Help children and families achieve long-term stability

In 2016, the divide in Cedar Rapids between kids doing well and kids falling behind will continue to grow. For example, child poverty, including nearly half the school-age youth who are eligible for free and reduced lunch, in Cedar Rapids has more than doubled since 2000. We know, and research confirms, that children and families in crisis and poverty have many obstacles to navigate and the divide only becomes deeper when their future is unstable and uncertain.

These negative trends are not only problematic for the future of Cedar Rapids' workforce; they are contrary to everything this proud community stands for. In the face of these troubling challenges, as we end 2015, there is much evidence that points to an upcoming year of gains: more hope, added strength and greater opportunities. Some examples:

More hope: Driving up and down the streets of New Wellington, local leaders continue to comment that the Wellington Heights neighborhood is ' … looking great” after successful restoration and remodeling of almost 70 homes, with a goal of 100 on the horizon. In addition, things the community might not see: struggling children and families inside those homes throughout Linn County are benefiting from comprehensive, streamlined approaches to better futures. TotalChild is now helping more than 900 children and their families who are experiencing short-term crisis, with 90 percent achieving stability in all areas of their life within a year and as the child grows to age 18.

Added strength: Another ‘best kept secret' is how many public, private, non-profit and business organizations are joining forces to improve the odds for the next generation in this community. In just one initiative (PUSH-CR), more than 25 public and private organizations are part of a federally-funded demonstration project to end homelessness for more than 100 Cedar Rapids families with young children and the added challenges of: child abuse, domestic violence, mental health, and/or substance abuse. While the funding and approach are very important, the results achieved so far (housing families within seven days, safely keeping/returning children home) could not be done by one or two organizations alone. In fact, Cedar Rapids' success has been recently highlighted in a documentary that proves our community's team work is a standout nationally: cantasd.org/bcbh-landing.html.

Greater opportunities: Helping children and families achieve long-term stability gives us a unique perspective. For example, we are now asking ourselves: how many of the high school freshmen in 2016 will graduate in 2020 and have become employed with a livable wage by 2024? Four Oaks has learned a lot in the last few years as our TotalChild approach developed. In partnership with Jane Boyd, we created a soft-skills, upskills and internships program (PATHS) that helped over 80 parents/young adults graduate from the program and either pursued higher education or secured employment. In addition, we've outlined a blueprint for a broad community effort, involving higher education, private businesses and Corridor leadership that will begin to focus on an 'education to workforce pipeline” focused on helping hundreds of TotalChild children become successful adults in the workforce.

A year from now, we will look back on 2016 and celebrate an even better, longer list of hopes, strengths and opportunities. Your call to action: we must encourage and support more solid public-private partnerships, engaged citizens, effective schools, caring businesses, community leaders and public officials to be part of expanding upon and sustaining these gains. Together, we will make our neighborhoods more welcoming, inclusive and stronger, and we can close the gap for Linn County children and families. The children and families we work with depend on it, and Cedar Rapids future requires it.

' Anne Gruenewald is president and CEO of Four Oaks. More information: fouroaks.org