Not everyone's growing up healthy
And MPS ends up filling a void so kids can learn
By WILLIAM G. ANDREKOPOULOS
Posted: June 10, 2006, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

As Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. noted, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane."

In a community that ranks fourth nationally for childhood poverty, it is an injustice that cannot continue. A safe, happy, healthy childhood should be the birthright of every child. This must be viewed as a priority if our community is to achieve economic recovery.

Many individuals, communities, businesses, governments and charitable organizations have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of children all over the world. However, in Milwaukee, a child born today is likely to grow up healthy only if he or she can overcome some of the following:

• Forty-one percent of children in Milwaukee live in poverty; triple the state total and fourth highest in the nation.
• Milwaukee County FoodShare participation is at 150,000, and about half of that program's participants are children under 18.
• Untreated tooth decay reaches epidemic proportions in the City of Milwaukee. In 2005, 572 Head Start children were screened, and 61% were found to have untreated decay with 10% needing urgent dental care.
• Food insecurity in Milwaukee means that more than half of food pantry households and almost one-fourth of meal site households included children.
• The rate of lead poisoning among Wisconsin children is more than twice the national average. And in some Milwaukee neighborhoods, nearly 1 out of every 4 children have elevated lead levels. Lead poisoning has been associated with behavior problems, health problems and school performance and learning problems.
• In 2003, asthma surveillance in Milwaukee Public Schools indicated an asthma prevalence rate of at least 14% - higher than the prevalence rate range of 5.3% to 13% in the 22 states measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.

Milwaukee is one of the five worst cities on "The Most Challenging Places to Live with Asthma" list identified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Approximately 30,000 children in Milwaukee suffer from asthma, which is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States. It is also the one of the leading causes of school absence and pediatric emergency room visits.

Seventy percent of the children hospitalized for asthma live in 11 targeted central city neighborhoods. Eighty-four percent of these high-risk children are African-American or Latino, and two-thirds are covered by Medicaid or Badger Care or are uninsured.

Unfortunately, many of these health indicators and the statistics attached to them are not new. Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in this data; disparities which continue to grow.

It is no wonder that the achievement and economic gaps have widened.

The statistics are sobering. We may argue about a percentage point or two, perhaps methodology, but the reality is that we have failed to provide a sound platform for the healthy development of our children.

There are many programs and agencies committed to tackling these issues. While laudable, they succeed in improving the lot of some children and families but do not help us create the coordinated framework necessary for the healthy development of all the children in our community.

Two framework models of note are Harlem Children's Zone and Miami Dade County Children's Trust.

Harlem Children's Zone is a private-public partnership that provides a full network of educational, social and medical services to the children of New York City's Harlem neighborhood from birth through college.

With a $36 million dollar annual budget (70% philanthropy and 30% government-funded) Geoffrey Canada is several years into the work that he believes will changes the lives of every family in Harlem.

U.S. News and World Report named him one of America's best leaders this past October, but he is very clear in pointing out there is no quick fix for Harlem and that efforts must be sustained over time to achieve the desired outcome.

Early successes have been impressive, but he knows that it is the concentrated effort over time that will change things forever for the future.

Children's Trust of Miami-Dade County's mission is "to improve the lives of all children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their futures."

Created by voter referendum in 2002 and funded by property taxes, it has an annual budget of approximately $70 million.

The trust encourages creative approaches to coordinating, integrating and funding services across and within the areas of health, safety and development to promote increased parental and community involvement on behalf of all children.

They have just launched the School Health Connect program partnership to increase school nursing and school-based health care.

The trust is contributing $6 million to the effort and is convinced that a community that cares for its children does it best within an integrated framework that supports, not supplants.

The 2007 budget for Milwaukee Public Schools reflects the urgent needs of children. It includes $1 million allocated for universal free breakfast and $3 million for nursing services in 44 schools.

Ideally, the mission that drives the district's budget should be teaching and learning, not the health and social service needs of our children.

We will stay on mission by continuing to improve the graduation rate. But if we are to be successful in our efforts, the community must take responsibility for meeting the health needs of all children at an accelerated pace.

MPS cannot be viewed as the default provider to address these critical needs, and I challenge the community to join us in fully supporting our children.

Our children in Milwaukee need help with the very real challenges they face, and at MPS, we are as passionate about their growth, development, health and success as other communities are.

A comprehensive, collaborative, integrated funding approach to meet the educational, health and social service needs of children places children exactly where they should be - front and center.

Every day we wait to act in concert politically, socially and financially is a day we take from their future.

William G. Andrekopoulos is superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. This is the last week of school for most Milwaukee Public Schools.

Back to Hunger News