St. Croix Foundation for Community Development (SCF) has announced the release of the 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book, “A Call to Action,” at 10 a.m. (AST), Thursday, Dec. 19, during a virtual community stakeholder presentation.
A national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), KIDS COUNT© has evolved into one of the largest, long-standing data repositories in the United States focused on the status of children and families. A national network of nonprofits, foundations and consortia from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, KIDS COUNT is seen as a vital means of providing critical data about children’s well-being for many federal, state and local government agencies.
During the virtual presentation on Dec. 19, SCF’s KIDS COUNT USVI Team will provide an overview of the 2023 USVI Data Book to government partners, nonprofit civic organizations, policymakers and community stakeholders. The Data Book comprehensively reports on the status of USVI youth in four primary domains (family and community, education, health and economic well-being).
An electronic copy of the Data Book will be distributed to all registered participants and physical copies will be available to interested parties post-release. Parents, educators, nonprofit organizations, policymakers and
public administrators are likely to find the information in this year’s Data Book particularly useful.
Interested parties may register for the Virtual Presentation at: https://stxfoundation.info/2024KIDSCOUNTUSVI. There is no cost to attend.
The KIDS COUNT Data Book includes data collected from the most current available data sources (including governmental as well as nonprofit) throughout the territory. One target population that the KIDS COUNT Team seeks to highlight is an often-overlooked subpopulation of our children – Opportunity Youth between the ages of 16-24.
According to Deanna James, president and CEO of St. Croix Foundation, “This year’s Data Book is one of the most consequential publications that St. Croix has released to date. All community stakeholders, public policy officials, political aspirants and parents are urged to take time out of their busy schedules to attend.
“While there are encouraging Bright Spots that are highlighted in our 2023 Data Book, alarming hotspots demand the attention of everyone in our community who provides services to children, has children or has uttered the phrase ‘our children are our future.’”
St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the Annie E. Casey Foundation and to its many local and national partners who support this work including Seven Seas Water Group, TEAM Consultants, OCWEN Services, Tropical Shipping, and GAM Software.
Special acknowledgment also goes to the Foundation’s public and civic sector Data Partners for their collaboration and commitment to children and families in the Virgin Islands. Questions about the initiative should be directed to President Deanna James of St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898.
