United Way's program Success by Six educates those from ages zero to six at Educated Learning Centers. However, with the current United Way report this is leaving some leaders with the organization concerned.
Community Impact Director, Janis Putteet, said educating those at a young age is vital and hearing this statistics is alarming, but the trend has been increasing for awhile.
"Economically disadvantaged students in Region 17 that has grown by 14% in the last decade," she said. "The numbers continue to go up as far as child poverty, families in poverty, and family in violence and child abuse."
Putteet said because of the increasing trend of poverty, and family violence this makes it even more important to continue to educate those at a young age.
Program Director for Success by Six, Carolyn Simpson, said folks are falling into the poverty level unlike before. Even though this is the case, Simpson said they are optimistic.
"Our hope and our goal as the economy begins to turn around the numbers will begin to decrease," she said. "We are certainly hoping these numbers will not stay."
Associate Director for the Education Learning Centers, Lena Scaff, said enrollment numbers are down for the Success by Six program, which is another concern. Scaff also said the concern is not for kids who are in Early Learning Centers, but for those who are not.
"Reading, writing and introducing math and science concepts and things like that, nine out of ten times the television is on," she said. "Dora Explorer is fun, but it is not the same as sitting on someone's laps and reading together."
The United Way community report track's numbers in areas like education, economics, demographics, health and public safety. To view the full report go to the "Seen on FOX 34" tab.
