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` Eafly Leaiminn Coal tion �f indian River, Martin & Okeechobee Couhtie&, P Working_Poat MOA B. PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page. Biz will e�ax�d us v© `Ivtte) 1 . a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? b) Who has the need ? c) Where do they live? d) Provide local, state, or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. The extremely high incidence of children who live in poverty and are at risk of school failure due to lack of needed resources is the condition to be addressed. Indian River County' s population totaled 126,859 * which is a 15 . 1 % increase from 2000 to 2005 . Approximately 14.3 %* of the Indian River County population is 17 years or younger. The population growth of children under 5 years of age has nearly doubled between 2000-2004 over the previous decade [ 1990-2000] . Half of the impoverished children live in 5 census tracts with the county, the highest poverty levels in Gifford and Fellsmere. The lack of child care choices for infants and toddlers is a critical concern with an average waitlist of 6 months for 124 children. With the availability of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten funding, providers are more likely to provide care for 4-year olds than to open slots for the more costly and labor intensive infant and toddler population. The waitlist for preschoolers is less devastating at only one month. Although the per capita income was $40,677 in 2004, the estimated number of persons living in poverty was 12,685 , or approximately 10% of the overall population. Sixteen percent of children ages 0- 17 live in poverty, and for children less than 5 years of age, this rate is 20.6%. Statistics recorded in 2005 , indicate that 44% of children in Indian River County Schools participate in the free and reduced lunch program which is an upward trend since 2003 . * * * 2006 Indian River County Community Needs Assessment. Source: US Census Bureau, 2000' census and 2001 -2004 Population Estimates. * *Source: Education Information & Accountability Services /EJAsj Publications. 2. a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population ; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Child Care Resources of Indian River County serves families whose income is between 150- 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. The Coalition serves families with incomes between 0- 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, avoiding any duplication of services. 4