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DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
While the needs of children have remained basically the same, during
the last third of the 20th century, marked demographic and
economic changes have occurred in families throughout the United States
and (Hofferth, 1999). Major changes include:
- An increase in the incidence of single-parent families: Increases
in marriages ending in divorce and births to single mothers have resulted
in more children having only one parent for at least a part of their
childhood;
- Increased maternal participation in the workforce: By 1994,
70% of married mothers with dependent children were in the workforce
(U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996);
- Increased incidence of working poor families: In Texas, despite
the growing economy that has increased the number of jobs, the hourly
wage for a low-wage worker has declined from $6.92 in 1979 (in 1997
dollars) to $6.12 in 1997. More families lack health insurance and
must face higher costs for housing and child care. With these and
other pressures, working poor families in Texas are falling further
and further behind (Center
for Public Policy Priorities, 1999).
As Table 2 shows, the number of Travis County children between the
ages of zero and five has increased by 16% from 1993 to 1998, consistent
with the growth of the overall Travis County population. These numbers
are expected to continue to grow, as the total population grows.
Table 2
Travis County Population Estimates 1994-1998
| POPULATION
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
| Children, Ages 0-5 |
64,072 |
66,769 |
68,102 |
69,110 |
70,556 |
| Total Population |
643,437 |
666,127 |
680,541 |
693,517 |
709,692 |
Source. The Texas
Kids Count Project, a project of the Center for Public Policy Priorities
(from the Texas State Data Center)
Birth data provide information about demographic changes in the local
child population. In 1997, 40% of births were Hispanic compared to 37%
Hispanic births in 1995. As is illustrated in Figure 1, in 1997, Hispanics
comprised only 25% of the total population, while the proportion of
children born who were Hispanic was 40%. Based on birth data, it is
evident that services that adequately address the early education and
care of young children must incorporate models and practices that are
culturally relevant.
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Figure 1
Percentage of Population Compared to Births by Ethnicity,
Travis County, 1997
Source. Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital
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In addition to the growing diversity in our community, we have also
experienced an increase in the incidence of childhood poverty.
In 1999 nearly one out of five children in Travis County (19.8%)
was living in poverty (Texas
Health and Human Services Commission, 1999), an increase from
the 1990 rate of 16.2% (Community Action Network, 1995). This
increase in the number of children raised in poverty is related
both to the growing numbers of households headed by single mothers
and to declines in the wages of less skilled and less well educated
workers - both male and female.
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Figure 2
Estimate of the Travis County Population Living below Poverty in 1999
Source.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
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Research findings support the assertion that family income is significantly
related to children's academic achievement (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997).
To impact the cycle of poverty as it contributes to poor academic experiences,
poor employment opportunities, and the continuation of poverty, the development
of early literacy skills is critical to a child's success in learning to read
(Teale, 1988). In particular, for Hispanic/Latino families, there appears
to be a lack of understanding of the relationship between the early environment
and successful learning in school. Although parents understand that education
is important and they want their children to be successful in school, they
may believe that learning begins when children start school and that a child's
first teacher is a schoolteacher (Rodriguez, 1994).
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