Opportunities to Learn and Grow

Key areas for action include:  Parent education and support; early literacy and preschool programs; afterschool programs and other enrichment activities during out-of-school time; dropout prevention and recovery initiatives; scholarship programs and other postsecondary access and completion efforts.

Examples of local targets to consider: Number or proportion of children attending prekindergarten or afterschool programs; high school graduation rates; number of scholarships provided for postsecondary education and training; and postsecondary enrollment and completion rates.

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A Safe Neighborhood to Call Home

Key areas for action include:  Mentoring and other initiatives that connect young people to trusted and caring adults; early intervention at the first sign that youth are at risk of violence; juvenile reentry and rehabilitation efforts that restore young people who have gone down the wrong path; and public education campaigns that involve a broad range of youth and community leaders to unlearn the culture of violence. 

Examples of local targets to consider: Number of children and youth with adult mentors; number of successful truancy interventions; youth homicide rates; juvenile and neighborhood crime rates; number of youth leadership opportunities and community service projects; and number of juvenile offenders participating in rehabilitation or reentry programs.

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A Healthy Lifestyle and Environment

Key areas for action include:  Transportation and land use policies that encourage biking and walking; neighborhood park and playground development; sports and recreation programs; food stamp, school lunch and school breakfast outreach campaigns; incentives for supermarkets and farmers’ markets to open in low-income neighborhoods; collaborations with schools to educate youth about healthy food choices and expand access to nutritious foods; and community-wide fitness and wellness campaigns.

Examples of local targets to consider: Miles of bike routes and walking paths; number of neighborhood parks and playgrounds; proportion of eligible families enrolled in the federal food stamp and child nutrition programs; number of supermarkets or farmers’ markets in low-income neighborhoods; childhood obesity rates; levels of physical activity among children and youth; and removal of snack foods and unhealthy food choices from schools.

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A Financially Fit Family in Which to Thrive

Key areas for action include:  EITC and other benefit outreach campaigns targeting low-income working families; efforts to open low-cost checking or savings accounts for “unbanked” residents; financial literacy, education, and coaching programs; measures to curb predatory lending and avoid foreclosures; homeownership incentives and counseling; transitional employment initiatives for parents facing barriers to work; and other strategies to help families build financial assets.

Examples of local targets to consider: Number of eligible families claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit and other federal or state benefits; proportion or number of families with access to mainstream financial services; poverty rates; foreclosure rates; number of check-cashing operations and predatory lenders in low-income neighborhoods; and number of transitional jobs available to hard-to-employ residents.

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