We learned a lot at our Mobilizing the Collective Summit last week! With all the data and information that was shared, we didn’t want anything to fall between the cracks so we’ve put together this handy post of the key data you should know.

Education well-being in Pinellas.

  • 49% of Children Ages 3-4 are Not Enrolled in School
  • Only 3-4% of Children Eligible for EARLY HEAD START are enrolled
  • 40% of Children Who Enter Kindergarten are Not Ready for School

Economic well-being in Pinellas

  • Living in poverty:     19%
  • Living in ALICE Households: 42%
  • Living in Households with High-Cost Burden with rent and utilities more than 30% income: 50%

Health well-being 0-18 years

  • 7% of children 0-18 have no health insurance
  • 20% of children 0-18 experience Low Food Security

Early Childhood Development

  • During the first 18 months of life, superhighways are paved in the baby’s brain – pathways that will last a lifetime

Childcare v. Workforce Direct Costs

  • Parents are 80% of the workforce
  • 65% of work schedules are affected by childcare challenges.
  • Every year, 45% of parents miss 8.6 days of work due to childcare breakdowns.
  • The nation’s childcare crisis costs $57 billion per year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
  • Childcare costs parents about $6,500 to $10,000 per child per year.
  • Parents who can’t afford childcare, are out of the workforce.

Florida ranks 41 out of 45 states in per-child funding.

Where it all begins

  • Ages Birth-to-3  …  the Critical Years
  • More than 1 million new neural connections form every second
  • By age 2, more than a hundred trillion connections.
  • 85% of brain growth happens by age 3.
  • Access to quality care in early years increases readiness significantly.
  • Early childhood development and readiness has a profound impact on our whole community.

Pre-K funding is largely for 4 and 5-year-olds.

While this information is only a fraction of the challenges we face, it is all surmountable. When we know the struggles our families are experiencing, we are that much more equipped to help them. Thrive by Five Pinellas’ mission is to mobilize all parts of our community to create equitable opportunities for young children to thrive. To be a part of the movement for holistic childhood development, reach out to Dr. Keesha Benson at kbenson@elcpinellas.org.