REPORT: WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN SLIPPING

The health and well-being of Missouri children declined between 1990 and 1994, says a report released this weekend by the Citizens for Missouri's Children, a nonprofit children's advocacy organization.

Cape Girardeau County, however, showed improvements in seven of 10 areas compared to last year's report. The county ranked 17th among the 114 counties in the state.

However, Pemiscot, Mississippi, Dunklin and New Madrid counties in the Bootheel ranked among the worst statewide.

Over time, programs that are now in the planning stages will make a difference in the Bootheel, said Shirley Ramsey, executive coordinator for the Community Caring Council.

But federal funding cuts could worsen the already poor conditions of Missouri's children, advocates say. Changes in block-grant funding could cut services like Medicaid and food stamps.

"The message from Congress -- and from our report -- is that children don't count," Beth Griffin, CMC executive director, said in a prepared statement. "On legislators' lists of priorities, they are well below tax cuts, special-interest groups and re-election bids."

Missouri ranks 36th in the nation, and the state is not making any leaps in the national standing, said Susan Scribner, program analyst for CMC. "It hangs between 34 and 36," she said. "We don't spend a lot to support people."

During 1994, Cape Girardeau County enrolled more students in the free or reduced-price lunch program and reported an increase in the number of children's deaths and teen violent deaths.

The findings in the report help state agencies evaluate some of their programs.

"It tells us where the problems are and what we need to address," Ramsey said.

Some local programs sponsored by the Community Caring Council helped improve the county's ranking by addressing past problems.

"There's a lot of truth to the fact that localities know what's best for their kids," Scribner said, adding that the Community Caring Council is known statewide for its role in improving the life of children.

"No one organization can take credit," Ramsey said. "But we can work together to make a difference."

The council is trying to develop regional programs to make more people aware of the resources available to them, Ramsey said.

Overall, the county improved but it could have been at the expense of other counties that declined, she said.

More students are enrolled in the free lunch program, which is an indication that more are at poverty level, Ramsey said of the county's report.

Twenty-three percent of the students are enrolled in the program here. Fourteen percent of the county's child population lives in poverty. The figures rose slightly from the 1994 report.

With pending changes to the federal block-grant program, the Community Caring Council could face serious challenges.

"We need to educate ourselves and the Legislature so we can be advocates for our kids," Ramsey said. "We have to be vigilant and continue to work hard or we will fall back. We don't want people to fall through the cracks. We may do things differently or in a different way but we have to make sure we don't lose ground with the kids."

This is the third "Kids Count" report issued by CMC, which is funded by a private foundation.