CCN Staff Report: January 16, 2017 - The Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) organization has recently released their Kids Count Data Book for 2016 and the numbers are startling! The eastern region counties continue to lag far behind other counties across the state especially those more developed communities with diversified economies.
We say kids count and that they are the future, but many officials and policy-makers are failing to bring about the positive change necessary to make a systemic difference in the lives of children in our rural communities.
Many individuals and families are focused and rightly so on their immediate household, and working hard to make sure that their offspring are taken care of, provided for, and are prepared for the future, but our region continues to suffer from failed leadership, inept officials, and an inability for them to create economic development policies and practices that impact the masses. We must demand more from local Mayors and City Council members, more from County Judge Executives and Magistrates, as well as local Boards of Education and Chambers of Commerce. These entities are too often silos of individual power brokers who seek to maintain the status quo either from ineptitude, incompetence, or sometimes from a more sinister thought process found in human nature of “I'm getting mine, who cares if you eat, work, or have adequate opportunities in life”
Let's take a look at what the data reveals for various counties within the region. Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Perry, and Whitley. Theses counties have much higher rates of child poverty than the state rate. The median family household income is much lower than what is reported for the state. The rental burden for appropriate housing is higher in the region as a higher percentage of income is required to meet housing needs. The region has fewer kids ready for kindergarten as compared to the state. Students are not completing high school at comparable rates as the state. Additionally, other data that directly relates to child health and well-being are higher rates of teen pregnancy, higher rates of smoking during pregnancy, higher rates of low-birth weight babies.
Many social science researchers have studied Appalachian and rural communities across the United States and their appears to be a consensus in thought. Forward thinking leadership, dynamic community members, and collaboration among stakeholders leads to enhanced economic development, improved educational experiences, and an improved socioeconomic status for both individuals and communities. For example, take east Tennessee and east Kentucky who both have similar rural topography and mountain landscapes, are geographically isolated from large urban cities, and have similar values, customs, and belief systems steeped in Appalachian culture, but that is where the similarities end. East Tennessee has a diversified economy, increased tourism, improved infrastructure, and higher levels of socioeconomic status. The suggested variable responsible for the difference is leadership, vision, and a community spirit that embraces change, real change, positive change.
Again, for eastern Kentucky to improve, to grow and develop we must hold every official in office or seeking office to an account for their vision and performance. Ask them their ideas to make the community better, how are you going to increase jobs, how are you going to improve the education system, how are you going to improve economic development and improve the local workforce? Essentially, we must ask questions, expect an articulate response, and demand action and performance!
For more specifics on your county and to inform your inquiries of local officials please go to:
http://kyyouth.org/kentucky-kids-count/countyprofiles/.
Photo source: Kentucky Youth Advocates