New report shows improving outcomes for Orange County youth

Orange County, Calif. (November 4, 2020) – The 26^th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County is now available, offering a comprehensive assessment of the health, economic well-being, education and safety of the County’s children.

The following areas have shown improvement for the lives and well-being of Orange County’s youth:

• Good Health: Orange County women receiving early prenatal care is rebounding, which may be in part driving the infant mortality rate drop of 31% between 2009 to 2018.

• Economic Well-Being: The number of total Orange County child support cases decreased by over 30% from 89,852 cases in 2010/2011 to 62,851 cases in 2019/2020. Over the same period, improvements in child support collections per case have increased by over 12%, ensuring an increase in income to parents to provide for the basic needs of their children.

• Educational Achievement: The rate of dropout among high school students is approximately one in 20 students, lower than the state and national dropout rates. Further, over half of Orange County third graders meet or exceed the statewide achievement standards in Math and English Language Arts, higher than the state rates.

• Safe Homes and Communities: In 2019, 4.7% of juvenile prosecutions were gang-related, down 65% from 13.6% in 2010.

“We are pleased to report on good health outcomes and improvements in education, among other indicators, as noted in the Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County. Teen birth rates are at their lowest in ten years and academic performance in the subjects of Math and English Language Arts among third graders continues its five-year positive trend,” said Vice Chairman and First District Supervisor Andrew Do,  who serves as the Chair of the Orange County Children’s Partnership (OCCP), the advisory board responsible for publishing the report. Supervisor Do continues, “The report uncovers areas where County departments can focus their efforts to ensure our children thrive. While the report highlights several improvements, there is much more we can do to ensure the overall health and well-being of our youth.”

This year’s report includes a special section related to COVID-19 and the County’s response to the pandemic.  To find out more about the other indicators and read the full report, visit https://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/family/occp/report.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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