For more information please visit the Food Research and Action Center 

Service Community Assessment of Needs (SCAN) Final Report 2003

• Food is a fundamental human need. The 2001 Hunger and Homelessness Survey released by the U.S. Council of Mayors showed that the economic slowdown has led to an increase in demand for food assistance across the country. The cities included in the survey reported an average increase of 23% in requests for emergency food assistance. Slightly over half of the people requesting emergency assistance were members of families. About 37% of the adults asking for food assistance were employed.

• Households participating in a telephone survey were asked if they had enough money for food in the 12 months prior to the survey. Paying for food was a major problem for 2%, and a minor problem for 15%.

• The housing costs in Monroe County are among the highest in the state. About 56% of Monroe County households spend more than 30% of their income on rent each year. For some individuals, a lack of adequate education and job skills limits their employment options and earning capability. About 36% of the individuals considered “low income” in the SCAN report completed no more than a high school education or GED equivalency; an additional 25% in this category had less education.

• “Finding a job that pays enough to make ends meet,” and “paying for rent or mortgage” were the two most prevalent economic challenges for families in Monroe County identified through the SCAN report.

• The median household income (2000) for Monroe County is $33,311. (87th of 92 counties in Indiana)

• There are 401 Monroe County families receiving TANF in 2001 (16th in the state), and 4,423 Food Stamp recipients (17th in state).

• The unemployment rate (June 2003) was 3.1% (88th in state).

• The percentage of children under 18 living in poverty (2000) was 11.8% (35th in state).

For more information please visit the Service Community Assessment of Needs website

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Childcare

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids 2004 Kindergarten Teacher Poll

• A 2004 survey of kindergarten teachers reported that children who had attended quality prekindergarten programs were more likely to get along with others and be sensitive to their feelings, count, have problem-solving skills, know letters of the alphabet, follow directions and were far less likely to be disruptive in class.

• Eighty-six percent of kindergarten teachers surveyed said that the time they have to devote to dealing with the disruptive behavior of poorly-prepared children and helping them catch up negatively affects the progress of well prepared children.

• Nine out of ten kindergarten teachers agreed that “substantially more” children would succeed in school if all families had access to quality pre-kindergarten programs. The agreement rate rose to nearly 100 percent among teachers with mostly poor, minority children in their classes.  

For more information please visit Fight Crime: Invest in Kids

Indiana Youth Institute Statistics on Childcare

• The majority of Indiana's children under the age of six spend at least 36 hours a week in childcare. 

• There are approximately 338,000 children ages 5 to 12 in Indiana presumed to need care before and after school and during breaks in the school year. However, the licensed childcare capacity in Indiana is only 102,289.  

For more information please visit Indiana Youth Institute

Service Community Assessment of Needs (SCAN) Final Report 2003

• Just over 20% of children in Monroe County live in neighborhoods where 20% or more of the population is below poverty.

• Child and family services are not seen as a funding priority at state or federal level. There is a lack of leadership and comprehensive community resources that prioritize supporting families and children, including families at risk.

• Greater support and recognition of the challenges of parenting is required, along with efforts to develop parenting skills, regardless of income level.

• Income thresholds to determine eligibility for child care vouchers and welfare benefits have become so restrictive that many who need those federally funded services are no longer receiving them.

• Research shows that young children need good nutrition, health care and positive learning experiences from birth. Children born into a family already struggling with issues like unemployment, stretched resources, stress and depression, and even substance abuse are often at risk for hunger, inadequate health care, lack of stimulating play and learning activities, unstable surroundings, and even neglect or abuse in severe cases.

• Accessing reliable, quality, affordable childcare is one of the greatest barriers to women obtaining and keeping a job, or furthering their education. In addition, day care makes it possible for both parents to work, thereby increasing the family’s economic well-being.

• There were 2438 slots available for children in licensed day care facilities in 2002.

• The annual number of children receiving childcare vouchers was 1248 in 2002.

• About 12% of the children in Monroe County are living in poverty.

• In 2000, the license childcare capacity of Monroe County was for 2,231 children. Of those, about 530 children were in subsidized care. There were 11 registered provider ministries.

• About 62% of children under age six (4135) live in a family in which all their caregivers (one or both parents) work.

For more information please visit the Service Community Assessment of Needs website