hope that we can make progress on big problems when we’re willing to put resources behind data-driven solutions.”
Gains noted in the N.C. Child study are attributed to a host of local agencies working together to make a difference in their communities.
The health department partners with pediatricians in the community to provide care management services for children birth to age five, Alexander said. The services help them identify children at medical, social and developmental risk and link those in need with other partners that help on a daily basis.
More work to do
N.C. Child’s findings for Henderson County were not all positive. Key economic indicators have worsened as a result of the recession and subsequent budget cuts, according to the release. Specifically, the unemployment rate for the county increased from 3.5 percent to 7.3 percent from 2007 to 2012, and the median household income declined 13 percent to $45,168.
In 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, 24.3 percent of children in Henderson County were living in households that struggled to meet their basic nutritional needs.
“Food insecurity is a very serious byproduct of poverty that’s making its presence felt in Henderson County,” Bell stated in the release. “No child should ever go to bed hungry, but unfortunately, that’s what’s happening to children across the county.”
Long lines aren’t necessarily unusual at Interfaith Assistance Ministry during the chill of winter months, but the influx of families needing assistance is up over 75 percent from this time last year.
“From Jan. 1 until today, we’re seeing a lot of people coming in for help with heat,” said Judie Carson Sloan, IAM’s community relations and development coordinator. “It’s not unusual, but it’s very noticeable.”
In the last five days, the ministry has provided food for 187 people, including nearly 50 children.
“We have been going through a lot of food,” Sloan said. “It’s only because of the generosity of the people in this community, who are doing food drives and donating food and funds for us to buy food with, that we’re able to keep up with this (demand).”
More than half (55.5 percent) of all Henderson County Public Schools students are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, up from nearly 47.8 percent at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
Department of Social Services Director Eric Bush said his agency has seen the need for food nutritional services nearly double in the last seven years.
“That increase has slowed down some in the last year,” he said. “I believe with the improved employment in this county, that has helped, but still a lot of jobs are really low-wage jobs. It’s not enough to support a family. It can be really tough for families to be able to make it on their own, and if those jobs are only part-time, it’s even harder.”
Ruth Birge, executive director of United Way Henderson County, said her organization’s goals for the next 10 years focus on helping to eliminate poverty and promote self-sufficiency.
“In Henderson County, more than one in five children between birth and 5 years are living in poverty; 50 percent of students entering kindergarten do not have phonemic awareness; and 12.7 percent of children aged 2-4 years old are considered obese. By focusing on education, income and health, United Way will improve lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting change in our community condition,” she said.
Collaboration, funding needed
With the elimination of the state Earned Income Tax Credit and significant cuts to unemployment benefits, there is concern that many families could find their economic situation worsening during a slow economic recovery, according to the release. What’s clear is that the impacts of public policy decisions are playing out in communities across the state.
“We know that parents and communities are working hard to grow healthy children, but they cannot do it alone,” Bell said. “Advocates, providers, community and business leaders, state and federal governments must collaborate to strengthen investments in prevention programs and promote focused public policies that promote child well-being.”
Alexander said there is more work to do.
“Funding for many important programs is either flat or decreasing,” she said. “For example, the State Dental Program that provided education, assessment and linkage to dental services for schoolchildren is no longer available in (the) Henderson County program, and not only have schoolchildren lost access to services, but the county is no longer able to measure progress in meeting goals.”
Childhood obesity and resulting health consequences continue to be a problem, according to Alexander.
“However, recent data indicates that the rate of increase in childhood obesity has slowed,” she said. “The health department has joined with county and regional partners, health care providers and hospitals to identify changes that will make a difference in childhood obesity and implement activities including access to healthy foods and promotion of physical activity.”
“Henderson County is fortunate to have a lot of partners who are committed to improving the lives of children,” Alexander added. “This Saturday, March 1, UAC is hosting Speak Out for Kids, an opportunity for the community to have a voice in determining the needs of children and participate in change.”
The event will be held in the Blue Ridge Conference Hall (technology building) at Blue Ridge Community College on the Flat Rock campus from 8 a.m. to noon.