21

Child and Youth DevelopmentIssue Brief

11. California Healthy Kids Survey 2004-2005 & 2005-2006. WestEd. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.wested.org/chks

12. California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit. Website accessed November 2007. http://dq.cde. ca.gov/dataquest

13. San Mateo County Adolescent Report 2007. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

14. 2007 Index of Silicon Valley. Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.

15. A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy: Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior, and Health for Vulnerable Children. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2007.

16. Bonnie Benard. Resiliency: What We Have Learned. WestEd, 2004.

17. Youth Transition Funders Group. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.ytfg.org/knowledge_ transition.html

18. Results that Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform. Partnership for

21st Century Skills, 2006.

About Silicon Valley Community FoundationSilicon Valley Community Foundation is

a leading voice and catalyst for innovative

solutions to the region’s most challenging

problems. Our mission, vision and values

reflect our commitment to serving the vibrant

communities in San Mateo and Santa Clara

counties. We bring together diverse groups

of people—nonprofits, donors, government

leaders, business people, faith-based

organizations—all of whom care deeply

about improving the quality of life in our

region. Our goal is impact and we employ a

variety of strategies to achieve it, including

grantmaking, community initiatives, donor

engagement, convening and research.

2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300

Mountain View, California 94040

650.450.5400 phone

650.450.5401 fax

www.siliconvalleycf.org

21

are parents, as many as 50,000 are homeless, many have lived for long periods of time in foster homes and over 400,000 (97% male) are in correctional facilities (17).

Helping these youth become productive and emotionally stable would produce enormous social benefits for society at large as well as for youth themselves. Research on youth development suggests that vulnerable, ill-served youth can transform their lives when support is delivered comprehensively, consistently and in ways that respect their voices, and recognize and build on their strengths. While public agencies and community-based organizations provide services to this population, too often they do so in isolation from each other. Substantial resources dedicated to a range of programs for disconnected youth need to be better coordinated and aligned to provide continuity of services as high-risk youth transition from child to adult systems (17).

Life and job skills development. While the pathways to college, work and adult responsibilities are different, the skills needed are largely the same. However, studies suggest that many young people are ill-prepared for college, work or life. Teen employment is the lowest it has been in over 50 years and unemployment rates are particularly high for low-income African-American and Latino youth. Furthermore, jobs that are available are typically in lower level service industries that often lack benefits, training and opportunities for advancement (18).

These challenges are due, in part, to the gap between the skills youth have and those that employers need. In a recent National Association of Manufacturers poll, half of member organiza-tions reported their current employees lacked basic employability skills, such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic. Many youth are also lacking basic life skills, such as managing their personal financ-es, smart shopping, preparing nutritious meals and securing housing. For some special populations, such as foster youth, classes may not be available or adequate for their particular needs (18).

Schools, businesses and community organizations all have a role to play in providing the life and job skills training young people need. Schools can provide career awareness and internships that offer opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. Businesses seeking skills beyond core competencies in science, math and reading comprehension can partner with educators to integrate the skills they value into school curricula. Business, community and nonprofit organizations can share resources, such as technology-enabled learning spaces, classrooms and/or training facilities with local high schools. Employees of these organizations can be advisors, mentors or tutors to high school students (18).

Youth engagement and participation. Participation in engaging, challenging and interesting activities leads to positive, healthy development for young people. An important kind of participation involves having opportunities for youth to dialogue and reflect on their realities, particularly around issues of sexuality, drug use and family communication. When caregivers encourage youth to give voice to their experiences, beliefs, attitudes and feelings, they empower youth to be critical thinkers around important issues in their own lives. Further, when caregivers are able to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for problem-solving and decision-making, they help young people develop autonomy and self-control. In fact, authentic decision-making and leadership responsibilities are often the characteristics that differentiate successful from unsuccessful youth programs (16).

Other important forms of participation include group or cooperative activities that can help young people fulfill their strong psychological need for belonging. Creative expression through all forms of the arts is an important way for youth to develop personal strengths, such as a sense of purpose. Lastly, when opportunities for youth participation allow them to “give back”, they no longer see themselves merely as recipients of what adults have to offer, but as active contributors to the settings in which they live. Giving back is a powerful motivator for all youth, but particularly for those not used to thinking of themselves as successful (16).

Sources1. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips, eds. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The National Academy Press, 2000.

2. Demand, Supply and Quality: Trends in Infant Toddler Child care in the United States. National Child Care Information Center. Website accessed November 2007. http:// www.nccic.org/pubs/qcare-it/demand.html

3. Kidsdata.org. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.kidsdata.org

4. Search Institute. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.search-institute.org

5. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Fact Sheet. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Mental Health Information Center. Website accessed November 2007. http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/ allpubs/CA-0004

6. School-Based Counseling for Preteens in San Mateo County: A Study of Key Issue Affecting the Emotional and Behavioral Health of Preteens and an Examination of Available Services. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2005.

7. U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey. Website accessed November 2007. http://factfinder.census.gov

8. California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics Query System. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.applications.chs.ca.gov/vsq /default.asp

9. 2005 California Child Care Portfolio. California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

10. A Portrait of Preteens in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2006.

The Community Input ProjectSilicon Valley Community Foundation is committed to the best ideas and most effective solutions—at the local and the regional levels. With those goals in mind, the community foundation has initiated the Community Input Project, a series of strategic conversations around needs and issues that matter most. The issues were selected based on a review of local data, the many excellent assessments available about the health, social and environmental concerns in the region, and issues community members and leaders have raised.

The community foundation anticipates this process will spur a greater interest in regional partnerships as well as strategic solutions for meaningful, lasting and transformative change. The community foundation’s board of directors will take the results of the community input process into consideration when making decisions about future directions and strategies.

This brief represents a summary of important trends and issues related to child and youth development. Similar briefs will be available in the areas of immigration, arts and culture, environment, community economic development, housing, civic engagement, health and education.

Major Trends Importance of early brain development. A growing body of neuroscience, developmental and behavioral research demonstrates that the first three years of a child’s life are critical to his/her overall healthy development throughout life. This period is a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. Language-rich, nurturing and responsive caregiving cultivates healthy development during this period. When a child’s environment is impoverished or neglectful, the result can be a lifetime of increased risk for impairment in learning, behavior and health (1).

Increasing need for quality infant and toddler care. The demand for non-parental child care for infants and toddlers has increased dramatically over the past three decades. By the early 1990s, for example, more than half of mothers with children under three were employed, which was more than twice the number of employed mothers in the 1960s. However, current research suggests that inadequate care is a widespread phenomena. A national study of center-based infant/toddler care showed that child care at most centers in the United States is poor to mediocre, with almost half of the infants and toddlers in rooms having less than minimal quality. Similar patterns were seen for family child care programs and home-based care (2).

Growing up in a media-saturated environment. The presence and intensity of media influences—television, radio, music, computers, films, videos and the Internet—are increasingly recognized as an important part of the social ecology of children and youth, and these influences have become more visible and volatile in recent decades. Numerous studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between exposure to violence on television and aggressive behavior in children. Other research indicates possible relationships between young people’s media consumption and obesity, smoking, increased isolation, decreased academic achievement and exposure to gender and racial stereotypes among other issues (3).

Strength-based approach to child and youth development. Researchers have learned a great deal in the past several decades about elements in human experience that have long-term, positive consequences for young people. Factors, such as family dynamics, support from community adults, school effectiveness, peer influence, values development and social skills, have all been identified as contributing to healthy development. The Search Institute has characterized these factors as 40 Developmental Assets, the building blocks necessary for children and adolescents to succeed. The Search Institute’s research shows that the more of these assets young people have, the less likely they are to

engage in many high-risk behaviors. Based on this research, many programs that serve young people are incorporating asset-building strategies into their work (4).

Inadequate resources directed to youth mental health. Studies show that at least one in five children and adolescents has a mental health disorder. When left untreated, these disorders can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence and suicide. For most of these young people, school occupies the greatest part of their time spent outside of the home, and school counselors can be one of the most important sources of emotional support. Yet, the number of school district counselors available to serve students is woefully inadequate. Further, school counselors are generally not able to provide ongoing therapy or treat more serious problems. Students who need long-term counseling or have serious problems that require intensive therapy, such as eating disorders, are referred out to private therapists or community mental health services (5, 6).

Regional Indicators• Approximatelyonein10childrenages0-17 live in households with incomes below the federal poverty level. Among these children, over half are growing up in single-parent households (7). See Figure 1

• In2004,fewerthan90percentofHispanic and African-American women received timely prenatal care, falling below the Healthy People 2010 Objective (8). See Figure 2

• Thecostforoneinfantinalicensedfamily child care home is over $10,000, which represents close to 14 percent of family income for two entry-level public school teachers working in the region (9).

• Therateofsubstantiatedcasesofchildabuse in Silicon Valley rose again in 2006, while the rate for California continued to decline slightly. A disproportionate number of Latinos and African-Americans suffer from child abuse and neglect, and are placed in the foster care system (3, 10).

41

• Thepercentageofyouthscoringhighinassets decreasesmarkedlybetween5th,7thand9th grades(11).See Figure 3

• Overthelasteightyears,studentaccessto school-basedsupportpersonnel,such asnurses,psychologistsandcounselors hasdeclined.BothSanMateoandSantaClara countieshadfewercounselorsthanis recommended;therewasonecounselor for769and908studentsrespectively,while therecommendedratiowasonecounselorfor 250students(12).See Figure 4

• Twenty-threepercentofseventh-gradersin SanMateoandSantaClaracountiesreport havingfeltsadorhopelessalmosteveryday fortwoweeks,tothepointthattheystopped doingusualactivities.Latinagirlsweremore likelythananyothergrouptoreportthese feelings(10).

• In2006,22percentofyouthages14-18 reportedengaginginself-harm,suchas cutting,burning,anorexiaorbulimia(13).

• In2005,therateofjuvenilefelonyoffenses roseinSiliconValleyforthefourth consecutiveyear(14).See Figure 5

Source: California Department of Education

Source: California Department of Health Services

Source: WestEd

Source: Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network

2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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95%

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Issues for Discussion

Early Childhood

The critical role of parents and caregivers. Nurturingandstablerelationshipswithcaringadultsareessentialtohealthyhumandevelopmentbeginningfrombirth.Early,secureattachmentscontributetothegrowthofabroadrangeofcompetencies,includingaloveoflearning,acomfortablesenseofoneself,positivesocialskills,multiplesuccessfulrelationshipsatlateragesandasophisticatedunderstandingofemotions,commitment,mortalityandotheraspectsofhumanrelationships(1).

Thestabilityandconsistencyoftheserelationshipsarealsoimportant.Parentalmentalhealthproblems,substanceabuseanddomesticviolencecandisruptthisstabilityandimpedechildren’shealthydevelopment.Numerousstudieshavelinkedmaternaldepressionforexample,withagreaterriskofdevelopingsocial-emotionalandbehaviorproblems,whichcanleadtodifficultiesinschool,reducedabilityofself-controlandaggression.Further,childrenwholiveinfamilieswithlowerincomesandlessparenteducationbegintoscoreloweronstandardizeddevelopmentaltestsasearlyas18months,andthedifferencestypicallyincreaseintoschool-ageyears(1,14).

System of care for infants and toddlers. TheUnitedStatesisoneofthefewwestern,industrializednationsthatdoesnotofferpaidparentalleavefollowingthebirthofababy.AlthoughtheFamilyandMedicalLeaveActdoesprovideforunpaidleaveforuptothreemonths,thisprovisioncoversonlyabouthalfofemployedparents,andevidencestronglysuggeststhatmanyparents,particularlythosewithlowincomes,cannotaffordtotaketimeoutofthelabormarkettostayhomewiththeirinfants.(15).

Foryoungchildrenfromlow-incomefamilies,participationinveryhigh-quality,center-based,earlyeducationprogramshasbeendemonstratedtoenhancechildcognitiveandsocialdevelopment.Giventheneuroscientificandchilddevelopmentresearchthathighlightstheimportanceofqualitycareduringtheearliestyearsandtheevidencedocumentingthelackofsuchcareinmanyinfant/toddlerchildcaresettings,therehasbeenanumberofinvestmentsatthefederalandstateleveltoincreasequalityandsupply.TheChildCareandDevelopmentFundandEarlyHeadStartaretwoexamplesoftheseinvestments.Locally,SanMateoandSantaClaracountieshavelauncheduniversalpreschoolinitiativestoexpandaccesstoqualityprogramsfortheregion’sfour-yearolds.Acriticalquestionishowtheseeffortscanalsostrengthenearlyeducationsupportforchildrenfrombirthtoagethree(2).

School-Age Children and Youth

Emotional Health. Liketheearlychildhoodyears,thepreadolescentandadolescentyearsmarkasignificantperiodofcognitive,physicalandemotionalchangeforchildren.Theyfacetheupsanddownsofpubertyandintensepeerpressure.Theirfocusshiftsfromfamilytofriends,andtheygaintheabilitytothinkcritically.Atthesametime,manypreteensleavetherelativesafetyofelementaryschoolforalargerjuniorhighormiddleschool,wheretheychangeteachersandclassmateshourly.Thepressureofadjustingtoanewschoolenvironmentandfittingincanbeoverwhelmingforsomeyoungpeople(10).

Arecentlypublishedreportonpreteensintheregionindicatedthatoneinfive(23percent)experiencedfeelingsofsadnessandhopelessnesstotheextenttheystoppeddoingtheirusualactivities.Datafromthisreportalsoindicatedthatapositivesenseofselfandsatisfactionwithbodyweightformanyyoungpeople,especiallygirls,decreasedbetweenfifthandseventhgrades.Researchshowstheperceptionofbodyweightmaybemoreimportantthanactualbodyweightintermsofsuiciderisk(10).

Behavioral Health and Safety. Youngpeoplestartmakingchoicesabouthowtousetheirdiscretionarytimejustasitincreases,andthesechoicescanshapetherestoftheirlives.Childrenwhostartdelinquentbehaviorbeforeage13areathigherriskofbecomingseriousandviolentoffendersthanthosewhostartlater.Thejuvenilefelonyarrestrateintheregionhasincreasedoverthelastfouryears,whichisaconcerningtrend.Therateofsubstantiatedcasesofchildabuseandneglecthasalsoincreased.Violenceinthehomecanleadtoaggressiveandviolentbehaviorforboysandincreasedlikelihoodofinvolvementinabusiverelationshipsforgirls.

Schoolandneighborhoodsafetyarealsoconcernsamongyoungpeopleintheregion.Forexample,40percentoffifth-andseventh-gradestudentsreportedthattheyhadbeen“pushed,slapped,hitorkickedatschoolbysomeonenotkiddingaroundinthelastyear.”Amongfourth-throughsixth-gradersinSantaClaraCounty,23percent“agreed”or“stronglyagreed”thattheyplayedinsidebecauseofconcernsaboutneighborhoodsafety(10).

Adult and community support. Caringrelationships,highexpectationsandopportunitiesformeaningfulparticipationarekeyfactorsthatcanhelpprotectyouthfromriskandcopewiththepotentiallydifficulttransitionperiodsintheirlives.Researchhasshownthatthepresenceoftheseprotectivefactorsinyoungpeople’senvironments(families,schoolsandcommunities)supportstheirpersonalcapacityforhealthydevelopment(16).

Transition Age Youth

Disconnected youth. Mostyoungpeoplemovesuccessfullyfromadolescencetoadulthoodwiththesupportoffamilies,schoolsandcommunities.Unfortunately,youthwithfewsupports—thoseagingoutoffostercare,thosewhodropoutofschoolorareinvolvedinthejuvenilejusticesystem—oftendonotmakesuccessfultransitions.Theseyoutharenotinschool,areoutofworkandaredisconnectedfromthesocialinstitutionsthatcanprovidepathwaystosuccess.Currently,therearethreemilliondisconnectedyouth,representingeightpercentofthe16-24agegroup.Aboutonethird

3

21

are parents, as many as 50,000 are homeless, many have lived for long periods of time in foster homes and over 400,000 (97% male) are in correctional facilities (17).

Helping these youth become productive and emotionally stable would produce enormous social benefits for society at large as well as for youth themselves. Research on youth development suggests that vulnerable, ill-served youth can transform their lives when support is delivered comprehensively, consistently and in ways that respect their voices, and recognize and build on their strengths. While public agencies and community-based organizations provide services to this population, too often they do so in isolation from each other. Substantial resources dedicated to a range of programs for disconnected youth need to be better coordinated and aligned to provide continuity of services as high-risk youth transition from child to adult systems (17).

Life and job skills development. While the pathways to college, work and adult responsibilities are different, the skills needed are largely the same. However, studies suggest that many young people are ill-prepared for college, work or life. Teen employment is the lowest it has been in over 50 years and unemployment rates are particularly high for low-income African-American and Latino youth. Furthermore, jobs that are available are typically in lower level service industries that often lack benefits, training and opportunities for advancement (18).

These challenges are due, in part, to the gap between the skills youth have and those that employers need. In a recent National Association of Manufacturers poll, half of member organiza-tions reported their current employees lacked basic employability skills, such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic. Many youth are also lacking basic life skills, such as managing their personal financ-es, smart shopping, preparing nutritious meals and securing housing. For some special populations, such as foster youth, classes may not be available or adequate for their particular needs (18).

Schools, businesses and community organizations all have a role to play in providing the life and job skills training young people need. Schools can provide career awareness and internships that offer opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. Businesses seeking skills beyond core competencies in science, math and reading comprehension can partner with educators to integrate the skills they value into school curricula. Business, community and nonprofit organizations can share resources, such as technology-enabled learning spaces, classrooms and/or training facilities with local high schools. Employees of these organizations can be advisors, mentors or tutors to high school students (18).

Youth engagement and participation. Participation in engaging, challenging and interesting activities leads to positive, healthy development for young people. An important kind of participation involves having opportunities for youth to dialogue and reflect on their realities, particularly around issues of sexuality, drug use and family communication. When caregivers encourage youth to give voice to their experiences, beliefs, attitudes and feelings, they empower youth to be critical thinkers around important issues in their own lives. Further, when caregivers are able to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for problem-solving and decision-making, they help young people develop autonomy and self-control. In fact, authentic decision-making and leadership responsibilities are often the characteristics that differentiate successful from unsuccessful youth programs (16).

Other important forms of participation include group or cooperative activities that can help young people fulfill their strong psychological need for belonging. Creative expression through all forms of the arts is an important way for youth to develop personal strengths, such as a sense of purpose. Lastly, when opportunities for youth participation allow them to “give back”, they no longer see themselves merely as recipients of what adults have to offer, but as active contributors to the settings in which they live. Giving back is a powerful motivator for all youth, but particularly for those not used to thinking of themselves as successful (16).

Sources1. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips, eds. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The National Academy Press, 2000.

2. Demand, Supply and Quality: Trends in Infant Toddler Child care in the United States. National Child Care Information Center. Website accessed November 2007. http:// www.nccic.org/pubs/qcare-it/demand.html

3. Kidsdata.org. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.kidsdata.org

4. Search Institute. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.search-institute.org

5. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Fact Sheet. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Mental Health Information Center. Website accessed November 2007. http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/ allpubs/CA-0004

6. School-Based Counseling for Preteens in San Mateo County: A Study of Key Issue Affecting the Emotional and Behavioral Health of Preteens and an Examination of Available Services. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2005.

7. U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey. Website accessed November 2007. http://factfinder.census.gov

8. California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics Query System. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.applications.chs.ca.gov/vsq /default.asp

9. 2005 California Child Care Portfolio. California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

10. A Portrait of Preteens in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2006.

The Community Input ProjectSilicon Valley Community Foundation is committed to the best ideas and most effective solutions—at the local and the regional levels. With those goals in mind, the community foundation has initiated the Community Input Project, a series of strategic conversations around needs and issues that matter most. The issues were selected based on a review of local data, the many excellent assessments available about the health, social and environmental concerns in the region, and issues community members and leaders have raised.

The community foundation anticipates this process will spur a greater interest in regional partnerships as well as strategic solutions for meaningful, lasting and transformative change. The community foundation’s board of directors will take the results of the community input process into consideration when making decisions about future directions and strategies.

This brief represents a summary of important trends and issues related to child and youth development. Similar briefs will be available in the areas of immigration, arts and culture, environment, community economic development, housing, civic engagement, health and education.

Major Trends Importance of early brain development. A growing body of neuroscience, developmental and behavioral research demonstrates that the first three years of a child’s life are critical to his/her overall healthy development throughout life. This period is a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. Language-rich, nurturing and responsive caregiving cultivates healthy development during this period. When a child’s environment is impoverished or neglectful, the result can be a lifetime of increased risk for impairment in learning, behavior and health (1).

Increasing need for quality infant and toddler care. The demand for non-parental child care for infants and toddlers has increased dramatically over the past three decades. By the early 1990s, for example, more than half of mothers with children under three were employed, which was more than twice the number of employed mothers in the 1960s. However, current research suggests that inadequate care is a widespread phenomena. A national study of center-based infant/toddler care showed that child care at most centers in the United States is poor to mediocre, with almost half of the infants and toddlers in rooms having less than minimal quality. Similar patterns were seen for family child care programs and home-based care (2).

Growing up in a media-saturated environment. The presence and intensity of media influences—television, radio, music, computers, films, videos and the Internet—are increasingly recognized as an important part of the social ecology of children and youth, and these influences have become more visible and volatile in recent decades. Numerous studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between exposure to violence on television and aggressive behavior in children. Other research indicates possible relationships between young people’s media consumption and obesity, smoking, increased isolation, decreased academic achievement and exposure to gender and racial stereotypes among other issues (3).

Strength-based approach to child and youth development. Researchers have learned a great deal in the past several decades about elements in human experience that have long-term, positive consequences for young people. Factors, such as family dynamics, support from community adults, school effectiveness, peer influence, values development and social skills, have all been identified as contributing to healthy development. The Search Institute has characterized these factors as 40 Developmental Assets, the building blocks necessary for children and adolescents to succeed. The Search Institute’s research shows that the more of these assets young people have, the less likely they are to

engage in many high-risk behaviors. Based on this research, many programs that serve young people are incorporating asset-building strategies into their work (4).

Inadequate resources directed to youth mental health. Studies show that at least one in five children and adolescents has a mental health disorder. When left untreated, these disorders can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence and suicide. For most of these young people, school occupies the greatest part of their time spent outside of the home, and school counselors can be one of the most important sources of emotional support. Yet, the number of school district counselors available to serve students is woefully inadequate. Further, school counselors are generally not able to provide ongoing therapy or treat more serious problems. Students who need long-term counseling or have serious problems that require intensive therapy, such as eating disorders, are referred out to private therapists or community mental health services (5, 6).

Regional Indicators• Approximatelyonein10childrenages0-17 live in households with incomes below the federal poverty level. Among these children, over half are growing up in single-parent households (7). See Figure 1

• In2004,fewerthan90percentofHispanic and African-American women received timely prenatal care, falling below the Healthy People 2010 Objective (8). See Figure 2

• Thecostforoneinfantinalicensedfamily child care home is over $10,000, which represents close to 14 percent of family income for two entry-level public school teachers working in the region (9).

• Therateofsubstantiatedcasesofchildabuse in Silicon Valley rose again in 2006, while the rate for California continued to decline slightly. A disproportionate number of Latinos and African-Americans suffer from child abuse and neglect, and are placed in the foster care system (3, 10).

41

21

Child and Youth DevelopmentIssue Brief

11. California Healthy Kids Survey 2004-2005 & 2005-2006. WestEd. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.wested.org/chks

12. California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit. Website accessed November 2007. http://dq.cde. ca.gov/dataquest

13. San Mateo County Adolescent Report 2007. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

14. 2007 Index of Silicon Valley. Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.

15. A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy: Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior, and Health for Vulnerable Children. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2007.

16. Bonnie Benard. Resiliency: What We Have Learned. WestEd, 2004.

17. Youth Transition Funders Group. Website accessed November 2007. http://www.ytfg.org/knowledge_ transition.html

18. Results that Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform. Partnership for

21st Century Skills, 2006.

About Silicon Valley Community FoundationSilicon Valley Community Foundation is

a leading voice and catalyst for innovative

solutions to the region’s most challenging

problems. Our mission, vision and values

reflect our commitment to serving the vibrant

communities in San Mateo and Santa Clara

counties. We bring together diverse groups

of people—nonprofits, donors, government

leaders, business people, faith-based

organizations—all of whom care deeply

about improving the quality of life in our

region. Our goal is impact and we employ a

variety of strategies to achieve it, including

grantmaking, community initiatives, donor

engagement, convening and research.

2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300

Mountain View, California 94040

650.450.5400 phone

650.450.5401 fax

www.siliconvalleycf.org