EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 25th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County studies four interdependent focus areas: Good Health, Economic Well-Being, Educational Achievement and Safe Homes and Communities. Each focus area includes the most recent data for indicators to assess improving or worsening trends over 10 years, revealing those areas we must address to ensure all Orange County children thrive.

Orange County children remain in good health with an uninsured rate of 3.3%. Immunization rates reached a 10-year high, with 95.7% of children up-to-date at kindergarten entry. The achievement gap is closing for socioeconomically disadvantaged students as their high school dropout rates continued to decline, while the overall percentage of dropouts for the county remained steady. The number of juvenile gangrelated prosecutions also reached a 10-year low; a decrease of 87% since 2009.

Along with the positive trends, there are areas of concern. Many Orange County children are facing economic hardship, as one in six children live in poverty and nearly 30,000 students experience insecure housing. Additionally, mental health hospitalization rates grew 87% over the past 10 years and 6% in the past year. Related to mental health, the overlay maps in this report examine the relationship among Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and youth suicidal behavior (emergency department visits for self-harm) in Orange County, protective factors (like connectedness to schools) and risk factors (like household substance use). These maps show that risk factors such as adult substance use in the home have a strong association with increased self-harming behavior among youth. Similarly, the maps suggest that protective factors such as school connectedness are related to upstream efforts to ensure children are ready for kindergarten.

Disparities persist in Orange County among races and ethnicities, geographic communities and school districts, depending on the indicator. Chronic school absenteeism, a new indicator in this year’s report, is highest among foster and homeless youth, with an 8% increase for all students over the past year. Chronic absenteeism is associated with several negative consequences for students, including lower academic achievement.

ECONOMIC WELL-BEING

EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

HOMES AND COMMUNITIES

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

EARLY PRENATAL CARE

INFANT MORTALITY

LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

PRETERM BIRTHS

TEEN BIRTHS

BREASTFEEDING

IMMUNIZATIONS

OBESITY

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND NUTRITION

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

CHILD POVERTY

CALWORKS

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION

HOUSING

CHILD SUPPORT

KINDERGARTEN READINESS

THIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

THIRD GRADE MATHEMATICS

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES

COLLEGE READINESS

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM

PREVENTABLE CHILD AND YOUTH DEATHS

SUBSTANTIATED CHILD ABUSE

CHILD WELFARE

JUVENILE ARRESTS

JUVENILE SUSTAINED PETITIONS

GANG ACTIVITY AMONG YOUTH