U SING K IDS C OUNT D ATA:T URNING I NFORMATION INTO A CTION
黄牛肉怎么做好吃Improving the health and well-being of children and their families requires an
understanding of the circumstances and environment in which they live. This information
can assist in communicating the needs of children, resulting in stronger policies and
programs. How can you u Kids Count in your community?
/Get the Facts
There are many sources of data about your community. Kids Count compiles a data book each year that focus on key indicators that rearch suggests matter to the quality of life for children and families. The data book combines data from many different sources to produce a profile of each county in the state and the City of Detroit with indicators related to:
<family income and employment
<child care and family support
<the health of babies and children
<child abu and neglect
神经的治疗<the health and well-being of youth
<education
昏的成语This year's Kids Count in Michigan data book includes a special ction on children with disabilities, including county-level data from the 2000 Census, as well as updates for the background indicators about lead poisoning, birth defects, hospitalization for asthma, and children receiving Special Education and Supplemental Security Income.
/Analyze the Information
You don’t have to be a rearcher to analyze information, you just have to take some time to examin
e what the data are saying about your community. The information itlf is just the tip of the iceberg. The data book allows discussion of the inter-relatedness among different pieces of information, and a look at the broader picture of the status of children and families within a community. Community members understand the implications of local activities on the information, and can make some educated judgments about why certain things are true about children and families locally. To analyze, you can:
羊和猪的属相合不合Compare trends and rankings for different issues.
<Look at the information that has particular relevance to your work. For example, if you are running
a child abu and neglect prevention program, you would be particularly interested in information
related to child safety and family support. Or if your community collaborative has identified teen pregnancy as a target issue, trends in teen births might be a focus. Think also about the indicators that affect issues that you are specifically concerned about, the economic status of families influences many other outcomes, such as health and education.
<Look at community trends. The data book allows you to look at what has happened over time for m
any indicators. Has the situation of children and families improved in your community, or worned?
Compare your county to similar counties, the state or the nation.
<Compare with other communities or the state. The data book provides rankings on many of the indicators available. The ranks allow comparisons with other counties (you may want to compare regionally, or to communities with similar attributes, such as population size and diversity), and can help you get a n of where there are particular community success or challenges. For example, if your county ranks right in the middle for most of the indicators, but ranks in the top ten for one, that may signify some real success in that area.
<Compare with a national or state average. On all indicators in the data book, there are state rates for comparison. Comparison to national rates can be made through the National Kids Count project for veral measures, such as infant mortality and teen births. The Michigan page of the national Kids Count book -- available at www.kidscount -- provides Michigan rankings compared to other states and trends in comparison to the nation.
<Compare to a standard or benchmark. In addition to averages, there are national or local standards for comparison on some measures. One example are the Healthy People Goals, through 无盘
the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. Tho goals are established every ten years for many health-related indicators. Some communities have t local goals or standards where they can u Kids Count data to asss progress.
Supplement the data with local information.
<Understand the local landscape. What do you know about local events (loss of employers, end of a program, new funding, etc.) that may have had an impact on a particular indicator? What are existing or potential strategies to improve outcomes on that indicator?
<Gather other information about your community. The data book is limited to information available consistently across all counties in Michigan. Many communities do local needs asssments, surveys and other activities to gather information about their programs and residents.
<Determine what the information does NOT tell you. What more would you need to find out to determine what has made an impact on that indicator in your community?
/U the information
Prioritize issues for action. Whether you are on a community planning team, implementing a program for children and families, or just trying to figure out what you can do to help, it makes n to ba your strategy on facts and information rather than rhetoric or myth. The data book provides you with information about many facets of community life for children and families, and your analysis of the information leads you to recognize issues of critical need, or to capitalize on past success.
Work with the media. The media are a great avenue to draw attention to an issue in your community. The relea of Kids Count data books receive a great deal of media attention from print, radio and television outlets. Communities can take advantage of this situation to inrt local messages into the initial Kids Count story, or extend the coverage beyond the publication of the report itlf. The theme of childhood disability gives some opportunity to make your programs or initiatives targeted toward that group more widely known and give you additional visibility as an information source. Often the media focus on the “bad news,” which may overshadow the work that local groups are doing to improve their community.
编绳手链By acting proactively with local media around the information in the data book, you may be able to help the press amplify local efforts, draw attention to successful programs or important issues that help to frame policy or other advocacy work.
<Look at the data for press angles — what is the theme or message for the data book; where have there been significant changes or trends in your community’s data; what is the good news about your community; what are the challenges.
<Figure out how your organization/initiative fits into the story. Do you have a program that has contributed to the good news, or is trying to face the challenges?
<Recruit people to share their stories about your organization/initiative.
<Timing is everything. Kids Count usually releas the data book information with an embargo for the relea date when the story will actually appear in the media. Reporters and editors will be given the “embargoed” information prior to the date so they have time to pull the story together. They always want to develop the local angle, so the day or so before a relea are the most critical to be communicating with the media about a story, or being available for media requests. The Kids Count in Michigan Data Book 2003 will be relead in January 2004.
<Maintain connections with the media. Revisit media contacts periodically, giving them a fresh angle on the information about your community.
Good Luck!
抚仙湖传说For more information and help with your work:
Michele Corey, Director of Community Advocacy Jane Zehnder-Merrell
Michigan’s Children Senior Rearch Associate
428 W. Lenawee Project Director, Kids Count in Michigan Lansing, MI 48933Michigan League for Human Services
517/485-3500; Tollfree: 800/330-86741115 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 202
FAX: 517/485-3650Lansing, MI 48912
www.michiganschildren517/487-5436; Tollfree: 800/837-5436
德国建筑风格***********************************FAX: 517/371-4546
www.milhs
**************
Kids Count in Michigan is part of a broad national effort to measure the well-being of children at the state and local levels, and u that information to shape efforts to improve the lives of children. Since 1992, Kids Count in Michigan has published annual data books profiling the well-being of children in Michigan. Although the measures ud in the data book cannot capture the full range of conditions shaping children’s lives, they: 1. reflect a wide range of factors affecting the well-being of children;
2. reflect experiences across a range of developmental stages;
3. allow comparison becau they are consistent across counties and over time;
4. are considered important through rearch and by the public and policy makers; and
5. have clear policy implications where prevention and intervention are possible.
The Michigan League for Human Services and Michigan’s Children are partners in the Kids Count effort, and work to ensure that the information provided in the data book is ud throughout Michigan for community planning, to bring needed attention to critical issues, and to drive public policy advocacy around issues of concern.
