STATISTICS GIVE PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING

When local governments, boards and organizations look at the needs of their communities, Paul Sundet intends that they have accurate data.

Sundet, director of the Missouri Youth Initiative, heads up a massive fact-gathering operation designed to provide people with the information they need to make decisions.

Sundet was in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston last week to introduce the information and check on another Missouri Youth Initiative program operating in Sikeston.

Departments of education, social services, mental health, juvenile justice, and others all collect information on children. "But, there was no place to bring all the data together," Sundet said. "We wanted to put the data together so it was readable and usable."

"We put no type of spin on the data," Sundet said. "The interpretation or what needs to be done is left to local communities."

But he added, "This is the first time people have had this type of data in a readable form."

Sundet said the information has been particularly useful for legislators and grant writers throughout Missouri.

Development of the data-base is one of three components of the Missouri Youth Initiative, funded by a $3.6 million grant from the Kellogg Foundation, in conjunction with the University of Missouri Extension Service.

The other two components are establishment of demonstration communities to do programming for youths at risk in cooperation with other agencies and establishment of a Youth Fellows program, with experts from all the University of Missouri campuses and the Extension Service offering expertise to local communities.

In 1991, the organization published county by county profiles for the state. In October, an updated statewide look at the information was published.

Many of those requesting data asked for graphic, easy-to-understand information. But Sundet said very detailed figures are available for the asking.

"You can see high school completion rates for Cape Girardeau County. But what about Cape Girardeau city? How about the area of the city south of William Street? We can get that," he said. "We can get most information on almost a block-by-block basis."

Figures are available on population, households, employment, income, health, education and agriculture. Each area, Sundet said, impacts the lives of children in the state.

A sampling of information included in the report...

- In 1980, 57 percent of Southeast region mothers with children at home were included in the work force; by 1990 that percentage had increased to nearly 69 percent.

- In 1989, 14.2 percent of the Cape Girardeau population under age 18 lived in a household with an income level below poverty guidelines. In Perry County the percentage was 13.1; Bollinger, 23.6; Scott, 22.4; Pemiscot, 50.2.

- From 1981 to 1991, Scott County lost five primary care physicians, Perry County lost two, Bollinger County lost one, Cape Girardeau County gained five. Primary care physicians include family practice, obstetrics-gynecology, internal medicine and pediatrics.

- Of the 873 babies born in Cape Girardeau County during 1990, 7.4 percent were to mothers under age 18, 12 percent of were to mothers who received inadequate prenatal care and 23 percent to mothers who received Medicaid.

In addition to data collection, the Missouri Youth Initiative has set up model community projects. One is working in Sikeston. Sundet said 340 middle school children who were failing three or more classes were enrolled. Teen tutors help with school work. Family outreach workers give parents some help.

"It's really having an impact," Sundet said.