Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
It really does take a whole community to raise a child.
Or at least to raise a well-adjusted, happy child who will grow up to become a well-adjusted, productive adult and a contributing member of society.
Including kids - children and teen-agers - in the community and letting them know they are valued by everyone is the focus of a committee of local residents and community leaders. Called the Vision Team, the volunteer members are committed to making Kosciusko County residents and businesses aware of ways to make the county "kid-friendly."
Megihann Kinney, community asset coordinator at Kosciusko County Community Foundation, is the Vision Team coordinator. She said the purpose of the "Kids Count in Kosciusko County" campaign is to "encourage adults to volunteer with kids by giving their time and talents to the community."
Kinney also said: "Twenty-nine percent of our population (in Kosciusko County) is under age 18, but that 29 percent is 100 percent of our future."
The "Kids Count" program is based on 40 developmental assets (see story below) identified by Search Institute as being necessary to help young people grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible. The more of these assets kids have in their lives, the better off they are. And the fewer they have, the more likely they are to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as use of alcohol and drugs, sexual activity and violence.
In Kosciusko County, according to The Indiana Youth Institute, Kinney said, "they saw that on average, kids in our area only had 17 of the 40 assets, and the Indiana average is 16-1/2. That puts us in one of the highest categories for risk-taking behaviors."
Some of the assets are self-explanatory - parent involvement in schooling, for example, or reading for pleasure. Others, such as "safety," have been further defined as "young person feels safe at home, at school and in the neighborhood."
Search Institute surveyed more than 220,000 students in grades six to 12 nationwide. They found that only 20 percent of the kids spend three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater or other arts (Asset No. 17), only 23 percent read for pleasure three or more hours per week (Asset No. 25) and only 25 percent believe adults in their community value youth (No. 7).
On the other hand, 74 percent of youth are optimistic about their personal future (No. 40), 70 percent said their family life provides a high level of love and support (No. 1) and 68 percent act on their convictions and stand up for their beliefs (No. 28).
In areas where a community takes asset-building seriously and applies it to kids, Kinney said, there is a noticeable difference.
"Allen County has been doing 'Great Kids Make Great Communities,'" she said. "They've had fewer acts of violence in schools and fewer kids in the juvenile justice system."
What can individuals do to help the effort?
Mainly, Kinney said, be youth-friendly.
"Say hi to kids on the street - don't automatically assume they are doing something bad," she said. "Know the names of kids in your neighborhood. Volunteer with kids."
For some kids, a smile from a stranger may be the only positive interaction with adults they will have that day. And it may make all the difference, she said.
"The focus is on including adults in the lives of kids," she said. "They're our future."
For more information on the Vision Team, 40 developmental assets or the program in general, call Kinney at the Foundation at 267-1901, or visit the Web site at www.kcfoundation.org
