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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
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POPULATION
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1994
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1995
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1996
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1997
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1998
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Children, Ages 0-5
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64,072
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66,769
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68,102
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69,110
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70,556
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Total Population
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643,437
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666,127
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680,541
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693,517
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709,692
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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 Statistics
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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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