Our Work > SmartBabies Initiative > Early Childhood Quality of Life Report

Early Childhood Quality of Life Report

In January 2009, Waco Foundation commissioned Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) in Austin to gather and evaluate information regarding the needs of children in McLennan County. The report focused on 12 factors related to the child, the family, and the community that serve as indicators for the future success of children. A "Quality of Life" (QLI) index was created that provides a score for every zip code which allows leaders to implement solutions strategically within the communities that were identified as having the highest need while focusing on the 12 factors that influence child outcomes. This report will help local health care, education, and child care institutions plan for the future.

McLennan County Quality of Life

The study revealed a number of striking findings:

  • Overall QLI Score: McLennan County has an overall quality of life score of 40% out of a 100 point scale, using a weighted ranking of 12 risk factors most closely linked to a child’s health and educational development.
  • QLI Comparison: A 57% disparity exists between the lowest and highest county zip codes on the Early Childhood Quality of Life Index (QLI).
  • Importance of Early Childhood: Children develop sensory pathways and language during the first year of life and impairments during this time limit their ability to learn, resulting in educational challenges later in life.
  • QLI and Teen Pregnancy: A high teen pregnancy rate is one of the greatest barriers to quality of life for young children. In 2007, over 400 teens living in the lowest QLI zip codes gave birth. Teen parents have a much higher likelihood of poor prenatal care which leads to low infant birth weights and high infant mortality rates. Should 400 teens continue to get pregnant annually, Waco will struggle to significantly reduce poverty and see better educational outcomes in the future.
  • Quality Childcare and Parent Engagement: Efforts to improve early childhood quality of life must focus on parents, particularly those expecting and with very young children. McLennan County has 37,757 children below the age of eleven and 12,311 child care slots available (9,683 child care, 953 Head Start and 1,675 Pre-K). Having quality child care, while important, cannot be the only method of care improvement. Because most children are in the care of parents, relatives or friends, it is vital that efforts are focused on communicating a child’s educational and developmental needs to this population.

Concentrating Our Focus

The study also provided encouraging news:

  • Focus on Zip Codes: McLennan County can concentrate its efforts in the zip codes that will result in the most drastic improvements for a child’s development and for the community.
  • Focus on Prenatal Care: Approximately 300 women in the lowest QLI zip codes do not receive adequate prenatal care. Efforts can be focused on increasing access to quality and affordable prenatal care, which would drastically improve outcomes for young children in these areas.
  • Focus on Early Childhood: Because early childhood education can be both inexpensive and highly rewarding, allocating relatively few resources to early childhood education yields significant results.

Waco Foundation has provided $130,000 in support to various nonprofit organizations to support early childhood development. Those funds have supported the following activities:

  • Facilitation of an Early Childhood Learning Circle to provide interaction and peer learning experiences to the Executive Directors of Family Abuse Center, Avance Waco, Restoration Haven, Talitha Koum, Smart Start, and Kids & Co.
  • Sponsorship of the first ever Early Childhood Banquet of the Texas Workforce Development Board
  • Scholarships for two local entities to attend the Birth to Three National Conference in Dallas
  • Facilitation of a Strategic Plan for the Touchpoints Collaborative, and support for one of the four trainers qualified in Touchpoints
  • ITERS/ECERS training for child care agencies
  • Organizational assessment and operating support for Talitha Koum
  • Board training and Strategic Planning for Smart Start and Avance Waco

View a copy of the complete report.