Children in Bristol and Warren have Opportunities for Improvment

Kids Need Our Help! Children in Bristol and Warren have Opportunities for Improvement According to Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Data

Community forum will give residents opportunity to discuss improvements and declines in the education, health, and child welfare of Bristol/Warren children

Bristol/Warren, RI (September, 2022) – After sponsoring a presentation by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT in May where surprising information was revealed about children and youth in Bristol and Warren, Bristol Warren Thrive by Five and Beyond, Bristol Health Equity Zone (HEZ), and Warren Health Equity Zone are hosting a virtual Community Conversations forum to gather input from all members of the Bristol and Warren communities. The virtual forum will focus on three key areas for improvement for the region’s children: increasing investment and capacity for enrollment in early childhood education and interventions, supporting the mental health and wellness of all children, and reducing absenteeism in Pre-K to grade 3. The virtual forum will be held October 26, 2022 from 9:30-11:00 AM. To receive zoom link email bristolwarrenthriveby5@gmail.com or visit the website www.bristolwarrenthriveby5.org

Some of the most surprising research shared by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT during the May presentation was: onlythirteen percent of Bristol 4-year-olds and only 27% of Warren 4-year-olds were enrolled in either Head Start or RI Pre-K last year; 19% of children ages 6-17 have a diagnosable mental health condition and one third of the children who needed mental health treatment or counseling had trouble getting needed care; from 2017-2021, chronic absence in grades K-3 increased from 8% to 21% and during that same time, chronic absence in high school increased from 27% to 40%.

“We’re hoping to have a good representation of people participating in the forum from throughout Bristol and Warren -parents, educators, staff of community organizations, health and behavioral health clinicians, and others – to help us better understand ways we can come together as a community and impact positive change to benefit all children in our area,” said Donna Ramos Razza of EBCAP. Information gathered during the meeting will be used to inform the work of Bristol Warren Thrive by Five and Beyond and the Bristol and Warren HEZs for the coming year, by providing information that can help us plan parent workshops, professional development for staff or opportunities for advocacy.

For more information, please email bristolwarrenthriveby5@gmail.

For trend data and comparisons to Rhode Island statewide rates, please see Bristol’s and Warren’s Community profile. All data and information presented at Bristol/Warren Data in Your Backyard in May is available on Rhode Island KIDS COUNT’s website: www.rikidscount.org.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a statewide children’s policy organization that works to improve the health, economic well-being, safety, education, and development of Rhode Island children.

Bristol Warren Thrive by Five and Beyond is a group of professionals and community members dedicated to help all children thrive and live their best lives by maintaining a coordinated network of collaborating partners to support families.

Bristol and Warren Health Equity Zones are placed-based collaboratives created to reduce and eliminate health disparities and barriers to wellness. The Rhode Island Department of Health provides seed funding for the Warren HEZ which is supported by East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) as its backbone agency.