Bcac 2013 State of the Child Report Released

Report Provides Data on Economic Well-Being, Education, Health and Safety of Bridgeport Children

By ROB SULLIVAN

Bridgeport – The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) today released its 28th annual State of the Child in Bridgeport report.  Using the most current data available, the report compares the well-being of children in Bridgeport to children statewide focusing on the areas of poverty, economic insecurity, child care and early childhood education, education, health, and safety.

This year’sState of the Child in Bridgeport report has been updated with a new design, enhanced graphics, and stories of people and programs working to improve the lives of families here in the city.

Overall, data in the report reflects how children and families in the area continue to struggle with a lack of economic resources, underfunded schools, lack of access to health care, and violence.  However, there are some areas where conditions for Bridgeport children are improving or, in some cases, are better than conditions statewide, including:

-         The number of Bridgeport students graduating within four years is up by more than 10 percentage points from 2010 to 2012. -         Bridgeport schools’ students arrest rate of 5.0 per 1,000 students is lower than the statewide rate of 5.7 per 1,000 students.

-         Bridgeport’s rate of uninsured children fell from 10 percent in 2011 to 8.5 percent in 2012.

-         From 2011 to 2012, juvenile arrests for violent crime in Bridgeport decreased by 14.1 percent.

“The improvements reflected in this year’s State of the Child may seem slight, but taken together they definitely signal progress for Bridgeport’s children and families,” said Mary Pat C. Healy, BCAC’s executive director.  “We’re happy to be able to highlight areas of growth because it shows that by working together, change is possible.”

The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition will be providing community education throughout 2014 around the issues and data in the report by:

-         Hosting a series ofState of the Child information sessions throughout the area.

-         Highlighting different issue areas through community forums, speaker events, and media outreach.

-         Sharing information and asking questions using social media.

Funding for BCAC’sState of the Child in Bridgeport 2013 report was generously provided by GE, People’s United Bank, Elizabeth M. Pfriem, and the Norma F. Pfriem Foundation.

The 2013State of the Child in Bridgeport report is available for download on BCAC’s website,www.bcacct.org.

About the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1985 that consists of over 50 organizations, parents and other concerned individuals committed to improving the well-being of Bridgeport’s children through research, advocacy, community education, and mobilization. Over the years, BCAC has played a leading role in hundreds of initiatives, including: securing federal funding to expand children’s mental health services in Bridgeport; launching a school breakfast and lunch program in the Bridgeport public schools; advocating for additional affordable-housing apartments in the city; assisting thousands of families to secure HUSKY state healthcare; and producing dozens of reports. To learn more about BCAC and download copies of its reports, visit www.bcacct.org.

 

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