On the basis of the fact sheet analysis of the state of Alabama, the core strength of the region includes child health. It is stated that “650,406 children ages 0-18 were enrolled in Medicaid and All Kids (Children’s Health Insurance Program) in 2018” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020, p. 1). In other words, only a small fraction of children were uninsured in the year 2018. However, there are a number of challenges and startling statistics which require attention. Firstly, Alabama has a high rate of child poverty, where a quarter or 24% of all children can be categorized as poor (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020). On top of that, the poverty levels disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic children the most, where “41 percent of Black, 38 percent of Hispanic and 13 percent of white children were poor” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020, p. 1). In other words, child poverty is a major challenge in Alabama.
Secondly, 22% of all children in the state are living in food-insecure environments and households, which is also startling (CITE). It is evident that the latter is tied to the child poverty issue. Thirdly, the most startling statistic is the fact that “89 percent of Black, 83 percent of Hispanic and 70 percent of white 8th grade public school students were not proficient in reading in 2019” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020, p. 1). Although the majority of these students are able to graduate, it is evident that education or its measurement standards have a set of major problems in Alabama.
I would advocate for child poverty and food insecurity as one set of issues. In accordance with Help Me Grow System, I would reach out to child health care providers in order to study the implications of these problems. I would launch a campaign in order to reach out to families and communities which are experiencing the issues. It is also important to establish a centralized access point and conduct the collection and analysis of data.
Reference
Children’s Defense Fund. (2020). The state of America’s children in Alabama. Web.