By Daniel Larios
Staff Writer

May 7, 2014 -- While preschool, after school programs and high school graduation rates are considered exceptional, the greatest obstacle to youth in Santa Monica are depression, alcohol abuse, and the lack of language arts proficiency, according to two studies commissioned by the City of Santa Monica.

“Overall, the wellbeing of Santa Monica’s children is strong,” reads a staff report written by Karen Ginsburg, Director of the City’s Community and Cultural Services Department. “However, despite successes and available resources, some children are vulnerable.”

According to the 2014 Youth Wellbeing Report Card and the RAND Study on Early and School-Age Care, 32 percent of Santa Monica third graders lack proficiency in language arts, 26 percent of high school and middle school students report bouts of extreme sadness or depression and more than 40 percent of eleventh graders have reportedly used alcohol in the past month.

In addition, both studies report a shortage of infant and toddler care and a sense among parents that their after school choices are constrained by transportation issues.

In addition, some children are failing to meet the demands of the kindergarten classroom environment, including 16 percent who are “not on track” in learning and school achievement and 23 percent “not on track” in emotional maturity and mental health.

However, according to both studies, the good outweighs the bad.

Both studies commend the City’s availability of preschool and after school programs, the 92 percent graduation rate at Santa Monica High School and the fact that 87 percent of youth are proficient or advanced in early literacy by the end of kindergarten.

“The city has a diverse mix of public and private early care and education providers in home-based and center-based settings,” the RAND report reads. “There is a surplus of preschool spaces for city residents, which makes the city an attractive place to work for nonresidents with young children who wish to use care near their job.”

Both studies also report that 88 percent of middle and high school students say they have a caring adult in their lives outside of school and home and that parents provide positive feedback about both early and school-age care programs.

Both studies can be found online here and here.

In accordance with the Santa Monica Cradle to Career initiative (SMC2C), the RAND Study on Early and School-Age Care and the 2014 Youth Wellbeing Report Card were commissioned in 2012 and 2013, respectively, to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of city sponsored programs for youth.

“Both the 2014 Youth Wellbeing Report Card and the RAND study underscore the importance of continuing to:

(1) align, coordinate, and leverage resources across public and private providers;

(2) invest in kindergarten readiness and other areas of early childhood education;

(3) do “whatever it takes” to support the most vulnerable youth, beginning with a cohort of older youth ages 16 to 24 and their families;

(4) conduct ongoing program evaluations to ensure impact; and

(5) conduct cost-benefit analyses to ensure maximum return on investments,” the staff report concludes.

Created in 2011 following two tragic events involving Santa Monica teens -- a fatal shooting at a public park and a shooting spree that grabbed national headlines -- The Cradle to Career Initiative is a collaborative effort of the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and Santa Monica College to support a birth to career safety net to propel all young children and youth toward “a lifetime of health and success.”