Report Shows 1 in 5 St. Louis-Area Children at Risk

Disparities in Child Well-Being Increase Across the Region;
Some Indicators Show Improvement

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Children growing up in certain parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area are less likely to have their basic needs met for a supportive family, quality education, good health care and more, according to a new report by the nonprofit organization Vision for Children at Risk.

The 2009-2010 Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report finds that more than one in five children live in zip-code areas where the level of risk to their well-being is severe. The level of risk is calculated through a composite of indicators related to family support, early childhood development, health, education and other factors. This is the ninth edition of this report, published every two years by Vision for Children at Risk, which promotes strategic action to advance the well-being of children in the region.

Minority children are much more likely to face severe risk; 78% of zip codes with above-average minority populations fall into the severe risk category. No zip codes with below-average minority populations show severe risk. Most severe-risk zip codes are in the urban core in the city of St. Louis and East St. Louis.

“These wide gaps in child well-being are a major concern for our region,” said Richard Patton, executive director of Vision for Children at Risk. “When children are left behind because we don’t meet their basic needs for a healthy upbringing, it costs our region in the long term. The results are a less educated workforce as well as remedial costs for criminal justice, chronic health conditions and other problems.” 

• One success noted in the report is a sharp drop in lead poisoning in older neighborhoods. In zip codes where 20% to 45% of children tested were found to be lead poisoned in 1997, the rates as of 2009 are less than 7%. This is attributed to the formation of the St. Louis Lead Prevention Coalition and the Lead Safe St. Louis effort. Specific concerns noted in the report include:
• The percentage of births to mothers in the St. Louis region receiving late or no prenatal care is more than four times the national average in more than 1 in 5 of the region’s zip codes. • The percentage of children placed in out-of-home care is more than double the national average in 6 of the 138 zip codes in the region.

The Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report compares the well-being of children across zip codes across the region, covering the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County in Missouri and Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois. More than 25 indicators are researched. This is the ninth edition of the report, first published in 1991.

Findings of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report have led to community action through the St. Louis Metropolitan Children’s Agenda. Convened and facilitated by Vision for Children at Risk, the Children’s Agenda involves more than 300 local children’s agencies and community organizations in collaborative strategic action. Efforts of the Children’s Agenda have resulted in many new programs and policies benefiting children.

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Sponsors of the 2009-2010 Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report are the St. Louis Mental Health Board, lead sponsor, along with SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and First Bank.