Alexandria Healthy Youth Report Reveals Progress Made, Work Still Needed
There's a lot of good news to report, and some things that need improvement.
Alexandria, VA – Alexandria is making progress improving healthy outcomes for kids, but it still has work to do. That’s according to the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission’s 2014 “Children and Youth Master Plan Five Year Report,” which was released on Dec. 11 at City Hall.
By The Numbers
The master plan was created by the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission, which was formed in 2012. The commission submitted its first CYMP in 2014 with the goal of keeping Alexandria children safe and healthy, career-ready and academically successful, socially and emotionally connected, part of stable family units, and ensuring that the city has responsive and coordinated services for them.
“These data suggests that our community is making progress, but there is clearly more work to be done,” the report reads.
According to the report:
- Alexandria’s infant mortality rate decreased by 3.1 percent
- Founded abuse and neglected investigations decreased by 50 percent
- Kindergarteners saw their reading expectations drop 10 percent, and math by 7 percent
- Kindergartners who self-regulate their emotions and behavior increased by 2 percent
- Pre-K participation increased by 7 percent
- On-time high school graduation rates decreased by 4 percent
- The high school dropout rate increased 11 percent
- The youth unemployment rate increased 44 percent among 16-19 year olds and decreased 20 percent among 20-24 year olds
- The teen pregnancy rate decreased by 35 percent
- Cigarette use by teens decreased 56 percent, but e-cigarette use increased 60 percent
The Next Phase
The meeting also launched the process to develop the five-year Children and Youth Master Plan 2025, which will align with the Alexandria City Public Schools Strategic Plan, the Alexandria Health Department’s Community Health Improvement Plan 2025 with the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria and the City’s Department of Community and Human Services.
