Report: Nevada not kind to kids

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

Despite the relative wealth of its residents, Nevada ranks among the nation's worst states for the quality of health care, education and social services provided to its children, according to a new report.

The Children's Advocacy Alliance, in its annual report card, gave Fs to the Silver State in its suicide and drug use rates, lack of prenatal care, large numbers of uninsured children, high rates of teen pregnancy and high school dropouts.

"That places Nevada in the company of such states as Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico ... all states with much higher numbers of children living in poverty," according to the report, being released today by the Henderson-based organization.

This isn't the first time Nevada has received poor marks in the annual report card. In fact, officials at the alliance said the Silver State has shown so little progress for so long that they plan to put off the next report card for Nevada until 2005.

"There's little evidence to suggest the numbers will be significantly different next year," said Donna Coleman, president of the alliance. "By holding off, we're giving Nevada a chance to step up to the plate when it comes to children."

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she was dismayed to hear the organization would be skipping next year's Nevada report card.

"Those numbers help us make our arguments, even if the numbers aren't the best of news," Titus said. "I can understand people being frustrated with our lack of progress, but that doesn't mean we're not trying, and it doesn't mean that those assessments aren't useful."

The low marks need to be a wake-up call for the entire state, Titus said.

"We have to come up with a definition of what we want Nevada to be in the 21st century," Titus said. "Up to now all the emphasis has been on how we can make cuts and still maintain the status quo. There's been no vision, no goals, no long-term planning for how we're going to fix the situation."

Some of Nevada's low marks are a result of the state's soaring growth, said Keith Schwer, executive director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"We're growing so quickly that it's difficult to keep up in terms of infrastructure for social services," Schwer said.

Just half of Southern Nevada's residents have been here 10 years or longer, Schwer said. Such a high transiency rate makes it easier to lose sight of the more vulnerable members of the population, Schwer said.

"Children don't vote and they don't make contributions to political candidates," Schwer said. "That's why it falls to us to watch out for them."

The region's rapid growth also contributed to the Silver State's F grade for high school dropout rate, said Jack McLaughlin, superintendent of Nevada's schools. Only Arizona has more dropouts than Nevada, according to the study.

More than 80 percent of the state's jobs require a two-year associate's degree or less, McLaughlin said.

"There are plenty of people who drop out of school in other states to come here because they know they'll find work that will keep them above the poverty level," McLaughlin said. "There's little motivation, from the career viewpoint, to continue your education."

The report card's findings that Nevada children were more likely to try cocaine and heroin at a younger age than their counterparts in other states also troubled McLaughlin. The number of students reporting being offered drugs on school campuses jumped sharply in the past two years, according to the state's Youth Risk Survey.

"Addressing teen drug use isn't just a priority for the schools, it's a priority for the nation," McLaughlin said. "I know our departments and other state agencies have been working hard to curb that, developing partnerships with parents and community groups. That's what we need more of."

In addition to evaluating school-age children and teenagers, the report ranked Nevada's prenatal services.

Nevada's rate of low birth weight babies earned a B grade for the second straight year, while the infant mortality grade dropped to a C from a B-. Nevada ranked 47th in the nation for the percentage of children between the ages of 19 and 35 months who have been immunized, earning a grade of F for the state.

In Clark County, more than 85 percent of all children have received their immunizations by their fifth birthday, said Fran Courtney, director of the clinic and nursing for the Clark County Health District. Many parents wait until the shots are required for the child to start school, Courtney said.

Clark County also has made significant progress in providing health insurance for children, Courtney said. As of last month, more than 16,000 children were enrolled in Nevada Check Up, a federally funded program for families without private coverage who are not eligible for Medicaid. That's up from 10,000 participants the previous year.

At least another 20,000 children countywide are likely eligible for the program, Courtney said.

"We're working hard to get the message out that there are resources available," Courtney said. "We do our best with ad campaigns, billboards and bus stop signs, but we know we need to reach more families."

Like Titus, Courtney said she was disappointed the survey would skip Nevada next year because the past report cards have helped county health workers track progress.

Some of the county's newer programs, including those aimed at curbing drug use and underage smoking, are expected to yield long-term benefits that may not show up immediately in upcoming surveys, Courtney said.

"Working in public health in Clark County you feel like you're never quite catching up, you're always running behind," Courtney said. "But I think we're making terrific strides in identifying the problem areas and coming up with solutions."