FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2003 Contact: Michael
M. Ruane
Children & Families Commission
714.834.5310
Or: Diane Thomas: 714.834.6203
2003 Community Indicators
Report Available
Key Findings Subject of February Orange County Forum
(Santa Ana, CA) - The
fourth annual Orange County Community Indicators report
is now available online at www.ocgov.com
or by calling 714. 834.7257. This report, which will be
highlighted at the Orange County Forum on February 13,
tracks Orange County's progress on key economic, social
and health measures.
Many of the indicators show positive trends, with Orange
County leading other regions in the areas of technological
growth and diversity, educational achievement, prenatal
care and immunizations, and overall public safety. Special
Features this year address Orange County's workforce,
infrastructure and the prevalence of pediatric asthma.
Several persistent and new challenges are also identified
in the report which may impact how county residents perceive
their quality of life over time. For example:
Housing affordability, rental affordability and
related issues of overcrowding remain unresolved problems
for the county.
Two-thirds of Orange County’s youth are not
considered physically fit.
The estimated number of homeless in Orange County
has doubled in just four years, and the number of
homeless families with children has increased as a
portion of the overall homeless population.
The cost of childcare rose at twice the rate of
family income over the past three years.
There are significant gaps in achievement when it
comes to individual and school district SAT and API
scores reflecting the social and economic disparities
between neighboring cities in Orange County.
The Orange County Community Indicators report is prepared
through a partnership of the County of Orange, the Orange
County Business Council and the Children and Families
Commission of Orange County. The report's goal is to provide
comprehensive data and to promote community dialogue,
partnerships and action to sustain Orange County's high
quality of life.
For more information about the 2003 Orange County Community
Indicators or the Orange County Forum event, please call
Kari Rigoni at 714.834.2109.
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