Cape Girardeau County improved in five indicators of child well-being but declined in another five areas, according to the 2012 Missouri Kids Count report, released this month by the Partnership for Children.

The county fell from 38th to 39th in the Kids Count rankings of all 114 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis. Scott County ranked 80th compared to 81st in 2011, and Perry County received a ranking of 18th above its 2011 showing of 28th.

The most dramatic change in ranking took place in Bollinger County, which moved from 79th in 2011 to 28th in the 2012 on the strength of declines in indicators such as births to mothers with less than 12 years of education, a reduction in the dropout rate for high school students and a decline in births to teen mothers.

Erin Brower, director of advocacy and public policy for the Partnership for Children, said indicators used in the Kids Count report, such as increases in the number of children eligible for free or reduced-priced lunches, are a direct reflection of poverty.

The number of children eligible for the lunches statewide was 49.4 percent in 2012, up from 47.4 percent in 2011. The number Cape Girardeau County was up in 2012, as it was in Bollinger, Perry and Scott counties.

"Many parents are unable to find decent-paying jobs," Brower said. "As a result, they slip into, or further into, poverty and are unable to pay for their children's lunches at school."

More disturbingly, Brower said, is some parents take out their stress and poverty status on their children in the form of mental and physical abuse. Child-abuse assessments in Cape Girardeau County were down in 2012 but remained above the state average.

Brower said Kids Count data will be used by the Partnership for Children, a statewide advocacy group based in Kansas City, Mo., to draw attention to the needs of children throughout the state.

"We want to be able to influence legislators when it comes to children's well being," she said. "We'll be able to use Kids Count information to backup our arguments."

The Kids Count statistics are compiled by the University of Missouri's Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis and presented annually by the Partnership for Children. More than 30 federal, state and local sources provide data used to produce Kids Count.

Five areas in which Cape Girardeau County improved in 2012 were as follows:

* Decreases in the percentage of births to mothers with less than 12 years education

* The rate of child abuse.

* Infant-mortality rate.

* Death rate of children ages 1 to 14

* Rates of violent deaths for teens ages 15 to 19.

Cape Girardeau County declined in five other areas. There was the increase in students enrolled in free or reduced lunches, the rate of children entered into out-of-home placements such as foster care, the annual percentage of high school dropouts, births to teenagers age 15 to 19 and the percent of low birth-weight infants.

Jane Wernsman, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said the increase in the number of women who smoke while pregnant might have contributed to the increase in the rate of low birth-weight infants.

"There can be many factors, but smoking is a visible culprit," Wernsman said. "We've seen an increased number of pre-natals at the health center who smoke."

Wernsman said the health center received a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to have the staff educate individuals, particularly pregnant women, about the ills of smoking and to provide cessation programs.

Reviewing the decrease in the percent of births to mothers with less than 12 years education, Wernsman said pregnancy and contraception education always have been a priority with the health center.

"We provide information to visitors and the public as often as we can," she said. "We want to be instrumental in keeping the birthrates low."

In Scott County, the number of pregnancies in the category also declined. Barry Cook, director of the Scott County Health Department, said reducing the number of pregnancies is a long-term process.

"You're sometimes looking at generational things," Cook said. "A daughter who was born to a young mother might think that it's OK to follow in her mother's footsteps. It's something we try to discourage by working with the schools to get information out there."

The annual dropout rate rose in Cape Girardeau County and is just above the state average, according to the report. Dr. Sherry Copeland, assistant superintendent for the Cape Girardeau schools, said administrators are working to keep students thinking of quitting to stay in school.

"It's our responsibility to find out why students drop out and to keep them in school," Copeland said.

She said the district is considering expanding the Alternative Education Center, which offers at-risk students additional attention through smaller classes, to help combat the problem. The Preparing for Academic Success program, which provides students with information about staying on track for graduation and preparations for post-graduation, also is being examined for possible expansion.

The complete Kids Count statistics are available at datacenter.kidscount.org or at oseda.missouri.edu.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent addresses: 301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO

1121 Linden St., Cape Girardeau, MO

102 Groves Estate Court, Sikeston, MO