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  AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S AGENDA EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Stabilizing Cleveland Families

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African American women want a Mayor who will act decisively to keep our children safe.  Over the past four years, 42 children – 11 girls and 31 boys – have died in firearm-related deaths, caused, in 45% of the cases, by other children.  And a slow killer is destroying the health of our children: out of 1,638 children screened for lead in Glenville, 649, or 40%, had lead poisoning.  The Mayor must unite parents, families and neighborhoods to make the health and safety needs of children a top priority.  The Mayor must act to decrease the availability of guns and weapons to children and improve environmental safety programs.

 

Priority Issues for Child Health and Safety: Facts

  1. Black children today are more likely than they were in 1980 to be poor, become teenage parents; and they are less likely to graduate from high school, or attend college.

  2. In Cleveland more than 4 of every 10 families with children live at or below the poverty level.

  3. The rate ranged from 4% in Kamm’s Corners to almost 95% in the Central neighborhood.

  4. The percentage of students who are low-income and who qualify for the free school lunch program in Cleveland schools is now 74%.  This is the highest percentage of any of the 613 schools in the state.

  5. In the Fairfax community, 9.3% of teenage girls (10-19) had a baby in 1996.  This is more than 20 times the rate of Kamm’s Corners (0.465%).

  6. Over the past four years, 42 children – 11 girls and 31 boys –have died in firearm-related deaths, caused, in 45% of cases, by other children.

  7. A slow killer is destroying the health of or children:  out of 1,638 children screened for lead in Glenville, 649, or 40%, had lead poisoning.

Priority Issues for Child Health and Safety: Action

African American women want a Mayor who will act decisively to eradicate poverty and “leave no child behind.”

As Mayor I pledge to:

  • Include funding for youth health and safety as a permanent line item in the City budget.

  • Expand lead poison screening to eliminate lead poisoning risk in Cleveland.

  • Promote gun safety and strict enforcement of gun laws.

  • Promote parenting education and support services.

  • Work with the county to ensure that young children receive quality early education and care

  • Promote the expansion of crisis intervention programs for youth who witness or are victims of violence.

  • Initiate and promote mentoring programs that enhance youth self-esteem and personal competence.

  • Expand use of recreational centers by improving staff/youth ratios and staff training; and by increasing program offerings to include youth clubs that are academically challenging, culturally sensitive, and that enrich character and values.

  • Work with the Cleveland City Council to implement a coordinated approach to community prevention programs.

  • Promote the dissemination of information and resources on sexuality to youth, which would include abstinence and pregnancy prevention strategies.   

 

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Last modified: 08/25/05

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