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The following is a press release from an organization unaffiliated with Voice of OC. The views expressed here are not those of Voice of OC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jamie Cargo

ssacom@ssa.ocgov.com

29TH Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County Now Available

Orange County, Calif. (December 5, 2023) – The 29th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County is now available, offering a comprehensive assessment of the health, economic well-being, education and safety of Orange County’s Children.

The following areas have shown improvement in the lives of local youth:

  • Good Health: The percentage of uninsured children in Orange County dropped to 3.6%, representing a 42.8% decrease in the number of uninsured children since 2012, a 10-year low.
  • Economic Well-being: The percentage of Orange County children receiving CalWORKs represents a decline. In 2021-22, 3.2% of Orange County’s children received CalWORKs assistance, a 48.3% decrease from 6.1% in 2012-13.
  • Educational Achievement: The percentage of college-ready Orange County students increased for the 10th straight year. In school year 2021-22, 57.2% of high school graduates within Orange County were eligible for University of California or California State University, higher than the State of California’s eligibility rate of 51.4%. The high school dropout rate continues to decline, at 4.0% in the 2021-22 school year compared to 7.3% in 2012-13.
  • Safe Homes and Communities: The juvenile arrest rate continues to decline. In 2021, there were 1,368 juvenile arrests in Orange County, an 84% drop from 8,578 juvenile arrests in 2012. An arrest is usually a youth’s first formal encounter with the juvenile justice system. It is important that at this first encounter a pattern of juvenile delinquency does not continue into adulthood.

While much progress has been made, continued areas for focus include behavioral health, chronic absenteeism and child poverty, among others.

This year’s front section explores the data with a focus on local solutions for advancing equity in Orange County and highlights several programs addressing health disparities in our county.

To read the full report, visit https://ssa.ocgov.com/about-us/news-publications/occp/annual-report.

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