[Archived] Alexandria Prepares For Major Emphasis On Youth Programs; Study Recommends New Commission To Improve Coordination, Delivery, and Evaluation of Youth Programs; Proposes Annual Community Report Card on Youth Well Being; City Council Invites Citizens to Comment at September 13 Public Hearing


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Monday, June 23, 1997
Contact:	Tom Brannan, Assistant City Manager, (703) 838-4300; Suzanne Chis, Acting Director, Department of Human Services, (703) 838-0710

Alexandria Prepares For Major Emphasis On Youth Programs; Study Recommends New Commission To Improve Coordination, Delivery, and Evaluation of Youth Programs; Proposes Annual Community Report Card on Youth Well Being; City Council Invites Citizens to Comment at September 13 Public Hearing

A new study presented to the Alexandria City Council June 10 recommends a major emphasis on improving coordination, delivery, and evaluation of youth programs in the City. The study report recommends City Council create a new advisory commission to oversee City policy for youth and to issue an annual community report card on the well being of Alexandria’s youth.

The Youth Services Study Committee’s report was presented to City Council on June 10 and will be distributed throughout the City in advance of a September 13 City Council public hearing.

The study was conducted by representatives from local public and private organizations and presents the first ever comprehensive review of how services are delivered to Alexandria’s youth. One key area of the study examines how demographic changes, as reflected in the 1990 Census, are affecting the City’s youth population:

Major decline in the City’s youth population. Alexandria’s youth population decreased by more than 15,000 between 1970 and 1990, from 34,093 to 19,053. In 1990, youth represented 17 percent of the City’s population, compared to 31 percent in 1970. In 1990, only 19 percent of City households had children, the third lowest of any jurisdiction in the nation.

Increase in non-traditional families. Sixty percent of Alexandria’s youth live in a traditional, two-parent family, but 40% do not. One of three children born to Alexandria mothers is born out-of-wedlock, the highest percentage in Northern Virginia.

Diverse racial and ethnic mix. Sixty percent of Alexandria’s youth are members of a minority, with Hispanics the fastest growing racial/ethnic group. About one-third of youth in the City are living in homes where English is not the primary language spoken, and about 10 percent are living in homes where no resident adult speaks proficient English.

Widening income inequity. Many children in Alexandria benefit from the financial prosperity of their parents. The 1990 Census reveals, however, that families with children are among the most financially burdened in the City. More than half of the students enrolled in the Alexandria City Public Schools qualify for free or reduced price lunches.
"This study and its recommendations represent a significant first step in addressing a broad range of youth issues in a more coordinated manner," said Alexandria Deputy City Manager Beverly Steele, who chaired the Study Committee.

"Many of our City’s youth are preparing for successful futures and are doing well academically and socially. However, some youth remain at risk, and they stand to benefit from a closer partnership between the City and community organizations. This youth services initiative is designed to improve the effectiveness of programs that help our City’s youth deal with difficult challenges, while recognizing our youths’ achievements, and providing opportunities for their success," said Ms. Steele.

In its study, the Youth Services Study Committee found that the City’s large number of programs for youth lack a single, collaborative body bringing cohesiveness and coordination to public and community programs. To address that need, the Committee recommended creation of the Youth Policy Commission representing citizen groups, public and community non-profit agencies, and the Early Childhood Commission and the Interagency Consortium on Adolescent Pregnancy.

The Committee’s study also noted the absence of a method of measuring and accounting for the results of youth-serving programs. To ensure that future decisions on youth programs are properly guided, the report recommends that the new Youth Policy Commission issue a report card covering 17 Indicators of Youth Well-Being, including infant mortality, teen pregnancy, physical fitness, school attendance, academic achievement, juvenile arrests, and access to recreation and arts programs.

The proposed Youth Policy Commission would replace two current groups -- the Youth Services Commission and the City and Schools Staff Group on Youth-- and would take responsibility for identifying the City’s high-priority youth-related areas and make recommendations to City Council regarding City funding for youth programs and services.

In addition, the proposed Commission would serve as a vehicle for addressing youth issues (e.g., gang awareness and prevention) and would meet quarterly with the existing City Council/School Board Subcommittee (Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Manager, and School Board Chair, Vice Chair and School Superintendent of City Schools).

To allow sufficient time for the community to review the report and its recommendations, City Council has scheduled a public hearing for September 13. Copies of the report are available from the Office of Citizen Assistance in City Hall (301 King Street), the Department of Human Services (2525 Mt. Vernon Avenue); the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (1108 Jefferson Street) and all neighborhood recreation centers; and all branches of the Alexandria Library. An Executive Summary of the Youth Services Study Report is also posted on this web site, click here to view the summary.

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