This is the fourth in a series of briefs in which Morrison Institute for Public Policy will report on selected aspects of Arizona’s child welfare system. Morrison Institute’s first white paper discussed the less visible but more common side of child maltreatment: neglect. The second white paper examined family conditions that can influence a family’s subtle “drift” towards unsafe situations that often correlate with neglect, as well as how different types of prevention might help interrupt the “drift into failure.” The third paper analyzed Arizona Department of Child Safety data to identify the prevalence of various types of neglect in Arizona reports. This paper highlights some key conclusions from the neglect analysis and identifies future areas for study and analysis as part of the Spotlight on Arizona’s Kids project. Future papers will research, analyze and discuss prevention services in Arizona and elsewhere, with an emphasis on best practices. These collective efforts are intended to help state leaders, child advocates and others discuss and identify the most-effective child abuse and neglect prevention strategies. Spotlight on Arizona’s Kids is funded by the Arizona Community Foundation

According to the 2016 U.S. Census, 44.3 million people in the United States (14 percent) were living in poverty, and 12.8 percent of the population reported having at least one disability. The median U.S. household income in 2016 was $57,617. However, among households that included someone with a disability, the median income was more than 25 percent lower - $41,600. The federal poverty guidelines have increased slightly between 2015 and 2017, but still remain low.

Over 92,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24 in metro Phoenix who are neither working nor in school present a staggering challenge to the area. These Opportunity Youth (OY) have a lifetime taxpayer burden of $27.3 billion and a lifetime social burden of $218.5 billion. Nationally, the 6.7 million Opportunity Youth have a potential taxpayer burden of $1.56 trillion and an aggregate social burden of $4.75 trillion. Figures like this signal a clear call to action. National and local businesses, along with leading academic institutions have the opportunity to emerge as leaders in decreasing the taxpayer and social costs of OY while simultaneously helping their own bottom line. The opportunity of a collaboration between leading business and leading academic institutions on the issue of OY creates a win-win for the national and state economy as well as the welfare of all citizens.

Early childhood is a critical period for every infant. Raising healthy, happy children is a challenge for every parent. Helping families navigate the first few years of life is the goal of home visiting, a statewide network of free programs that promotes family health and education from pregnancy through early childhood. The network provides nurses, social workers and other professionals to answer expectant and new parents’ questions about such topics as nutrition, health and discipline – in the privacy of their own home.

This year, Arizona Directions assesses the health of both ends of the P-20 spectrum: early childcare and education and the high school /postsecondary-to-industry nexus. Both are viewed through the lens of Arizona’s current competitive position and its trajectory through the broader economic landscape. How well does Arizona regulate, promote and ensure equitable access to quality early childcare and to programs that help children enter Kindergarten ready to learn? Does Arizona’s production of graduates and skilled workers align with current and projected industry needs? In other words, are we setting our children up to succeed in the new global economy? At the same time, are we creating a talent pool that will help Arizona stand out as the place to start and grow a business? Arizona Directions’ data-driven approach enables Arizonans to step back and examine the evidence without the distraction of clashing political rhetoric. The report is designed to create a common reference point for civil discourse and post-partisan, collaborative approaches to improving Arizona’s competitiveness. Still, the data are merely the kindling. Many minds are needed to stoke the fire and convert its energy into real-world results.

Although employment is one of the primary building blocks leading to inclusion, better income, good health and freedom, it remains an elusive goal for many people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) who wish to work. Equal access to employment for people with disabilities has not improved since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) almost 25 years ago. The disparity in national employment rates between those with no disabilities and those with disabilities remains large and has grown significantly since the ADA’s passage. In 2013, the Arizona gap is significant with approximately 21 percent of workers with disabilities employed, which is 40 percentage points less than the 61 percent of workers without disabilities employed. There has also been an overall decline in employment among people with disabilities in both the United States and Arizona since 1994.

This brief will discuss the importance of transportation, problems accessing it, and the utilization of public transportation by people with disabilities. It will describe the barriers experienced in rural and urban settings, and how public transportation programs in Arizona are addressing these barriers. Finally, it will conclude with best practices and future trends in the wake of government funding cuts, including the establishment of one call centers, volunteer driver programs, and shared vans operated by non-profit organizations.