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Executive Summary 2014-15 Children's Needs Assessment Introduction: This 2014-15 IRC Children's Needs Assessment has provided valuable information to help guide the Child Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) and other local grant makers on the needs and priorities to ensure the well being of children in IRC. The Health Council of Southeast Florida was engaged by the County to gather the empirical data, conduct key informant interviews with experts in the community, conduct focus groups (engaging 98 members of the community) and coordinate and conduct the Advisory Team meetings. It is important to note that the Advisory Team was made up of 30 members representing a broad cross-section of community leaders. Additional data compiled by the United Way ALICE Project and the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative has also been reviewed as part of this process. This Executive Summary was written by the members of the Children's Services Advisory Committee Needs Assessment Sub-Committee to summarize what we believe are the most important insights from this process. Key Insights: The Indian River County Children's Needs Assessment, conducted for the first time since 2006, shows increases in poverty along with decreases in educational opportunities and outcomes. There are approximately 28,600 children under the age of 19 in Indian River County (IRC) of which 18,100 are enrolled in our public school system (SDIRC). The report shows the impact on these children, as well as the community at large. Since the last report in 2006, the number of children under 18 living in poverty has increased from 16%to 21% and the number of children eligible for free or reduced school lunch has risen to almost 57%. Single mothers now account for 46% of births in IRC. The 2014 United Way ALICE report (www. unitedwayirc.org) details the significant poverty indicators in IRC - and should be read independently. If this cycle of poverty continues, there will be major implications for the County's future. The study also pinpointed areas with deep pockets of poverty in Fellsmere, Gifford, Highlands,Wabasso and parts of Central Vero. In these areas, the statistics are even more stunning. Families in these pockets are geographically dispersed and have racial and cultural differences. Focus group interviews indicate that people in these pockets may not be aware of, do not want to, or may not be able to leave these pockets to access services that could benefit them. While IRC already has one of the highest gaps between rich and poor, this gap will likely widen as data shows the younger generation is increasingly uneducated. For example, 21.5% of 18-24 year olds and 20.7% of 25-34 year olds have less than a high school degree, 1 123