A Community Needs Assessment - Racine | Kenosha Community

Transcription

A Community Needs Assessment
August 2010
Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc.
1243 North 10th Street, Suite 200, Milwaukee, WI 53205
414 224-0404 fax 414-224-0243 www.planningcouncil.org
Community Needs Assessment – Racine County
Page 1
August 2010
August 2010
Acknowledgements
The Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc., wishes to acknowledge Sharon
Schulz, Chief Executive Officer of the Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency; Essie Allen,
Associate Director; and Cheryl Montgomery, Planning Director for providing guidance and
making this effort possible.
Eleven people from nine agencies agreed to in-person interviews; they answered questions
about the needs of people in poverty in the community, barriers to addressing those needs,
services available, and what else can be done to serve people in poverty. Appreciation is
extended to those who shared their input: Fabiola Diaz, UW Extension Racine County; Mark
Gesner, UW Parkside, Center for Community Partnerships; Geoffrey Greiveldinger, Office of the
Racine County Executive; Patricia Hoffman and Connie Zinnen, Burlington Area Schools;
Carole Johnson, The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread; Debra Jossart, Racine County
Human Services Department; Karla Krehbiel, Johnson Bank; Attorney Gai Lorenzen, Legal
Action of WI, Inc.; and David Maurer and Susan Gould, United Way of Racine County.
A total of 28 people participated in focus groups. Thanks to everyone who shared information
about the needs of people in poverty, as well as input about the needs that are well met and
resources that could be expanded or are missing. Thanks also to Lisa Cervantes at Head Start
for organizing and providing space for the two Head Start focus groups, and thanks to Larry
Stigney at the Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency for providing space for the service
provider focus group.
The following people were also extremely helpful in gathering information: Leighton Cooper,
Larry Stigney, Yadira Casares, Marilyn Bolton, and Alexis Bourgeois.
Finally, appreciation is extended to those in the community who work to help those in poverty.
The following Planning Council staff members contributed to this effort: Kathleen Pritchard,
President and CEO; Julie Whelan Capell, Director of Planning and Development; Quinton D.
Cotton, Associate Planner; Lonna Kruse, Assistant Planner; Susan Tragesser, Data and
Information Specialist; Ashley Tikkanen, Marquette Trinity Fellow; Kyle Rabe, UW-Milwaukee
Student Intern; and Chelsea Boyd, UW-Milwaukee Student Intern.
The Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc.
is a non-profit organization serving Southeastern Wisconsin.
Its mission is to advance community health and human services
through objective planning, evaluation, and research.
Page 2
August 2010
Table of Contents
Background & Methodology..........................................................................................................4
Community Profile - Racine County..............................................................................................5
Geography, Land Use & the Environment.................................................................................5
Demographics .........................................................................................................................15
Economy & Employment .........................................................................................................22
Transportation .........................................................................................................................32
Housing ...................................................................................................................................36
Food Security ..........................................................................................................................41
Early Education & Children Under 5........................................................................................45
School-Aged Youth & Education .............................................................................................48
Elderly and Adults with Disabilities..........................................................................................56
Public Health ...........................................................................................................................58
Key Informant Interviews - Racine County..................................................................................67
Purpose ...................................................................................................................................67
Methodology............................................................................................................................67
Limitations ...............................................................................................................................68
Key Informant Interview Themes.............................................................................................68
Focus Groups-Racine County.....................................................................................................82
Purpose ...................................................................................................................................82
Methodology............................................................................................................................82
Limitations ...............................................................................................................................83
Focus Group Participants........................................................................................................83
Focus Group Summary ...........................................................................................................84
References..................................................................................................................................97
Tables-Racine County ..............................................................................................................100
Appendices ...............................................................................................................................136
Appendix A: List of Key Informants .......................................................................................136
Appendix B: Key Informant Interview Questions ...................................................................138
Appendix C: Focus Group Questions....................................................................................139
Appendix D: Focus Group Survey.........................................................................................140
Appendix E: List of Resources for Racine County Residents ...............................................141
Page 3
August 2010
Background & Methodology
The Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency enables low-income individuals to attain the skills,
knowledge and motivation needed to achieve self-sufficiency. To ensure that programming effectively
targets issues critical to the low-income population, the agency conducts periodic community needs
assessments.
In spring 2010, the Planning Council for Health and Human Services undertook a range of community
assessment activities in order to produce this overview of Racine County, Wisconsin for the
Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency. The Planning Council examined secondary data sources
such as the U.S. Census, school records, and State of Wisconsin data, along with data compiled by the
Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency, to produce this report. In addition, key informant interviews
and focus groups were held throughout April and May of 2010 to provide insights beyond the statistics.
In order to provide the Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency with the most up-to-date information
possible, many of the population-based statistics in this report were taken from the U.S. Census 20062008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. The American Community Survey is a large,
continuous demographic survey conducted by the Census Bureau on an ongoing basis. Questionnaires
are mailed to a sample of addresses to obtain information about households -- that is, about each person
and the housing unit itself. The survey produces annual and multi-year estimates of population and
housing characteristics as well as data for small areas, including tracts and population subgroups.
Eventually, this survey will provide accurate and up-to-date profiles of America's communities every year,
instead of every ten years. However, caution must be exercised when using current American Community
Survey data. Because they are based on a sample, these data are subject to sampling variability and
should be considered estimates only since there can be fairly large margins of error for many of these
numbers.
Detailed tables that accompany many of the charts are included at the end of the report.
Page 4
August 2010
Community Profile - Racine County
Geography, Land Use & the Environment
Environmental Scan
•
•
•
Racine County is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin and is
approximately 65 miles north of Chicago and 25 miles south of Milwaukee.
The 331-square-mile county was 77% nonurban in 2000, of which:
o 75% was agricultural (over half of the farms were less than 50 acres)
o 20% natural resource areas
o 5% extractive, landfill and unused lands (RCDPD 2009)
The county has become increasingly urbanized over the past several decades; losing 11% of its
“nonurban” land between 1963 and 2000; in 2000; in 2000 about 23% of Racine County was
developed with urban land uses, of which
o 46% was residential
o 27% was transportation, communication and utilities
o 6% was intensive recreational
o 5% was industrial
o 4% was government and institutional
o 4% was commercial land
o 8% was unused urban land (RCDPD 2009)
Page 5
•
•
August 2010
Due to its proximity to Lake Michigan, the earliest urban development in Racine County was along the
lakeshore and therefore the eastern part of the county remains its most heavily urbanized section.
The I-94 corridor effectively bisects the county into eastern and western sections
CITY OF
RACINE
CITY OF
BURLINGTON
(RCDPD 2009)
•
By 2035, it is estimated that agricultural lands, rural residential and open lands in Racine County will
decrease by about 50.0 square miles, or about 23 percent.
o New commercial and industrial land uses are expected to be created through the
development of vacant land; between 2000 and 2035 commercial land uses are
anticipated to increase by about 2,700 acres, or 140%; industrial land uses are
anticipated to increase by about 5,000 acres, or 205% (RCSG).
o New urban residential development, created through the infilling of existing vacant lots in
areas already committed to such use, is expected to increase by about 12,400 acres
(70%) between 2000 and 2035; suburban residential lands are expected to increase by
about 1,260 acres, or 115% (RCSG).
o For a zip code map of Racine County, see Table 1.
o To see detailed maps of Racine County land use currently, and as planned for 2035
under the Racine County Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan, see Tables 2 and 3.
o For maps of existing land use in the City of Racine as well as recommended land uses
for 2035, see Tables 4, 5 and 6.
Page 6
•
August 2010
Water:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Racine County’s entire eastern border lies along Lake Michigan, about 14.8 miles of
freshwater shoreline of which about 73% is protected from erosion (RCSG).
Racine County has five major drainage systems (see map below); 6% of the area drains
directly into Lake Michigan, 42% drains into the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River, and
52% drains into the Mississippi River (RCSG).
Racine County has 11 municipal water systems, two of which have wellhead protection
plans (Burlington and Waterford) to help achieve groundwater pollution prevention
measures (USGS 2007).
The City of Racine gets its municipal water from Lake Michigan.
The county’s groundwater aquifers are recharged primarily through precipitation.
Increasing urban development is changing how recharge water enters the groundwater
system and also impacting the demand for water.
In 2008, the Western Racine County Health Department found two public well systems
that tested high for arsenic, which can increase the risk of skin cancer and may cause
damage to the central nervous system (WRCHD 2008).
There are 260 open-status sites in Racine County that have contaminated groundwater
and/or soil. These sites are composed of 61 Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST)
sites, 92 Environmental Repair (ERP) sites, 103 spill sites, and 4 Voluntary Party Liability
Exemption (VPLE) sites (USGS 2007).
To see a detailed map of Racine County watersheds, see Table 7.
Page 7
August 2010
Assets
•
•
In 2010 Racine County is receiving $1.3 million in Workforce Investment Act funds to help young
people, adults, and displaced workers. There is a plan for a public-private-nonprofit partnership to
give job opportunities to 200 young people across the county. Plans for adult and displaced workers
are also being developed. Some of the Workforce Investment money will be used to clean up along
the Fox and Root Rivers, thereby helping the environment and displaced workers at the same time.
And under qualified supervision, some jail inmates will have work opportunities, as well. (RCE 2010)
SEWRPC1 is in the final stages of producing a regional water supply study and plan for southeastern
Wisconsin, including Racine County, that will include the following major components:
Development of water supply service areas and forecasts for water use demand.
Development of recommendations for water conservation efforts to reduce water
demand.
o Evaluation of alternative sources of water supply, culminating in identification of
recommended sources of supply for each service area and in recommendations for
development of the basic infrastructure required to deliver that supply.
o Identification of groundwater recharge areas to be protected from incompatible
development.
o Specification of any new institutional structures found necessary to carry out the plan
recommendations.
o Identification of any constraints to development in parts of the region emanating from
water supply sustainability concerns (SEWRPC)
Racine focus group participants mentioned the area’s lakes, parks and beaches as important to their
quality of life, allowing them and their families to interact and enjoy leisure activities together.
o
o
•
1
The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is the official metropolitan planning organization (MPO)
and regional planning commission (RPC) for the seven-county southeastern Wisconsin area, which includes Racine County.
SEWRPC was created in 1960 to provide the basic information and planning services necessary to solve problems which transcend
the corporate boundaries and fiscal capabilities of the local units of government comprising the Southeastern Wisconsin Region.
Page 8
Racine County is home to many parks and open space sites, including 32 owned by the county, 19
owned by the state, and 229 owned by municipalities. (RCDPD 2009).
(RCDPD 2009)
•
August 2010
Page 9
•
August 2010
The City of Racine is home to over 86 parks ranging in size from .08 acre at Harris Plaza to 378.0
acre Johnson Park, and including a zoo.
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 10
August 2010
Needs
•
•
•
Some of the land use issues facing the county in upcoming years include:
o Maintaining agricultural resources for future generations, particularly prime agricultural
land (RCDPD 2009)
o Ensuring continued economic viability of working farms in Racine County
o Developing mechanisms to compensate landowners who commit their land to agricultural
use (RCDPD 2009)
o Preserving primary environmental corridors, and possibly extending them by reestablishing wetlands, woodlands, prairies, grasslands, and forest interiors (RCDPD
2009)
o Guiding future growth in a manner that preserves and enhances the quality of life and
character of urban and rural communities (RCSG)
There are many contaminated sites throughout Racine County.
o Leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites have soil and/or groundwater
contaminated with petroleum, which includes toxic and cancer causing substances; in
addition, some LUST sites may emit potentially explosive vapors. (RCDPD 2009)
o Environmental Repair (ERP) sites are sites other than LUST sites that have
contaminated soil and/or groundwater; possible causes for contamination of an ERP site
include industrial spills or dumping, buried containers of hazardous substances, closed
landfills that have caused contamination, and areas with petroleum contamination from
above-ground storage tanks. (RCDPD 2009)
o To see detailed maps of these sites, see Tables 8 and 9.
Water
o The area needs to protect groundwater quality and quantity by protecting areas that
provide high recharge potential (RCSG)
o The area needs to consider how urban and suburban development will impact the
demand for water (RCSG)
o Surface water quality and quantity needs to be protected (RCSG)
o Racine County needs an animal waste management ordinance (USGS 2007)
Page 11
Several new parks have been proposed for a variety of Racine County locations as shown in the map
below
(RCDPD 2009)
•
August 2010
Page 12
•
August 2010
The charts and maps below compare air pollution in Racine County with that in the rest of the state.
While Racine County overall has relatively low levels of air pollution, it is probable that within the City
of Racine, the rates are much higher.
.
o
Carbon monoxide (CO), a criteria pollutant, is a colorless, odorless gas that is emitted by both
natural processes and human activity. Much of human CO exposure is due to incomplete fossil fuel
combustion. CO contributes to the formation of smog ground-level ozone, which can trigger serious
respiratory problems (Wi DNR, EPA).
(Wi DNR)
Page 13
o
August 2010
Many epidemiologic studies have shown significant associations of ambient Particulate Matter (PM)
levels with a variety of human health problems. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart
and lungs and cause serious health effects. (Wi DNR, EPA)
(Wi DNR)
Page 14
August 2010
Demographics
Environmental Scan
•
•
•
•
Racine County, the fifth largest county by population in Wisconsin, has experienced slight population
growth over the past several decades, from 175,034 in 1990 to 188,831 in 2000. The most recent
census estimates show the county’s population continuing to grow, reaching a total of 198,750 for the
period 2006-2008.
A breakdown of the county population by major age categories shows distribution by age is not
markedly different from that of the state of Wisconsin as a whole.
It is estimated that the Racine County population of residents age 65 or older will increase about 86%
between 2000 and 2035—that would be an additional 20,000 seniors in the county (RCDPD 2009).
The overall population of the county is projected to increase 13% to 213,600 people by 2035 (RCDPD
2009)
Racine County Population
2006-2008 American Community Survey
Estimated Total Population: 198,870
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
Age
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
(US Census, ACS 2006-2008)
Racine County
Children under the age of 5
Adults 65 and over
1990
N=175,034
#
13,635
21,090
%
7.8%
12.0%
2000
N=188,831
#
13,220
23,233
%
7.0%
12.3%
2006-2008
N=198,750
#
13,013
24,388
Wisconsin
2006-2008
N = 5,598,453
%
#
%
6.5%
352,703
6.3%
12.3%
733,397
13.1%
Page 15
•
•
•
August 2010
Racine County is significantly more urbanized than is the state as a whole, with a density of nearly
600 people per square mile, as compared to just over 100 people per square mile for Wisconsin.
The county’s density has continually increased
o In 1990 density was 526 people per square mile
The City of Racine contains the highest population density in the county.
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 16
•
•
•
•
August 2010
Of the most populous municipalities in Racine County, the Village of Sturtevant saw the largest
population increase from 2000 to 2008, growing 20.2%, and the Village of Waterford was close
behind with a 19.8% increase (Wi DWD 2009).
For a more complete breakdown of Racine County population by age and by large municipalities, see
Table 10.
For details on the racial composition of various Racine County municipalities, see Tables 11 and 12.
Racine County is one of only six Wisconsin counties that had more people moving out than moving in
(migration) between 2000 and 2008. On the other hand, the county had more births than deaths in
the same period, resulting in a net “natural increase” for the period.
(Wi DWD 2009)
Page 17
•
August 2010
Whites make up the greatest proportion of the population of Racine County, but there is a significant
black (10%) population, as shown in the chart below.
Racine County Population by Race
N = 198,870
Black 10%
Am Ind/Al Nat < 1%
Asian 1%
Haw/Pac Isl < 1%
Other 4%
White 83%
Two or more races 2%
(US Census ACS 2006 – 2008)
RACINE COUNTY
White
Black
Am Ind/Al Nat
Asian
Haw/Pac Islander
Other
Two or more races
TOTAL
#
163,130
20,115
553
1,748
0
8,827
4,497
198,870
%
82.03
10.11
0.28
0.88
0
4.44
2.26
100.00
Page 18
•
August 2010
10% of Racine County residents identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino.
Racine County Population by Ethnicity
N = 198,870
Hispanic/Latino
18%
Not
Hispanic/Latino
82%
RACINE COUNTY
Hispanic/Latino
Not Hispanic/Latino
TOTAL
#
19,641
179,229
198,870
%
9.88
90.12
100.00
Page 19
•
•
August 2010
The City of Racine is the largest city by population in the county. The city has lost
population in recent decades, from 84,298 in 1990 to 81,855 in 2000. The most
recent census estimates show the city’s population continuing to erode, reaching
77,890 for the period 2006-2008. It is in fact the only city in the county that showed a
drop in population from 2000 to 2008, and City of Racine residents now make up just
40% of the county’s population, down from 48% in 1990.
A breakdown of the city’s population by major age categories shows city residents are somewhat
younger than the state of Wisconsin as a whole, with proportionately more children under the age of
five and fewer over the age of 65.
City of Racine Population
2006-2008 American Community Survey
Total Population = 77,890
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
Age
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
City of Racine
Children under the age of 5
Adults 65 and over
% County households living in
City of Racine
1990
N=84,298
#
7404
9,803
NA
%
8.8%
11.6%
48.2%
2000
N=81,855
#
6,565
10,025
NA
%
8.0%
7.4%
44.4%
2006-2008
N=77,890
#
6,313
8,059
NA
%
8.1%
10.4%
40.3%
Wisconsin
2006-2008
N = 5,598,453
#
%
352,703
6.3%
733,397
13.1%
NA
NA
Page 20
•
•
•
August 2010
Persons of color in Racine County are concentrated in the City of Racine, where over one-third (35%)
of the population consists of non-white individuals.
Nearly one-quarter (22%) of the city’s population is black, as shown in the chart below.
Additionally, 18% of city residents identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino.
City of Racine Population by Race
N = 77,890
Black 22%
Am Ind/Al Nat
<1%
Asian 1%
Haw/Pac Isl < 1%
Other 8%
White 65%
Two or more
races 4%
RACINE CITY
White
Black
Am Ind/Al Nat
Asian
Haw/Pac Isl
Other
Two or more races
TOTAL
#
51,289
16,934
178
442
0
6,305
2,742
77,890
%
65.85
21.74
0.23
0.57
0
8.09
3.52
100.00
RACINE CITY
Hispanic/Latino
Not Hispanic/Latino
TOTAL
City of Racine Population by Ethnicity
N = 77,890
Hispanic/Latino
18%
Not
Hispanic/Latino
82%
Page 21
#
13,967
63,923
77,890
%
17.93
82.07
100.00
August 2010
Economy & Employment
Environmental Scan
•
Poverty
o
o
o
In 2006-2008, the percentage of the population of the City of Racine that was living in
poverty was 15.33%, higher than the rate for Racine County (10.09%) and higher than
the state rate (10.74%).
About one in five (22.09%) of youth under 18 years in the City of Racine lived in poverty
in 2006-2008, higher than the rate for Racine County (13.11%) and higher than the state
rate (14.20%). Amongst city youth, nearly one-quarter of those ages 5-11 were living in
poverty (24.26%), the highest poverty rate of any age group in the city. Children under 5
years experience nearly the same poverty rate.
The County poverty rate in 2006-2008 for senior adults age 65 and older (12.22%) was
double the City rate (6.38%) and also higher than the state rate (8.41%).
Poverty Status (for whom poverty status is determined)
City of Racine
2006 - 2008
# Below
Poverty
Total #
Under 5 years
5 - 11 years
12 - 17 years
Subtotal Under
18
18 - 24 years
25-34 years
35-44 years
45-54 years
55-64 years
Subtotal
18 - 64
65-74 years
75+ years
Subtotal 65+
Total
%
County of Racine
2006 - 2008
# Below
Poverty
Total #
1,498
1,948
1,189
6,248
8,030
6,708
23.98%
24.26%
17.73%
4,635
22.09%
1,470
1,890
1,161
1,259
739
20,986
6,938
11,883
10,038
10,687
7,680
21.19%
15.91%
11.57%
11.78%
9.62%
2,508
2,570
1,823
1,954
1,370
6,519
277
220
47,226
4121
3667
13.80%
6.72%
6.00%
10,225
821
2,074
497
7,788
6.38%
15.33%
11,651
76,000
2,008
2,632
1,742
Wisconsin
2006 -2008
%
# Below
Poverty
12,853
18,911
16,914
15.62%
13.92%
10.30%
59,425
66,732
57,818
48,678
13.11%
16,288
23,034
27,702
31,159
22,765
Total #
%
350,863
485,783
459,197
16.94%
13.74%
12.59%
183,975
1,295,843
14.20%
15.40%
11.16%
6.58%
6.27%
6.02%
113,520
76,107
58,167
53,254
40,501
489,370
692,729
781,196
860,376
620,774
23.20%
10.99%
7.45%
6.19%
6.52%
120,948
12,287
11,404
8.45%
6.68%
18.19%
341,549
22,249
36,818
3,444,445
362,849
339,452
9.92%
6.13%
10.85%
2,895
23,691
12.22%
59,067
19,502
193,317
10.09%
6,382
Page 22
702,301
8.41%
584,591
5,442,589
10.74%
o
August 2010
Of those living below the poverty level in both Racine County and in the City of Racine,
the largest number are White.
Race/Ethnicity of Racine County Residents Below Poverty Level
Past 12 Months*
N = 21,552**
African American
18%
White
56%
Hispanic/Latino
20%
Two or more
races
6%
* Categories not appearing were too small to compute; census provides no data on these groups
** Because of the way census data is collected, there may be duplication in these charts; in particular,
some of the Hispanic/Latino population may be counted twice
CITY RACINE
White
African American
Hispanic/Latino
Two or more races
TOTAL
#
12,077
3,983
4,306
1,186
21,552
%
56.04
18.48
19.98
5.50
100.00
Page 23
Race/Ethnicity of City of Racine Residents Below Poverty Level
Past 12 Months *
N = 12,716**
African American
30%
White
45%
Hispanic/Latino
25%
* Categories not appearing were too small to compute; census provides no data on these groups
** Because of the way census data is collected, there may be duplication in these charts, in
particular, some of the Hispanic/Latino population may be counted twice
CITY RACINE
White
African American
Hispanic/Latino
TOTAL
#
5,723
3,777
3,216
12,716
%
29.70
25.29
45.01
100.00
•
August 2010
Income
o
Median household income for Racine County (2008 dollars) was $54,241, just slightly
higher than the state median of $52,249. For the City of Racine, the median household
income rate was 22% lower than the county median, at $40,976 (US Census ACS 20062008).
Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months (2008 Dollars)
Household
Racine
City of
County
Racine
All
54,241
40,976
White Alone
57,610
45,781
African American
30,567
29,490
American Indian
-85,163
Asian Alone
82,365
-Native Hawaiian
--Some Other Race Alone
37,404
32,154
Two or More Races
51,719
-White Alone, Not Hispanic
58,717
46,884
Hispanic or Latino
37,346
32,423
(US Census ACS 2006-2008)
o
o
•
In 2006-2008, 25.7% of Racine County residents and 24.2% of Racine City residents
received social security income. For the same period, 2.9% of county and 4.5% of city
residents received supplemental security income.
More city residents (1.7%) received public assistance income than county residents
(1.1%) in 2006-2008.
Single mother families and poverty
o In the city of Racine, female-headed households with children under the age of 18 are
more likely to be living in poverty than either households headed by males alone or
married-couple households. In Racine, for families with children under the age of 18,
33.6% of female-headed households are living below the poverty level, compared to
23.9% of single male-headed households and 9.3% of married-couple households (US
Census ACS 2006-2008).
o For families with children under the age of 18 in the city of Racine, the percentage of
single-mother or female-headed households is disproportionate by race. Of families with
children under 18, over half (56.2%) of black families in the city of Racine are headed by
females alone, while one-third (33.1%) of white families are headed by females alone
(US Census ACS 2006-2008).
Page 25
•
August 2010
Jobs
o
In Racine County, manufacturing is a major employer and is important to the area’s
economy due to the high wages paid in that sector. Other sectors that employ large
numbers of people in the county are education/health care and government, including
corrections facilities.
(Wi DWD 2009)
o
The sub-sectors that saw the largest percent increase in the number of people employed
from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008 in Racine County were
machinery manufacturing and general merchandise stores. Employment in most sectors
was either unchanged or down; food services & drinking establishments experienced the
worst job losses, down 9% for the period.
(Wi DWD 2009)
Page 26
o
August 2010
Below is the distribution of jobs throughout the county.
(RCDPD 2009)
o
About 11,000 Racine County residents work in nearby Milwaukee and Waukesha
Counties, according to the 2000 Census. These residents tend to have higher wages
than residents of other counties who come into Racine County to work, for a net gain to
Racine County, which is growing over time.
(Wi DWD 2009)
Page 27
o
August 2010
The unemployment rate for Racine County increased 4.7 percentage points from August
2008 – August 2009, a result of the economic depression that affected the entire nation
during this period. This is about the same increase experienced by the state as a whole,
which saw unemployment rates increase 4.6 percentage points during the same period.
(Wi DWD 2009).
(Wi DWD 2009)
(Wi DWD 2009)
Page 28
•
August 2010
Racine County experienced job losses in 2008 in most sectors except education/health and public
administration. The following table shows the number of people actually working in Racine County by
quarter for 2008; the chart below shows the distribution of jobs throughout the county.
(Wi DWD 2009)
o
o
o
o
o
The 2009-2010 Racine County budget faced an estimated $1.6 million deficit
In 2009, Racine County reported that delinquent taxes were 25% higher than they were
in 2008, bankruptcies were up by 58%, and payment arrangements by people who owed
back taxes were up 123% (Racine Exec 2009)
Seven county unions and all the nonrepresented employees accepted a 2009 pay freeze
In March 2010, Racine County’s unemployment rate, at 11.5%, remained higher than the
statewide rate of 9.8%
In April 2010, the unemployment rate for the City of Racine was 14.8%, the secondhighest for any large Wisconsin city at the time (WiDWD 2010).
Page 29
August 2010
Assets
•
•
•
Economic assets of the region identified by the 2009 RCDPD include:
o Geographic location near the I-94 corridor, Milwaukee and Chicago
o Access to national and international markets
o Good infrastructure and accessibility
o Availability of workforce, land and housing options
Helping people get out of poverty
o The United Way of Racine County has set a goal of serving at least 500 families in
Racine County between 2008-2018 through its Advancing Family Assets project, which
aims to ensure a variety of positive family outcomes that will increase the number of
reliable, productive workers and reduce the number of families living in poverty in the
community.
o In 2010 Racine County is receiving $1.3 million in Workforce Investment Act funds to help
young people, adults, and displaced workers. Some of the Workforce Investment money
will be used to clean up along the Fox and Root Rivers, thereby helping the environment
and displaced workers at the same time. And under qualified supervision, some jail
inmates will have work opportunities, as well. (RCE 2010)
o The Workforce Development Center, Gateway, and the business community have pulled
together to create “boot camp” training for high-tech, high-demand jobs like computers,
welding and machine repair (RCE 2010)
Jobs
o The Racine Workforce Development Center was identified in all Racine focus groups as
an important resource addressing issues related to employment
o Racine County offers a summer youth employment and training program called Employ,
Enrich, Engage (E3) that will employ 100 to 150 Racine County youth aged 14 to 24 in
the summer 2010 at wages ranging from $7.25 to $10.00 per hour (RCWDCD)
o Tax Incremental Financing Districts (TIFs) are financing tools that allow municipalities to
invest in infrastructure and other improvements, and pay for these investments by
capturing property tax revenue from the newly developed property. These districts can be
important financial tool for cities, villages, and towns in eliminating blight, rehabilitating
declining property values, and promoting industry and mixed-use development. Racine
County has 19 active TIFs, of these, nine are in the City of Racine, mainly in the central
business district; see Table 13 for a detailed map.
• The City of Racine has created three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). BIDs are
created at the request of the property owners within a defined area. The owners agree to
assess themselves in a way that generates funds for a range of improvements within the
BID, such as marketing, banners, business recruitment, and streetscapes; see Table 14
for a detailed map.
Page 30
August 2010
Needs
•
Economic assets of the region identified by the 2009 RCDPD include:
o The RCEDC has identified the following priority economic development needs:
To cultivate an entrepreneurial culture in Racine county
To focus on the importance of technology and innovation relative to the growth of
existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to the community
To take advantage of the development opportunities that exist as a result of the
Chicago-Milwaukee corridor and to properly link land use with future business
development county-wide
o The 2009 RCDPD finds that economically the region needs to:
Better integrate the eastern and western parts of the county
Increase funding for redevelopment projects
Improve the area’s image and marketing
Increase the training and education of the labor force
Stop educated, skilled young people from leaving the county
Better understand the importance of agriculture to the economy
•
Helping people get out of poverty
o Public informational meetings held as part of the development of the Racine County
Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan mention a need to link education and training in
a manner that provides a competitive workforce to meet the present and future needs of
local employers and to create opportunities for low-income, disadvantaged and minority
individuals to prepare for and obtain employment
o Focus group participants in Racine mentioned the problem of “intergenerational poverty”
as a particularly difficult challenge
•
Jobs
o
o
o
o
The RCWDB has identified the following critical concerns for the future of employment in
the county:
A need to create jobs in communities with high concentrations of unemployed
workers
A need to connect workers in central city neighborhoods with employment
opportunities
A lessening need for laborers and an increasing need for workers with knowledge
and technology skills
Entry-level workers who do not fail required drug tests and who have important “soft”
skills like motivation, punctuality and attendance
A need for more workers in industries projected to need many new and replacement
workers, such as health care, education, and customer service
Racine focus group participants identified challenges both small and large that often
prevent them from successfully getting jobs, including lack of a phone, lack of a
computer, too many requirements for even entry-level jobs, lack of basic skills like
reading and math, and lack of a driver’s license.
In the Racine focus groups, the E3 jobs program for youth was seen as positive, but
limited in the numbers of youth served and by only providing summer jobs
Participants in the Racine focus groups identified several ways the Racine Workforce
Development Center could be expanded:
Extended hours;
Better engage the business community to match training to identified employment
needs;
More basic training for jobseekers (i.e. how to use a computer);
More outreach into the Latino community.
Page 31
August 2010
Transportation
Environmental Scan
•
Automobiles
o Most commuters in Racine County travel to jobs within the county, and most of the jobs
are located East of I-94
o Many Racine County residents commute to other counties, particularly Milwaukee
o There are three park-ride lots in Racine County, two on the I-94 corridor and one at the
Sturtevant Amtrak station.
•
Passenger Rail
o Intercity passenger rail service from Racine County south to Chicago and north to
Milwaukee is available via Amtrak, which has a station in Sturtevant (there are no service
stops in the City of Racine central business district
•
Bicycles
o
•
There are 4 off-street bike paths throughout Racine County (see Table 15)
Bus
o
o
While many new jobs are being created along the I-94 corridor, most bus routes do not
reach these areas. Local bus services are limited; there is no public public transit
available in the western part of the county. As a result, only a small proportion of
residents use public transportation to get to work. According to the 2006-2008 American
Community Survey, only 1,141 residents of the City of Racine and 312 Racine County
residents use public transit to get to work (see Table 16)
Intercity bus service is available south to Chicago and north to Milwaukee including
service to airports in both cities
Page 32
City of Racine Public Bus System Map
Page 33
August 2010
August 2010
Assets
•
•
•
•
•
•
Geographic location near the I-94 corridor, Milwaukee and Chicago
Lack of congestion and reasonable commuting distances
Racine was the First Wisconsin county to join the ITN America program, which provides automobile
transportation for seniors no longer able to drive (county exec)
The City of Racine Department of Transportation provides paratransit services
The City of Burlington has implemented a shuttle services for seniors 60 and older and ambulatory
adults with disabilities (fees apply)
For a list of these and other transportation services available in Racine County, see Appendix E.
Needs
•
The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee corridor has an opportunity to reduce personal automobile travel by
developing high-quality commuter rail service in an existing rail right-of-way. The existing Union
Pacific freight rail line would be upgraded to add a commuter rail that would connect to the very
successful Chicago Metra that now ends at Kenosha. It is envisioned that the KRM Commuter Rail
service would connect the lakeside communities of Milwaukee, Milwaukee-south side, Cudahy-St.
Francis, South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Caledonia, Racine, Somers, and Kenosha--and connect to the
Chicago Metra service to NE Illinois and Chicago. (Transit NOW)
Page 34
•
•
August 2010
The RCDPD 2009 planning process identified a need for public transit options to be improved and
expanded, not just for workers who do not drive or own their own vehicles, but to provide affordable
and convenient alternatives to driving for everyone:
o Improve the City of Racine local bus system to expand increase frequency of service;
o Create transit services in western Racine County and expand services linking eastern
and western parts of the county
o Increase the number of park-ride lots served by public transit
o Provide express bus service between downtown Racine, business/industrial parks at I94, and downtown Milwaukee
o Create car pool lanes on freeway ramps
o Consider transit-oriented development; i.e., development that has a transit stop located
within or adjacent to it
o Bicyclists need to have access to safe routes, such as marked bike lanes, widened
outside travel lanes, and widened and paved shoulders; the following map shows bicycle
paths proposed in the RCDPD.
o Table 17 maps out proposed public transit elements of the RCDPD plan for Racine
County for the year 2035.
o Table 18 maps out proposed bike path elements of the RCDPD plan for Racine County
for the year 2035.
Transportation stood out in the Racine focus groups as a significant challenge for people in poverty.
Among the transportation-related needs mentioned by focus group participants were:
o The lack of buses in the county;
o Bus routes do not go where people need to go (no routes outside of the city of Racine);
o Buses do not run frequently enough or late enough.
Page 35
August 2010
Housing
Environmental Scan
•
Home Ownership
o Nearly three-quarters (70.8%) of Racine County households live in housing they own;
that percentage drops to 58.9% of households in the City of Racine (ACS 2006-2008).
o Even before the current recession’s full impact in 2009, foreclosures in Racine had been
growing annually as seen in the following chart:
Racine County Foreclosures By Year (Unique Cases)
1200
2008
1000
800
2006
600
2002
2003
2004
2007
2005
2001
400
2000
200
0
Racine
(UW Ext 2010)
o
In 2009 and 2010, foreclosures in Racine have hovered between 300 and 350 per quarter,
rising to their highest level in the first quarter of 2010, as seen in the following chart:
Number of Foreclosure Cases By Quarter (Unduplicated)
400
2010 Q1
350
300
2009 Q1
2009 Q2
2009 Q3
2009 Q4
250
200
150
100
50
0
Racine
(UW Ext 2010)
Page 36
o
o
August 2010
In March 2010, Racine County set a record for foreclosure filings in a single month
(Racine County Exec 2010)
Home foreclosures in Racine County were up nearly 1% in the first quarter of 2010 as
compared to the first quarter of 2009, which is worse than the overall rate for the State of
Wisconsin and worse than Kenosha and Milwaukee, as seen in the following chart:
% Change in Foreclosure Cases
Q1 2009 ‐ Q1 2010
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
Kenosha
Milwaukee
Racine
Wisconsin (‐Portage)
‐0.02
‐0.04
‐0.06
(UW Ext 2010)
•
•
•
Income & Housing
o It has been estimated that due to worsening economic conditions since the 2000 Census,
the percentage of households with housing problems has increased.
WCCF estimated in 2010 that 45% of renters in Racine County were unable to afford
fair market rent
Continuing elimination of higher-paying jobs in the local economy has decreased the
affordability of housing over the last several years.
Quality of Housing Stock
o Nearly one-quarter (24.5%) of Racine County households were identified in the 2000
Census as having at least one of a variety of problems with their housing situation, either
paying more than 30% of their income on rent, incomplete plumbing or kitchen facilities,
or overcrowded conditions (see Table 19). The City of Racine (30%), Burlington (26.8%)
and North Bay (25.9%) had the highest rates by municipality.
o The housing stock in most of the municipalities in Racine County was rated either
fair/average or good/very good/excellent based on 2006 data from the Racine Assessor’s
Office.
o In four municipalities—Racine, Burlington, Sturtevant and Yorkville—the assessor data
showed a significant percentage of unsound/very poor/poor housing stock, indicating
substandard and unsafe housing conditions (see Tables 20-23).
o The City of Racine has been identified as having over 20,000 housing units likely to
contain lead; approximately half of which are occupied by children less than 6 years old.
This housing is concentrated in city census tracts 1 through 7 in the central part of the
city. (Racine CLEAR 2005) (see Table 24 for a detailed map of the locations with high
potential for lead poisoning).
Homelessness
o According to the website of HALO (Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization), a
Racine nonprofit, 1,200 people in Racine County experience homelessness each year.
Page 37
August 2010
Assets
•
•
•
Home Ownership
o The RCDD has a priority to encourage people to become or continue to be home owners,
for instance, the city announced in February 2010 that it will use $1.2 million in federal
funds to buy 20 to 30 houses in the Towerview area to renovate or raze and replace.
Income & Housing
o Racine has over 3,300 assisted housing units, approximately 1,200 of which are leased
through the Housing Authority’s Section 8 voucher program.
o A variety of rental assistance services are available through the RKCAA including:
Needs assessment
Housing counseling
Tenant/landlord resolution
Rental assistance
Housing/support services
Emergency rental assistance
o The City of Racine’s CLEAR (Collaboration for Lead Education, Abatement & Reduction)
program:
Does presentations to groups most likely to be affected
Annually screens nearly 3,500 city children for elevated blood-lead levels and
orders remediation for homes of children whose levels exceed acceptable levels;
blood lead levels in children have been decreasing
(United Way 2008)
o
o
The RKCAA is responsible for administering the Racine County Weatherization Program,
which allows up to $6,500 to be spent to bring a single family, owner-occupied home up
to HUD standards; services include:
Weather stripping doors and windows
Replacing broken glass
Insulating walls and attics
Tuning up furnaces
Insulating water heaters
The RKCAA also administers the Racine County Low-income Home Energy Assistance
Program, which assists in reducing home energy costs.
Page 38
August 2010
•
Homelessness
o The Racine County Homeless Assistance Coalition (HAC) is a consortium of nearly all
the homeless providers in Racine County. The Coalition collaborates with local
government housing assistance agencies, the City of Racine and Racine County to
strengthen the impact of service delivery in meeting emergency needs. HAC is the local
Continuum of Care entity and represents homeless shelters, transitional housing and
homeless service providers who provide supportive services such as care management,
life skills training, job training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health outreach
and treatment.
o HALO operates a 120-bed emergency shelter located at 2000 DeKoven Avenue in
Racine, where the agency meets emergency shelter needs for all men, women and
children who are experiencing homelessness, coordinates supportive services that help
homeless adults become self-sufficient, provides community leadership to prevent
chronic homelessness and ensures children get positive support through stable living and
learning environments; HALO also leases 20 independent apartments in Racine for
families transitioning from homelessness to independence.
o Racine County is one of five Wisconsin communities to receive federal dollars through
the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP); funds are to be
used to provide financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and
families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to
be quickly re-housed and stabilized (see Table 25 for detailed maps of services
provided).. The funds under this program are intended to target two populations of
persons facing housing instability:
Individuals and families who are currently in housing but are at risk of becoming
homeless and need temporary rent or utility assistance to prevent them from
becoming homeless or assistance to move to another unit (prevention), and
Individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness (residing in emergency
or transitional shelters or on the street) and need temporary assistance in order to
obtain housing and retain it (rapid re-housing).
•
For a list of these and other housing services available in Racine County, see Appendix E.
Page 39
August 2010
Needs
•
Home Ownership
o Vacancy rates in Racine’s central city, which were 13% in the 2000 Census and due to
the current housing crisis are probably much higher now, are a continuing problem
because vacant homes are not kept up as well as occupied homes; their presence can
create safety problems that ripple through neighborhoods (RCDD 2009).
o In a survey conducted by the City of Racine in 2010, residents said homeownership
assistance should be among the city’s top priorities (RCDD 2010).
•
Income & Housing
o There are 1,822 households on the waiting list of the Housing Authority of Racine
County; the agency has only ten units of public housing, including two single-family
dwellings (in addition, there are 1,200 units leased through Section 8 vouchers as
described in the next section); annual turnover of units averages just 230 units (RCDD
2009).
o There is a need for increased funding at both the governmental and non-governmental
level to meet the housing needs of city residents (RCDD 2009)
o The focus group with Racine Head Start parents talked about problems with housing
including
The waiting list for Section 8 vouchers;
The high cost of utilities, particularly in the winter; and
Being told they make too much to qualify for energy assistance.
•
o Aged housing stock (over 83% of all housing units were constructed before 1970,
compared to 49% for the US) (RCDD 2009)
o An estimated 1,835 city dwellings contain lead-based paint hazards; nearly 3,500
children are screened annually for elevated blood-lead levels and remediation ordered for
homes of children whose levels exceed acceptable levels (RCDD 2009).
o In a survey conducted by the City of Racine in 2010, residents said homeowner and
rental rehabilitation loans should be among the top priorities of the city (RCDD 2010).
•
Homelessness
o According to HALO, 150 to 200 individuals need emergency shelter on a daily basis, of
whom 40% are children.
Page 40
August 2010
Food Security
Environmental Scan
•
•
•
•
•
Food insecurity refers to a person or a family with uncertain or limited access to food through normal
channels; it is closely linked to poverty (UWRC 2008)
Food Insecurity in Racine County (See Tables 26 and 27):
o Of City of Racine households with children under 18 years, 6.7% received food stamps;
for Racine County households the figure was 4.1%.
o City of Racine households make up 71% of all County households receiving Food Stamps
Food Share has reported a 25% - 30% increase from FY 2009-FY2010 (R/K SNAP-Ed)
Food Pantries:
o Local food pantries have experienced a 25% increase from FY2009-FY2010 (R/K SNAPEd)
Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
o A federal supplemental nutrition program that promotes the health and well-being of
nutritionally at-risk pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children by
providing supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition and breastfeeding information, and referral
to other health and nutrition services. (Wi DHS)
o WIC participation in Racine and Kenosha Counties increased by 8% from FY2009 –
FY2010 (R/K Snap Ed)
Page 41
August 2010
WIC Participants with ZIP Code in Racine County
Location
Rochester
Racine
Mukwonago
Caledonia
Kansasville
Franksville
Wind Lake
Union Grove
Sturtevant
Burlington
Racine
Racine
Racine
Racine
Racine
County - % each county
Racine - PO Box
Racine - PO Box
Racine
Racine
Racine/Kenosha - 83/17
Racine
Racine
Racine/Walworth/Kenosha - 69/16/15
Racine
Racine
Racine
Racine
Racine
ZIP
53167
53401
53149
53108
53139
53126
53185
53182
53177
53105
53406
53405
53402
53404
53403
Total
Served by County
Racine Kenosha
2
3
1
2
3
27
29
3
35
104
1
106
9
117
6
356
41
570
13
790
12
876
12
1,174
5
1,543
43
5,736
149
Total
2
4
5
27
32
35
105
115
123
397
583
802
888
1,179
1,586
5,883
(2009)
Page 42
August 2010
Assets
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Racine/Kenosha Nutrition Education Program provides nutrition education to children ages 6 to
15 in the classroom environment as part of the regular school day; nutrition education is also provided
to adults in a variety of community locations
In 2010, Racine County was awarded a $140,176 grant to supplement emergency food and shelter
programs in the area
Wisconsin participates in the WIC Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, which provides a one-time food
benefit per growing season to WIC families. The Burlington, Downtown Racine and West Racine
Farmer’s Markets are WIC approved (USDA 2010).
An updated wellness policy limits candy, unhealthy snacks and home-baked goods in all Racine
Unified schools (Journal Times)
A participant in a Racine focus group mentioned that there is a movement for urban gardening,
community gardens and teaching people how to grow their own food.
For a list of these and other food security services available in Racine County, see Appendix E.
Racine County Food Sites
Page 43
August 2010
Needs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Low-income families living in central city areas need access to supermarkets and large grocery
stores, where prices are lower and food quality is higher than in the small groceries and convenience
stores typically found in their neighborhoods (EHW 2008)
Increased outreach and education are needed to expand use of federal nutrition programs (EHW
2008)
Racine County schools must be encouraged to participate in the school breakfast program (R/KNEP)
Low income individuals need to be educated to use more fresh vegetables in their daily meals and to
take advantage of the local farmer’s market vouchers (R/KNEP)
The Racine service providers focus group participants noted that current resources only provide a
limited supply of food and that the location of the resource is not always convenient; particularly for
people relying on public transportation, it is difficult to travel across the city to get a couple of bags of
groceries.
The Racine/Kenosha Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Program (SNAP-Ed),
has developed the following goals related to food security in Racine County for FY 2010:
o Target the four-year-old and younger program participants by beginning a program with
the Racine County Head Start Program;
o Improving the after-school program in Racine County with the Lighted School House
partners to emphasize proper snacking and increase of fruits and vegetables;
o Strengthen programming with the ever-growing Spanish-speaking population
o Develop programming with pregnant and parenting teens to curb obesity in very young
children (WNEP 2010)
Page 44
August 2010
Early Education & Children Under 5
Environmental Scan
•
Demographics
o The number of children under age 5 living in Racine County has decreased from 13,635
in 1990 to 13,013 in 2006-2008.
o There were a total of 2,673 births in Racine County in 2008 (WISH)
Population Under 5 Years by Age
Under 3 years
3 and 4 years
TOTAL
•
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
6,834
6,179
13,013
Village of
Caledonia
693
745
1,438
Village of
Mount
Pleasant
750
704
1,454
Racine
Other
City of
County
Racine
Racine
East
County
3,422
4,865
1,969
2,891
4,340
1,839
6,313
9,205
3,808
Poverty
Poverty Rates for Racine Children Under 5 (for whom poverty status is determined)
County of Racine
City of Racine
2006 - 2008
2006 - 2008
# Below
Poverty
Under 5
years
1,498
Total #
6,248
%
23.98%
# Below
Poverty
2,008
Total #
%
12,853
15.62%
Wisconsin
2006 -2008
# Below
Poverty
59,425
Total #
%
350,863
16.94%
•
Children with special needs and disabilities
o Defined by DHHS as those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical,
developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and who also require health and related
services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. (Wi DHS 2008)
o According to the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs,
13.9% of U.S. children and 15.3% of Wisconsin children have special health care needs
(Wi DHS 2008).
•
Childhood Obesity & Physical Activity
o The Racine Head Start program documented that in the 2007-2008 school year, 28% of
its student population was obese, up 8% from the year prior (UW-Ext 2009)
o
Racine Head Start parents participating in a survey, when asked “whether or not you feel
your son/daughter is overweight or obese,” only 9% agreed, down 25% from the year
prior (UW-Ext 2009)
Page 45
August 2010
Assets
•
Racine Head Start is funded to serve 698 children annually. The program serves low-income children
and children with disabilities. In addition, up to 10% of participants can be children who are neither
low-income or disabled.
•
Birth to 3 is Wisconsin’s early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays
and disabilities and their families; the program is overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Health
Services.
o 77% of all children referred by RUSD to Birth to Three are in Racine CESA 1
Kenosha
Participation in Birth to Three
(Rate per 1,000) 1993 to 2008
80
Racine
60
40
20
2008
2007
2006
2005
2003
2002
2000
1997
1996
1995
1993
0
(Wi DPI)
•
•
For maps of child care centers in Racine County and in the City of Racine, see Tables 28 and 29.
For a list of these and other early childhood services available in Racine County, see Appendix E.
Needs
•
In 2009 the state of Wisconsin published a needs assessment of Head Start programs across the
state (WDCF 2009) and made the following recommendations:
o Facilitate technical assistance and professional development to increase statewide
access to oral health and prevention services and to mental health treatment services for
young children.
o Support the involvement of Head Start at the community, regional, and state levels in the
Strengthening Families initiative linking child abuse and prevention with early childhood
programs and services.
o Identify resources and best practices to support Head Start programs in reducing the
barriers to providing full working-day child care services for all children in need of child
care.
o Provide technical assistance and professional development to support Head Start
partnerships with local family literacy programs and services, including Title I, libraries
(public and school), museums, etc.
o Facilitate partnerships between Head Start programs and local school districts in support
of community approaches to serving 4-year-olds.
Page 46
o
o
o
August 2010
Support the organization of joint training and cross-system professional development
opportunities for Head Start and local school district staff, as well as other providers of
early childhood comprehensive services.
Support the development of online courses and degree programs for Head Start staff, the
transfer of credits between institutions of higher education, strategies to increase staff
release time to attend professional development, and bilingual professional development
opportunities.
Identify additional opportunities for Head Start representatives to serve on policy/planning
committees that address early childhood issues at the community, regional, and state
levels.
Page 47
August 2010
School-Aged Youth & Education
Environmental Scan
•
•
Demographics of Racine School-Aged Youth
o Racine County has approximately 54,000 children and young people between the ages of
5 and 24, just over one-quarter of the county’s total population.
o The City of Racine has 22,600 children and young people between the ages of 5 and 24,
totaling 29% of the city’s overall population.
Poverty of Racine School-Aged Youth
o One in five (21.29%) youth under 18 years in the City of Racine lived in poverty in 20062008, higher than the rate for Racine County (12.21%) and higher than the state rate
(13.18%).
o Amongst all City of Racine school-aged youth, the highest poverty rates are experienced
by youth ages 5 - 11, nearly one-quarter (24.26%) of whom are living in poverty.
Poverty Status of Racine School-Aged Youth (for whom poverty status is determined)
5 - 11 years
12 - 17 years
Subtotal
5 - 18
18 - 24 years
Total School
Aged Youth
o
City of Racine
2006 - 2008
# Below
Poverty
Total #
%
1,948
8,030
24.26%
1,189
6,708
17.73%
County of Racine
2006 - 2008
# Below
Poverty
Total #
%
2,632
18,911
13.92%
1,742
16,914
10.30%
Wisconsin
2006 -2008
# Below
Poverty
66,732
57,818
Total #
485,783
459,197
%
13.74%
12.59%
3,137
1,470
14,738
6,938
21.29%
21.19%
4,374
2,508
35,825
16,288
12.21%
15.40%
124,550
113,520
944,980
489,370
13.18%
23.20%
4,607
21,676
21.25%
6,882
52,113
13.21%
238,070 1,434,350
16.60%
Students in RUSD are more likely than the average Wisconsin student to be living in
poverty; for the 2009-2010 school year, eligibility for free or reduced lunch (a common
measure of student family income) increased over the previous year, with the majority of
elementary and middle-school aged youth eligible.
RUSD Percent of Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch
RUSD
KUSD
Wisconsin
•
2008-2009
Elementary
Middle
57.70%
52.10%
48.37%
42.91%
33.60%
High
36.70%
34.01%
2009-2010
Elementary
Middle
62.30%
56.80%
46.5%
37.20%
High
44.30%
(Racine Post 2010)
Educational Attainment of Racine Residents
o Residents of the City of Racine are less likely to have a high school degree than are
residents of the county as a whole, or of the state: 16.8% of City of Racine residents have
no high school degree compared to 13% of Racine County residents and 11% of
Wisconsin residents.
US Census 2000 data indicating that 36% of 18-24 year olds in Racine—and 42% of
males in that age group—lack a high school diploma
RUSD data show substantially higher graduation rates—81.3% in 2004—but experts
generally agree the real graduation rate is probably closer to 60% (Gesner 2006)
o 38.5% of City of Racine residents have a high school degree only, compared to 34.5% of
Racine County residents and 34.4% of Wisconsin residents.
Page 48
•
August 2010
Racine Unified School District (RUSD)
o Compared to similar Wisconsin school districts, enrollment in Racine public schools has
been holding relatively steady over the 10-year period from 1999 to 2009
o Compared to similar Wisconsin school districts, Racine experienced the largest
enrollment decrease in 2008-2009, at 1.8%.
Ten-year Public School Enrollment Trend, 1999-2009
(Public Policy Forum 2009)
o
The Racine Unified School District (RUSD), with approximately 21,000 students, is
the largest district in Racine County and the fourth largest in the state of Wisconsin.
The district has 21 elementary schools including 3 magnet elementary schools, 7
middle schools including 2 magnet middle schools and 1 charter middle school, and 6
high schools including 1 magnet high school, and 1 charter high school.
Enrollment in RUSD as of 4/2010
(RUSD 2010)
Page 49
August 2010
Enrollment in RUSD as of 4/2010
(RUSD 2010)
o
Minority enrollment in Wisconsin school districts similar to Racine has been steadily
increasing over the past 10 years, with RUSD consistently enrolling the highest
percentage of minority students.
Ten-year Minority Enrollment Trend, 1999-2009
o
Other common measures of school district success are ACT scores and percent of
students taking the ACT; Advanced Placement exam pass rates; and high school
completion rates. For the 2007-2008 school year, RUSD had fewer students taking the
ACT test than did the Milwaukee or Kenosha school districts; matched Kenosha on ACT
scores; and was between its two neighboring school systems on AP exam pass rate and
on high school completion rate.
College Preparation Indicators by District, 2007-2008
AP Exams
Passed
ACT Composite
Score 07-08
as a % of
Enrollment
%
District
07-08
Tested Score
63.5%
21.4
6.3%
Kenosha
17.5
1.4%
Milwaukee 43.1%
38.9%
21.3
3.2%
Racine
57.2%
22.3
9.0%
Wisconsin
High
School
Completion
Rate 07-08
84.1%
67.7%
71.7%
89.0%
Page 50
o
August 2010
RUSD student scores on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) are
consistently lower than the average for Wisconsin students, as seen in the tables below.
And while these tables show improved scores in 09-10 over 08-09 at nearly all age levels
in reading and at several age levels for math, these results come after many years of
steadily declining scores across all grades and subjects.
(Wi Dpt SAA 2010)
(Wi Dpt SAA 2010)
o
o
Based on the WKCEs and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment taken in fall of 2008, the
following five RUSD schools were identified for improvement:
Case High
Horlick High
Knapp Elementary
McKinley Middle
Park High
Based on the WKCEs and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment taken in fall of 2008, the
following seven RUSD schools missed Adequate Yearly Progress targets:
Case High
Gilmore Middle
Horlick High
Jerstad-Agerholm Middle
Knapp Elementary
McKinley Middle
Park High
Page 51
o
August 2010
There is a persistent and significant gap of more than 20 percentage points between the
WKCE scores achieved by African American students and their white peers in RUSD as
seen in the charts below.
Racial Disparity in RUSD Students’ WKCE Reading Scores
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
African American
50.0%
White
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
4th Grade (04-05)
5th Grade (05-06)
6th Grade (06-07)
7th Grade (07-08)
8th Grade (08-09)
Racial Disparity in RUSD Students’ WKCE Math Scores
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
African American
50.0%
White
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
4th Grade (04-05)
5th Grade (05-06)
6th Grade (06-07)
7th Grade (07-08)
8th Grade (08-09)
o
The racial gap in achievement scores seen in RUSD is greater than the gap seen in
Kenosha or Milwaukee (see Table 30 and 31 for detailed data). National studies also
find that Wisconsin’s achievement gap is consistently wider than the average racial
gap for all states (NCES 2010) and the state’s black fourth-graders have the worst
reading scores in the nation (MJS 2010).
Page 52
o
August 2010
Attendance, an important indicator of success in school, is lower in Racine than in
some comparable state school districts, as seen in the chart below.
Ten-year Trends in Attendance Rates, 1998-2008
o
The dropout rate for RUSD has tended to be higher than that of similar districts in the
state, and in the 2007-2008 school year, reached its highest rate since the 19992000 school year.
Ten-year Trends in Dropout Rates, 1998-2008
o
For 2007-2008, RUSD’s 10.6% suspension rate is the highest and its 0.5% expulsion
rate second-highest among all similar districts in the state.
Ten-year Trends in Dropout Rates, 1998-2008
Page 53
•
August 2010
School-Aged Youth with Disabilities
o There is a higher concentration of children with disabilities in the RUSD than in the
districts that lie west of the interstate.
16.8% of children in RUSD have been identified as having some physical or
emotional disability; this represents 1,176 children
12.5% of children in the districts that lie west of the interstate have been identified as
having some physical or emotional disability; this represents 392 children
Speech language impairment is the most frequently identified disability in RUSD;
over 10% of elementary students in the district have been identified with this
disability.
Special learning disabilities are the most frequently cited disability in the districts west
of the interstate; 4.3% of students there have been identified as having a special
learning disability; Burlington High School shows the highest percentage at 6.7%.
Special learning disabilities also affect a high percentage of RUSD students; 4.4% of
the district, or 936 children, have been identified as having a special learning
disability.
o For detailed information on the numbers of children with specific disabilities in Racine
County, see Tables 32 and 33.
Assets
•
•
•
•
•
•
Educational Attainment
o For a map of all school districts in Racine County, see Table 34
RUSD
o RUSD’s Walden III High School was one of only three Wisconsin public high schools to
make US News & World Report’s “Best Public High Schools” list for 2009. All of the
schools recognized had students who performed well on their statewide high school math
and reading tests (given poverty and minority enrollment); bronze medal schools did not
have as high Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate class participation as
silver and gold medal schools.
o About three-quarters of Racine County parents of children receiving special education
services feel that their children’s schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of
improving services and results for children with disabilities (for a breakdown by school
district, see Table 35).
Higher Education/Adult Education
o Gateway Technical College has three campuses in Racine County, the main one in
downtown Racine, a center in Burlington, and the Center for Advanced Technology and
Innovation in Sturtevant. Offerings include associate degrees, diplomas, certificates,
short-term, non-credit, and workshop programs in over 77 fields. Approximately 29,000
students annually are served by the college (which also has campuses in Kenosha and
Walworth Counties, as well as online classes), 5,000 of whom are full-time equivalent
students.
o The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is located in Somers, between Kenosha and
Racine, and has over 5,000 undergraduate students. The University offers over 40
different areas of study including graduate classes in business, molecular biology,
computer information systems and leadership.
Youth-Serving Agencies
o Afterschool programs were mentioned as a positive community resource in the Racine
Head Start parents focus group
For a list of education services and services related to school-aged children available in Racine
County, see Appendix E.
Page 54
August 2010
Needs
•
Educational Attainment
o The RCWDB has identified raising standards and expectations for public education as
one of the biggest obstacles to continued development of the area’s economy
Unless high school graduation rates increase, another generation of young
people will be trapped in a cycle of unemployment and poverty
By increasing the educational attainment of the large number of potential workers
living in Census Tracts 1 – 5, there will be a larger pool of trained workers
•
RUSD
o
o
o
Many leaders and experts call for a need to decrease the educational achievement gap
between students of color and their white classmates.
Safe routes to schools – making efforts to create safe bike- and pedestrian-friendly
environments around schools (RCDPD 2009)
A few Racine focus group participants noted several problems they perceived in the K-12
school system, including:
High truancy rates;
Low graduation rates;
Feeling like parents are not welcomed in the schools.
•
o Participants in the Racine focus groups said the schools do not listen to the parents of
children with disabilities or involve them early enough when behavior problems first start
o Focus group participants agreed that some of the supports needed by children with
special needs are beyond the schools’ capacities to handle.
o Participants in a Racine focus group discussed the difficulty of getting services for
children with special needs, saying that day care centers will not take children with autism
or with other complex needs like nursing care or older special needs children.
o Focus group participants said there are often long waiting lists for services for children
with special needs.
o Racine focus group participants noted that services for children who are deaf are missing
and that these and other children could benefit from exposure to technology to “level the
playing field.”
•
Higher Education/Adult Education
o A participant in the Racine focus groups mentioned that Gateway offers very little in
terms of remedial education
•
Youth-Serving Agencies
o Participants in the Racine focus groups mentioned that there is a need for more
quality in recreational programming for youth, for example:
Ensuring staff are competent;
Performing background checks on all staff;
Ensuring adequate supervision of children in the program.
o Racine focus groups participants feel there is a need for more teen centers in the
area and an expansion of current programs as follows:
Pregnancy prevention programs;
Programs for teens throughout the county (not just in the central city);
Substance abuse prevention programs;
Bilingual programming.
Page 55
August 2010
Elderly and Adults with Disabilities
Environmental Scan
•
Demographics
o About one in ten (12.3%) residents of Racine County is an adult age 65 and older, slightly
higher than the proportion (10.4%) for the City of Racine (US Census ACS 2006-2008)
o The number of residents in the 65 years of age and older age category is projected to
increase by 86% by the year 2035 (RCDPD 2009)
•
Poverty
o
The Racine County poverty rate in 2006-2008 for senior adults age 65 and older
(12.22%) was double the City rate (6.38%) and also higher than the state rate (8.41%).
Poverty Status for Racine Elderly (for whom poverty is determined)
City of Racine
2006 - 2008
County of Racine
2006 - 2008
65-74 years
75+ years
# Below
Poverty
277
220
Total #
4121
3667
%
6.72%
6.00%
# Below
Poverty
821
2,074
Total #
12,287
11,404
%
6.68%
18.19%
Subtotal 65+
497
7,788
6.38%
2,895
23,691
12.22%
Wisconsin
2006 -2008
# Below
Poverty
22,249
36,818
Total #
362,849
339,452
%
6.13%
10.85%
59,067
702,301
8.41%
Assets
•
Transportation
o City of Racine Department of Transportation provides paratransit services
Advanced reservation services to elderly persons and persons with disabilities for
general travel
Fixed-route, fixed-schedule transportation to persons with developmental
disabilities who are participating in training and employment programs (RCSG)
o The City of Burlington has implemented a shuttle services for seniors 60 and older and
ambulatory adults with disabilities (fees apply)
•
Housing
o
A Racine focus group participant identified that there is a service called Rep Payee that
will help people guarantee their rent will be paid
•
Health Care
o Wisconsin provides health insurance to 188,000 individuals through its basic Medicaid
program, which covers people who are elderly and disabled and impoverished (MJS
2010)
o SeniorCare, a prescription drug plan for Wisconsin residents 65 and older, is available to
Racine County seniors
•
General Services for the Elderly and People with Disabilities
o Society’s Assets – an independent living center providing comprehensive services to
assist seniors and people of all ages with disabilities with living independently
o For a list of Racine County services for the elderly and disabled, see Appendix G.
Page 56
August 2010
Needs
•
Housing
o
The Racine focus group participants identified that low income seniors often have to
decide between paying rent and eating healthy meals or paying utilities.
•
Health Care
o Participants in the Racine focus group said that low income seniors who can’t afford their
medications sometimes will self-medicate or go without.
•
General Services for the Elderly and People with Disabilities
o Due to the expected 86% increase in the number of adults over age 65 who will be living
in Racine County by 2035, there will be an increased need for health care and community
living facilities and services.
Page 57
August 2010
Public Health
Environmental Scan
•
Access to health care
o Prior to the expansion of Badger Care in 2009, it was estimated that 7% of Racine county
residents had no health insurance (Wi DHS)
•
Pregnancy and childbirth:
o For several years, Racine has had the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the state; in
2008 the county birth rate for teens ages 15-19 was 83.4, compared to a rate of 30.9 for
the state (Wi DHS 2008)
o In Racine County, as in several other urban Wisconsin counties, there is a large gap
between the infant mortality rates experienced by African American women and their
White and Hispanic counterparts.
(United Way 2008)
o
In Racine County, the percentage of pregnant women who receive prenatal care during
their first trimester is below the state average
Page 58
August 2010
(United Way 2008)
o
Racine County does not meet the Healthiest Wisconsin goal of having 90% of children
ages 24-35 months up-to-date on immunizations
(United Way 2008)
•
Obesity and Diabetes
o Children & Teens
• The Racine school district, in FY 2010, is reporting increases in the number of
students with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 90th percentile or higher (children
and teens with BMIs in the 85th to 95th percentile are considered overweight;
those with BMIs equal to or greater than the 95th percentile are considered
obese) (SNAP-Ed)
• The Racine Head Start program documented that in the 2007/2008 school year,
28% of its student population was obese, up 8% from the year prior (UW-Ext
2009)
o Adults
• The 2008 age-adjusted estimates of the percentage of adults with diagnosed
diabetes in Racine was 8.5%; the 2008 rate for Wisconsin was 9.6% (Kidney
Fdn); the 2007 US rate was 7.8% (CDC)
• The 2007 age-adjusted estimates of the percentage of adults who are obese in
Racine is 27.8%; the rate for Wisconsin is 25.4%; the US rate is 33.8% (for
adults, BMI ≥ 30 indicates obesity; BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered
overweight) (CDC)
Page 59
August 2010
•
STDs and HIV:
o Racine County has the second-highest rate of STDs in the state of Wisconsin; in 2008
the Racine STD/HIV program received 822 reports of persons with chlamydia and 278
reports of persons with gonorrhea residing in the City of Racine (RHD 2009)
o In 2009, Racine County had 7 reported cases of HIV infection per 100,000 population,
compared with a rate of 7.9 per 100,000 for the state of Wisconsin (Wi Dpt Health
Services)
•
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs:
o Racine County is part of the Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)
o In 2007, there were a total of 947 drug arrests for adults and juveniles combined in
Racine County; adults accounted for 89% of all drug arrests and juveniles accounted for
11%
o The majority of arrests (63%) were for marijuana-related offenses; 17% were for opium;
13% for synthetic narcotics; 7% for other drugs (see Tables 36 – 39 for detailed statistics
on Racine County drug arrests in 2007)
o Youth and ATODA: A survey done by FOCUS on Community in 2008 at five Racine
County schools yielded the following information on youth and substance abuse (see
Tables 40 – 45 for detailed statistics on Racine County youth substance abuse risk
factors):
• For all measures, 7th graders were least likely to report the risk factor and 12th
graders were the most likely
• Less than half (43.2%) of students reported never having used alcohol (67.5% of
7th graders vs 19.8% of 12th graders)
• Nearly three-quarters (72.4%) of students reported never having used tobacco
(94.3% of 7th graders vs 46.0% of 12th graders)
• Over three-quarters (69.1%) of students reported never having used marijuana
• Over one-third (39.2%) of students reported using alcohol in the past 30 days
• Under one-fifth (17.1%) of students reported using tobacco in the past 30 days
• Almost one-quarter (22.2%) of students reported using marijuana in the past 30
days (4.1% of 7th graders vs 24.5% of 12th graders)
Racine students’ perception of risk of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use – 2008
Alcohol
•
Tobacco
Marijuana
N
#
%
N
#
%
N
#
%
There is “great risk” of people harming
themselves if they use regularly
3167
1514
47.8%
3186
1883
59.1%
3090
1644
53.2%
Their parents feel it would be “very
wrong” for them to use regularly
3128
1611
51.5%
3112
2253
72.4%
3091
2417 78.2%
(PCHHS 2009)
Mental health (all data from RCHS):
o In 2009, an average of 184 individuals presented each month at St. Mary’s ER with a
chief complaint of mental health-related issues
o In 2009, 414 Racine adults were detained by law enforcement because they were a
“danger” to themselves or others
o It is estimated that approximately 70% of these individuals were experiencing a
situational mental health crisis and 30% were chronically mentally ill.
o In 2009, Racine County spent about $2 million to provide psychiatric hospitalization for
248 individuals
Page 60
•
August 2010
Crime and Violence
o Racine County rates for theft and motor vehicle theft are lower than the rates for the state
of Wisconsin; the Racine County rates for violent crime, robbery and burglary are higher
than the state rates.
Crime Rates*: 2009
Violent
Crime
Kenosha
Milwaukee
Racine
Wisconsin
207
765
296
259
Robbery
Property
Crime
Burglary
Theft
73
359
134
87
2690
5045
2842
2637
512
866
736
475
2054
3571
1973
1988
* per 100,000 residents
o
Motor
Vehicle
Theft
111
567
119
159
(WiOJA 2010)
The overall Racine County rates for violent crimes in all categories except rape
decreased from 2008 – 2009; within the county, the City of Racine accounts for the
largest number of violent crimes in every category; in the City of Racine the violent crime
rate dropped between 2008-2009 in all categories except rape.
Number of violent offenses and percent change, 2008-2009
o
(WiOJA 2010)
The overall Racine County rates for property crimes in all categories decreased from
2008 – 2009; within the county, the City of Racine accounts for the largest number of
property crimes in every category; in the City of Racine the property crime rate dropped
between 2008-2009 in all categories.
Number of property offenses and percent change, 2008-2009
(WiOJA 2010)
Page 61
o
August 2010
In 2000, the rate of incarceration for Black males in Racine County was about in the middle
when compared with other Wisconsin counties with major cities and about the same as the
overall rate for the State of Wisconsin; even so, Black males are significantly overrepresented
in Wisconsin incarceration rates.
(Oliver 2010)
o
In 2000, the Racine County incarceration rate for Black females was about average amongst
other Wisconsin counties with major cities, but higher than the overall Wisconsin rate.
(Oliver 2010)
Page 62
o
August 2010
In 1999, the total prison admission rate for Racine County for Black individuals was higher
than that of every other Wisconsin county with a major city but about the same as the
Wisconsin rate; Blacks are significantly more likely to be incarcerated than are Whites in both
Racine County and Wisconsin as a whole.
(Oliver 2010)
Page 63
August 2010
Assets
•
Overall health assets
o In focus groups, Racine residents and service providers overwhelmingly agreed that one
of the positives about the area was the range of resources available to support a wide
variety of issues faced by people living in poverty.
o In the Racine service provider focus group, it was noted that organizations are now
working together more collaboratively than in the past, and that the public sector is
becoming more engaged.
o For a list of public health services available in Racine County, see Appendix E.
•
o Racine County has a wide variety of hospitals and clinics; for a detailed map see Table
46.
•
Pregnancy and childbirth
o The Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes has received a grant from
the Wisconsin Partnership Project of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and
Public Health (matched by Johnson Foundation funds) to develop a comprehensive plan
to reduce African American infant mortality in Racine; the project will be based on the
Lifecourse theory of change
o The Racine/Kenosha Birthing Project is a community-based, volunteer-driven program to
enhance non-medical, practical, communal/social support and advocacy to AfricanAmerican pregnant women
•
Obesity and diabetes
o A member of the Racine Head Start parents focus group cited as a positive quality of the
community the exercise classes being offered at area community centers, saying the
classes are offered at different centers every day of the week.
•
STDs and HIV
o The Racine Health Department runs an STD clinic that accepts walk-in clients exclusively
and performs rapid HIV testing.
•
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
o St. Luke’s was mentioned in a Racine focus group as a resource for substance abuse
services
o Racine County is currently implementing a $200,000 grant to enhance its Drug and
Alcohol Treatment Court, the post-conviction model combines treatment with the court
process; in 2008 the project received 32 referrals, accepted 28 participants and saved
2,600 jail bed days; the funding allows the county to extend Treatment Court services to
up to 60-70 participants during the grant period (Racine Co Exec 2009).
o Racine County has a Drug Endangered Children program through which a
multidisciplinary team including law enforcement work together to enhance their response
to the immediate needs of drug-endangered children and to gather adequate evidence to
substantiate prosecution of appropriate endangerment and other charges.
o Racine County holds free medication collections periodically; such activities prevent
prescription drugs from ending up in area water systems or the hands of children.
•
Mental health
o The Racine County Human Services Department funds a Crisis Center for adults
experiencing a mental health crisis situation: the SOS House offers temporary shelter,
talking through the situation, possible remedies, and referrals to appropriate services; it
also operates a 24-hour phone line.
Page 64
•
August 2010
Crime and violence
o Racine has an adult drug court
o The City of Racine has a gang violence reduction program
o There is a community re-entry and release program
o The Wisconsin Department of Corrections funds a county-administered day reporting
center in Racine County; the center provides cost savings by keeping offenders out of the
prison system
COST AND COST SAVINGS FOR DAY REPORTING CENTERS
(Battiato)
Needs
•
Overall health needs
o Need to control runaway health care costs identified as a top priority issue (RCDPD
2009)
•
o Participants in the Racine focus groups identified access to health care as a concern,
saying:
That it is often difficult to find a medical professional who will accept BadgerCare
Plus;
There are often long waiting lists;
There is a lack of free care;
People who make too much to qualify for BadgerCare but cannot get insurance at
work can fall through the cracks; and
Many people have no coverage for prescription drugs and cannot afford to pay for
needed prescriptions out-of-pocket.
o Racine focus group participants noted in particular the difficulty of accessing dental care,
saying there are no dentists in the western part of the county who will accept BadgerCare
Page 65
o
•
August 2010
Plus and only one in the City of Racine; going to Marquette University in Milwaukee is an
option but transportation is a challenge.
Participants in the Racine focus groups expressed frustration at the process of accessing
health care, that the way the system is set up by the state is not user friendly.
Obesity
o
o
o
o
Elementary and middle school youth must be educated about My Pyramid and other
nutrition information (R/KNEP)
Younger children need more nutrition information so they can make healthier choices
(R/KNEP)
Adults must be educated to make lasting changes in the way they prepare and serve
food (R/KNEP)
Parents and children must be educated on the need for daily physical activity (R/KNEP)
•
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
o Racine focus group participants mentioned the lack of rehabilitation and substance abuse
services in the community, particularly for people who have completed formal treatment
programs.
•
Mental health
o Racine County mental health experts have identified the following needs in the county:
Safe alternatives to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations of people with mental
health issues
Safe places for people who are stable and can be discharged from the hospital
Removal of barriers to treatment including lack of knowledge of how to access mental
health services and access to psychiatric care
Increased availability of crisis services
Increased coordination and collaboration between community partners
Reduction in reliance on ER as the main access point for mental health services
o Focus group participants in Racine mentioned a gap in services for mental health
Page 66
August 2010
Key Informant Interviews - Racine County
Purpose
The Planning Council conducted key informant interviews with community leaders in Racine
County to explore and gather information about the needs of people in poverty, barriers to
addressing those needs, services available in the community and gaps in services, and what
else could be done to address issues of poverty. This information was gathered so that the
Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency (RKCAA) can better serve low-income residents in
Racine County.
Methodology
Together, RKCAA and Planning Council staff developed a list of potential key informants, which
included key community leaders and RKCAA board members. From that list, Planning Council
staff indentified three board members and five community members in Racine County to
interview. These individuals represented various sectors, including government, business, nonprofit, and philanthropy. An email was sent to these eight people during the week of March 22nd
2010 describing the purpose and scope of the interviews. If interested in participating, the
subjects were asked to contact the Planning Council to schedule an interview during the weeks
of April 5th through April 19th, 2010. As interviews were confirmed, a follow-up email was sent to
participants giving them additional information about the Planning Council and how the
information from the interview would be used. A reminder email was also sent a few days before
each scheduled interview. Initially, nine individuals agreed to participate in the interviews. One
potential interviewee did not respond to multiple requests made by Planning Council staff to be
interviewed. All persons interviewed are listed in Appendix A.
Interviews were conducted during the first three weeks in April at locations chosen by the
participants. Most interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes. All interviews were conducted by
a junior or senior staff person from the Planning Council and were documented by the Assistant
Planner.
A set of open-ended questions was designed to guide key informants in the discussion (see
Appendix B for the full set of questions). Key informants were asked to describe their
perceptions of:
1. Top needs of people in poverty in the Racine community,
2. Systemic barriers to addressing the needs of people in poverty,
3. Gaps in community services,
4. Strengths and weaknesses of the Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency in
addressing poverty, and
5. Changes that would address poverty in Racine.
Additionally, key informants were asked to examine a list of major resources in the community
to identify any services that were missing. This list was revised based on their feedback and can
be found in Appendix E. Participants were also asked to identify additional data sources, many
of which have been included in the first section of this report. Interviewees were asked to share
Page 67
August 2010
the names of other potential key informants as well. Based on this information, the Planning
Council contacted three additional people for interviews; two of the three agreed to participate
and were interviewed during the first two weeks in May, 2010. The people that key informants
suggested as potential additional interviewees are listed in Appendix A.
A total of eleven (11) key informants were interviewed in April and May 2010. These individuals
have been involved in addressing poverty in Racine in a variety of roles, including
directors/presidents/leaders of agencies, managers, and educators. Of the 11 key informants,
three were current RKCAA board members. Their perspectives were wide-ranging and their
expertise encompassed human and social services, basic needs, mental health, nutrition, legal
issues, economic support, education, and community and workforce development.
Detailed notes from the interviews were reviewed using qualitative analytic techniques. Key
themes were manually coded and relevant quotes related to those themes were identified.
Limitations
The key informant viewpoints described in this section of the report are restricted to the
thoughts and opinions of the limited number of participants and are not presented as
representative of all community leaders or RKCAA board members. Nonetheless, interviews are
useful in gathering deeper insights and perspectives on topics from people who know the
subject well.
Key Informant Interview Themes
Top needs of people in poverty in Racine
“There is a desperate misunderstanding and it is really important. Whether you
are poor or not that misunderstanding is there. These are not simple things to
deal with. It’s not just like you can give me a job and let me earn money. There is
a lot more underlying the issue; root-causing issues.”
The leaders interviewed all expressed the idea that poverty is a complex web in which causes
and symptoms cannot easily be understood, disentangled or solved. Having acknowledged the
difficult nature of the problem, each interviewee brought his or her own experience to bear and
came up with a short list of top needs of people in poverty in Racine. The needs they mentioned
are listed below, starting with those mentioned by the most interviewees.
•
Education
A majority of the interviewees mentioned education as a top need of people living in poverty
in Racine. Because education is a broad topic, comments covered a wide range of
education issues including the high number of dropouts, the appropriateness of the
education offered and the need for the population to see the value of education. Several
comments were directly related to improvements needed at the Racine Unified School
district (RUSD) because many are not graduating or getting GEDs.
“We took a look at the 2000 Census numbers and found that 42% of males
between the ages of 18-24 in Racine didn’t have a high school diploma.”
Page 68
August 2010
“There are some huge educational barriers and problems in Racine. This is
getting better. Racine Unified likes to suspend and expel students for the craziest
things. They don’t think so, but most of us think ‘what objective does this fit?’ A
lot of students never graduate or get a GED. This is a huge issue.”
“Education and support for it, their own support for it. What that means to me is
that people living in poverty need to want or appreciate the value that it adds.
They need the right kind of education. I don’t mean that they need different
education, but education they can approach. And that, to them, appears to add
value to their lives.”
“I guess education in order to address the root causes. I would say education in
the sense of giving people the opportunity of seeing what’s possible.”
“Definitely education. Lots of times parents don’t finish high school. That’s a
major issue.”
•
Jobs/Income
Interviewees acknowledged that the Workforce Development Center is working to address
employment issues, but still feel jobs are a top need, along with adequate income and the
ability to manage it wisely.
“Unemployment is high throughout the counties, though it is particularly harsh in
the City of Racine.”
“Income is a huge issue.”
“Our financial stability initiative started with asset management. People did have
money coming in from vouchers, public assistance and part-time work, but they
were not making ends meet.”
•
Transportation
The lack of transportation options in Racine was lamented frequently in the interviews. here
are only 2 taxis; need a car and money for gas to get around; bus takes all day to get to
where you’re going; there is no transit west of the I)
“In this part of the County [west], if you don’t have a car, or money for gas for
your car, you’re out of luck. You cannot access jobs, sitters, etc.”
“Transportation is a big problem in Racine. We maybe have two taxis, if that. We
have just never had them in this town. The bus is not used enough to be robust
or run very frequently. It could take all day to make an appointment with all of the
transfers you have to make. There is none west of the ‘I.’ Red Cross used to run
a shuttle, but they don’t do it anymore. Transportation services have been
shrinking.”
“I’m going to throw transportation in the mix because it stinks. You can’t get to
where you are going, and it is hard to get anywhere on time. It’s a huge issue for
kids in poverty. They never go on schedule; it stinks. We’ve talked about
commuter rail between the communities, but you know what’s going on with that.
It’s a big issue.”
Page 69
•
August 2010
Health care
Key informants mentioned health care generally as a problem for people in poverty, and
also talked about specific health care issues including improving infant mortality and mental
health.
“Another thing along those lines is infant mortality. Once a child is born, we do
not do a good job making sure they get well visits.”
“Ongoing health care is an issue. Rather than responding to crisis health
situations, we should be more proactive.”
“Obviously, health and addressing physical health needs.”
“Mental health is a big need, especially in the Latino community.”
•
Basic needs
Nearly every person interviewed touched on basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter
as problems for people in poverty in Racine. Most often, the lack of these items was linked
by the speaker to the bottom line issue of jobs and adequate income.
“Indeed, people need food, shelter, means and a desire to earn income.”
“Security in food, housing, and transit.”
•
Opportunities and hope
A couple of key informants expressed the idea that without an ability to see that there are
ways out of poverty, people living in poverty will have a much more difficult time.
“They need a way out of their situation, whatever that way is, that will work for
them. I think that a lot in poverty don’t know a way out.”
•
Access to benefits
The people interviewed expressed the belief that often people don’t know what benefits they
qualify for and don’t want others to know they are seeking services. Undocumented
individuals and people with disabilities face unique challenges to accessing benefits.
“I would say that not just knowing where the services are, but also the need
for counseling once you get there. People don’t always understand what they
do and do not qualify for. They need the right guidance about what kinds of
applications to fill out in order to get approved for assistance.”
“There are other income sources; people call these ‘mainstream benefits.’ By this
we mean public benefits, like TANF or Access. There are some issues with
access to benefits.”
“I think that easy access to services is a need. I think that a lot of times
people don’t know where to go or how to get there. It’s also a challenge if
they don’t have transportation or a computer to look up information about
services. I would say access is the biggest need.”
Page 70
August 2010
“The other big thing that comes to mind is the confidentiality piece. People
don’t want to be seen in that environment so I think the privacy thing would
be the third top need.”
“Racine Unified does not have a good record with disabled students. They
have lots of accommodation issues.
“This is also true of human services in Racine. People are often told that they
won’t be eligible for benefits and are discouraged from applying.”
“Some people can’t even get the school to do an IEP, even though there are
clear Federal requirements to do them. One of our employees asked for an
IEP and they were strongly discouraged.”
“Undocumented people are an issue because they can’t access benefits and
they need to rely on secondary resources.”
•
Needs of people living west of the Interstate
In a few conversations, key informants discussed the differences and similarities east and
west of the Interstate.
“I don’t know that the needs are different [east and west of the Interstate]; I think
the services just aren’t out there. My husband works west of the ‘I’; it’s like a
different personality out there.”
“We have a very segregated community. These are stereotypes, but I think they
are pretty true. West of the ‘I’ is all white, agriculture, and conservative. It is a
different population with different needs. Racine is much more segmented in that
way.”
“Love, Inc. is really who provides services in Burlington. People here are not
going to Racine for services. They are an integral part of the community. They
house a lot of other agencies.”
•
Other needs
A variety of other needs experienced by people living in poverty in Racine were mentioned
occasionally during the interviews, including the need for legal representation, rezoning in
the city to allow distribution of tax credits, relationship building amongst families in crisis, and
technology (computers) to assist in job searches.
Page 71
August 2010
Systemic barriers to addressing the needs of people in poverty in Racine
The key informants spoke of a variety of systemic barriers that they believe are preventing the
needs expressed above from being met in Racine. As was the case for the needs, interviewees
recognized that the systems they were talking about often overlapped or existed in symbiotic
relationships, sometimes causing new challenges even when attempting to put solutions into
place. Their replies were examined and placed into general categories, which are listed below
starting with those mentioned by the largest number of interviewees.
•
Service system lacks capacity
A number of key informants spoke at length about the lack of effective nonprofits in Racine.
Their feeling was that this lack of capacity means the safety net isn’t big enough, not enough
people are being served, services are hard to access and agencies fail to coordinate their
efforts effectively.
“I think it’s very difficult to access help in our community. It seems like it
shouldn’t be, but caseloads are huge; absolutely huge. It is difficult for people
trying to help; they need an advocate. It can be a full time job, a full-time
frustrating job, to get benefits if you don’t have them.”
“Capacity of nonprofits is a big issue here. Most are either understaffed or are
on the verge of a financial crisis. We were really concerned about finding an
agency to take on a new, major initiative. That’s why we decided to grow it
here. We had set a precedent of being a co-partner. We did a lot of early
childhood home visitation work with the county for years and partnered with
them. We controlled what happens on our outcomes. I thought that would be
the model that we would take for this, but it didn’t pan out that way. Whether we
own it for a lifetime or just a few years, we’ll see. We are treating it like it’s
permanent.
“Others had said that they were using best practices to inform their work, but
they weren’t necessarily measuring it. . . . . Eventually we hope that this new
way of doing business gets dispersed; that’s the ideal. We are getting into the
paradigm shifting business.”
“ . . . I think teamwork is needed; agencies working together. You hear of one
doing one thing and another doing another. We could do so much more if we
partner together. I think that sometimes having multiple services confuses people
because they don’t know where to go. People go to the CAA for one thing, the
Shalom Center for another, and the Job Center. There are too many different
places. We need to build one team to address the issues or work together.”
“The fragile families that we work with often touch all of our divisions. Our
workers still don’t necessarily know how to get out of their silos, but they are
able to talk to colleagues about the needs of families they are all serving. The
ideal thing is that our workers would not be siloed.”
Page 72
August 2010
“We need strong community based organizations to make a difference.
Government isn’t accepted. . . . We need these organizations for more
preventative programs.”
•
Educational system that is failing
Throughout the interviews, mention was made of problems faced by the Racine Unified
School District and the difficulty of closing the educational gap between White Black
students, along with other systemic issues that are causing kids to fail to achieve
educational success. The barriers faced by adults trying to go back to school were also
mentioned. The following comments are representative:
“The days of being able to not graduate high school and find a job and buy a
house, we all know that those jobs don’t exist anymore. If you don’t graduate
from high school, and there is a huge disparity in African American achievement,
and achievement of poor people in general. I think the last I heard there was a
47% graduation rate for black males in the city. If you don’t have a high school
diploma, your options for anything are limited. The root cause would be
education for kids. The dislocated worker who used to put door handles on cars
and is now 45 years old and doesn’t have an education has those same
problems.”
“Education in general has lots of silos. The current superintendents in both
communities are making more of an effort. Racine is very unhappy . . . . The
Public Policy Institute has some statistics. They have Racine at the bottom of the
list. Racine Unified has about 21,000 students. Mentoring school students is very
big and it is challenging to work within the bureaucracies of the schools.”
•
Barriers to work/income
Many key informants talked about the interconnected systems that, if one system fails, can
become an insurmountable barrier to getting and keeping jobs. Some of the systems
mentioned included education, transportation, day care, and the judicial system.
“I think a lot of the women that I met . . . would say, just give me a damn job and
I’ll make it work. But if they don’t have day care, then what? If they don’t have
family or a partner to help with the kids, it’s nearly impossible. It turns into a
cyclical process. Maybe it’s easier for them not to work; they can’t afford to. It can
very easily start to seem very overwhelming. I think that to overcome this, we
would need to provide housing and training and pay people more than $9/hour.
We need to provide day care and support. It all comes down to the big safety net
not being as big as it should be; it doesn’t hold as many as you think it should. A
lot of people talk about lazy, shiftless, welfare frauds, but I’d like to see them
make less than $9/hour and then tell me how it is.”
“Employment barriers include lack of education, lack of a driver’s license or
transit and child care. . . . then you start getting into subcategories. There are
problems with criminal record discrimination and other issues. This is much more
prevalent in the poverty population. They can’t always talk for themselves, either.
. . . After a while, you start to feel hopeless. ”
Page 73
August 2010
“We struggle with continuous high unemployment and underemployment in the
inner-city of Racine, where poverty is huge. . . . Employment opportunities for the
undereducated or uneducated are not good anywhere, and we reflect that. It’s
generational. This is the third generation, if not the second, that is going through
this.”
•
Transit
Several interviewees mentioned transit as another system in need of upgrading, in both
eastern and western parts of the county.
“Transit is another big issue. We have a taxi when he’s not sick. There used to
be two. We are limited in terms of transportation for elderly people in the
community. We do have TransportFirst, which is a van service for seniors. It’s a
shuttle service. LaidLaw has some transportation for people on SSI who have
disabilities or are enrolled in Family Care, but they must be income eligible. 1821 year olds who have disabilities are taken to and from work, but it’s somewhat
limited.”
“In Kenosha, I would say transportation is an issue; this is true west of the ‘I’ as
well. People in poverty west of the ‘I’ don’t necessarily leave to access services. .
. . I think the same is true in the Racine market.”
“The other thing I would do, I forgot about transit issues and getting people to
work. We also need to either create jobs within the city or expand transit options
so that people can get to the jobs. For example, there was competition for
warehouse, Save a Lot or something like that. Kenosha won and got those 300
jobs. In Milwaukee that would still be in the city; it would be like saying South
Milwaukee got those jobs. In our mind, Kenosha is 10 miles away, and that’s
losing. We need to think more regionally. Kenosha may as well be as far away as
Timbuktu if there is no transit.”
•
Geographic divide
The difficulty of providing services that will be accessible to people on both sides of the
Interstate was mentioned by several key informants, as was the different face of poverty in
the western part of the county.
“Do [people living west of the Interstate] know how to find resources to meet their
needs? I don’t know. I would say it’s true that they may not want to access
services because they don’t want to admit that they have a need, but I don’t think
it’s different in the city. I think the main reason that people west of the ‘I’ are not
accessing services is more about going to the city; they have a fear of the city.”
“Whites in poverty, that is our poverty here. Our ethnic population is small here.
30% receive free and reduced lunch and our minority population is only 10% and
they are not all poor. 60% are Hispanic and they are not legal so they are
working hard. The people in our community who are not working are white, single
moms living in apartments in a certain neighborhood. Often they are doubled up
with others; it’s a multi-generational situation. It’s a generational tendency. We
have second generation, white poor. We know because we taught the parents of
the poor students, and they were poor when they were in school. I agree. We
know that if those students had received services ahead of time, they would be
Page 74
August 2010
doing ok, but without them they will struggle forever to catch up. We try to, and
do, make an impact. They come in behind and are set up for a challenge to
succeed. We do whatever we can to level the playing field.”
“Churches in this community are very important for the rich and the poor. If there
is a need to be met or a call goes out, it goes through the churches. This is how
we meet our needs, especially those that are catastrophic.”
•
Other systemic barriers
Interviewees mentioned a variety of other systemic barriers to serving the needs of people
living in poverty in Racine, including political turf issues; lack of safe, affordable housing; city
image issues; and people feeling helpless in the face of continuing discrimination. The key
informant from the Latino community delineated the effects of the language barrier faced by
the Spanish-speaking community in particular.
“Politics and traditional grandstanding. There are some people here who are
long-time conservatives, but there are also some liberals with lots of energy. I
don’t want to be naïve about it.”
“Affordable housing is a huge issue here. The attitude in the past has been to
build high end, luxury buildings rather than a variety of affordable and mixed
neighborhoods. Affordable housing gets labeled and stereotyped and negatively
perceived. It makes it harder for the people who are living there. . . . Affordable
housing units are few and far between. We are seeing a decline in enrollment in
Burlington and we think it is because young families are choosing to move to
Waterford, Delevan, etc. because there are more affordable housing options
there. Those places are seeing an increase in enrollment.”
“There are also image issues. I live in Racine and I’m proud to live there, but
most in Kenosha call Racine “the mistake on the lake.” I was at a lunch meeting
recently and I overheard people talking about how our former mayor is in jail.
They said that we should just flatten the town and start over. When you look at
Kenosha, though, its downtown is really dead; it’s not vibrant at all. Racine has a
much more lively downtown area. Image, feelings, and reputations get in the
way. We don’t tend to address image issues in a very strategic way. There are
individual entities that try to address it, but not altogether.”
“We went through a rough period with trust among our Hispanic population
because many are not legal. I think, as a white person, that we are getting along
fine. I think that we have done a great deal to alleviate fear and mistrust over the
past 5-6 years in an enormous amount. And it was due to what we put into place
to help. We partnered with the UW Extension; we hired a person who worked
part-time with us and part time with the UW Extension office. She was a native
speaker and acted as our school liaison. We didn’t have that connection to the
culture and people that she brought, and unfortunately we don’t have her now
because she’s moved on. She really helped to make parents feel comfortable
and get the children to school. She was respected and understood.”
“I think there is a strong perception in this community . . . that the white
population thinks that there is no discrimination; they think that since they live in
Page 75
August 2010
the north, they are past that. However, African Americans, and to a lesser
degree, Hispanics think everything is about being discriminated against.”
“Language is a barrier of my community on a day-to-day basis. Children struggle
in the schools and in doctor’s offices; it’s a major issue.”
“The mental health issue is more with Latinos because there are no
psychologists who speak Spanish; that I know. If an adult or child needs help,
and I’ve seen this happen, they need a translator to get their issue taken care of.
No people speak the language. . . . There are not a lot of doctors who speak
Spanish.”
Page 76
August 2010
Gaps in community services in Racine
The key informants were asked to reflect on whether the services currently being provided in
Racine adequately meet the needs of people in poverty there, and to discuss any gaps in
services of which they were aware. The following is a summary of their thoughts, arranged in
order beginning with the gaps mentioned by the most interviewees. In many cases, their
responses echoed themes already mentioned; therefore this section attempts to include only
thoughts or ideas not yet covered earlier in this report.
•
Current programs/services need to be expanded to serve more people
“BadgerCare is available, but, for people without insurance, there is no free clinic
here. I think that’s tough for people. There is no free dental care. Our nurse has
connections to a dentist, so we can plea with him to help if a student has an
abscess or something like that.”
“We have Head Start, but people see it as all Hispanic. I think we could be
servicing more kiddos. I wish we had two half day programs. That would meet
the needs of more kids with language issues. Currently, Head Start serves 17
kids all day long. Some go to Union Grove for Head Start services. Teachers
notice gaps between the range of student ability widening between the middle
and upper class and low income kids. That’s because opportunities are
increasing for upper income students, not that lower income students are doing
worse. The range has changed.”
“Another gap is affordable day care, nurseries, or other pre-school opportunities.
Children who cannot afford early learning advantages don’t get them. We need
reasonable pre-school opportunities. Day care costs are very expensive here.
Our new teachers can barely afford them and they make $40,000 a year. They
say they spend all of their money on day care. What do you do if you only make
$7,000 a year and you have no family or friends to watch your kids? These
needs are being addressed either by bad situations or the parents juggle. One
will work days and one will work nights, and kids are caught in the gaps, below
the surface. Day cares and nurseries are all very expensive.”
“Mental health is such a huge issue. Knowing where to send people for
assistance, that’s been a concern.”
“Finding mental health providers who will accept Medicaid is a challenge. Dental
care is always an issue.”
“I sincerely think Racine County does a good job of meeting mental health needs
of low-income people. They still buy medication for people. I don't think
Milwaukee or Kenosha does. I have a son who is a consumer and Racine picked
him up just like that. I am grateful to the County for doing that.”
“We have no residential alcohol treatment for low-income people unless it’s
mandated and then they’re sent off. There was such a long wait list. Now they do
Page 77
August 2010
all outpatient services so they get everyone in immediately now. However, there
is no residential facility, at least not for people who are low income.”
“There are just some things that we see over and over, like financial issues.
People need money to get their licenses or to take tests like the GED. I think
we’ve started to recognize that people need training and access. We’ve found
drivers money to pay their reinstatement fees. They all have to be part of a
special population though, to be eligible for our funding. For the average low
income person who doesn’t have a special need, there won’t be $70 available to
them to reinstate their license. I just recently had a client who couldn’t pay for her
CNA certificate, so our solution was to give her a job access loan. This is a huge
problem to me; how we view job access loans. We don’t give them out to a lot of
people, and people could really benefit from them.”
“There are gaps in youth development activities, resources and centers. There
are lots of silos. Ask teens around here what there is to do. They are hurting.
They do have community centers, but they aren’t doing the trick. They only serve
a small population a small part of the time.”
“I forgot to say money for quality programs. I have seen staff burn out because
short-staffed agencies due to lack of funds. This brings an extreme amount of
pressure to employees and will lower quality of services as well as numbers of
services.”
“The biggest problem is that these people don’t talk to each other. Integration is
the problem, not the lack of services. Folks just simply don’t talk to each other.
There is duplication and silly things happen.”
“There should be more access to services, though. They could make it more
simple. Sometimes to apply they look at the five or six page application and
decide not to. They could make it more user-friendly and less intimidating.”
Page 78
August 2010
Changes that would address poverty in Racine
When asked what one thing they would like to see happen in Racine to address poverty, the key
informants returned to many of the same issues and topics already mentioned. Improved interagency collaboration was mentioned by the most people, followed by education. Other changes
mentioned included improved access to health/dental services and jobs. One person mentioned
a need for increased awareness of resources available in the community. Another emphasized
a need for rezoning to increase the availability of tax credits. Finally, a couple of interviewees
pointed out that there needs to be a change in people’s perspectives about those who live in
poverty.
•
Improved interagency collaboration
“If I could do one thing, I would knock heads together until they started talking to
each other. Until we work on collaboration issue and develop systems of
commutation across agencies and individuals, we are just going to have piddly
thing here and there. No one program can address all needs. . . . People’s needs
are too diverse. But if those running the systems stop focusing on their piece and
work with other folks, I think remarkable things could happen. The lack of
conversation is not malicious. It sometimes is a lack of opportunity. Sometimes
people are so dedicated to what they’re doing and focused on their thing, that
they can’t lift their heads up. I think if we see people start to lift their heads up,
light bulbs will start going on. It’s not without reason that people don’t talk to each
other, because there is very severe competition for limited resources. Some
people think you can just put 50 more buckets of money on the table, but that is
not the solution. Resources are tight, very tight. But lack of collaboration makes it
appear even tighter.”
“I would like to see business more engaged with social service providers in
planning and resource mobilization on behalf of low-income individuals and
families. CAA can play an important role as convener by inviting these entities to
discussion, information or planning sessions.”
“I look at the community and I see a lot of need. If there was a way to prioritize
projects and build unity amongst the teams and make some progress, that would
be ideal. Has anybody, or could [RKCAA] bring the heads of agencies together to
talk about what’s going on. It would be great to have a forum where leaders could
say what we do and here’s what the need is. As far as I can tell, none of them
are competitive, they all are trying to solve a need. I don’t know that anybody’s
doing it, but it would be great to put something like that together. . . . Why
reinvent the wheel? Partner up and learn from each other. That’s something I’d
like to see.”
“I think that we need to get together a group of key leaders, and not just the
County Executive and the Mayor, but a group of us. I think this is something the
CAA could do. Pull a group together in a non-threatening way and talk about
community development issues. They would not be coordinating efforts, but
doing it in a strategic way.”
Page 79
August 2010
“The community needs to partner more effectively to create meaningful
collaboration in addressing poverty needs. We have the talent, expertise, and
probably many of the resources to do the job. The outcomes are just not there
yet.”
•
Increased quality of public education
“I would like to see the closing of the gap in education scores in people of color.
100% graduation in the high school would be what I would do if I get to wish for
something.”
“I would want to make Racine Unified School District a high performing district.
For good or ill, it has, and with some merit, a reputation of not producing across
the board the kind of new generations of young people who are capable of
meeting the expectations of the 21st century economy and society. Some people
will tell you that they turn out the best young kids, and there are some terrific
schools, like Case School. But, a huge number fall by the wayside; they may or
may not graduate. They may not have skills. Our workforce strategy is not to
push kids through school, but to make them employable members of the
workforce. I think Racine Unified is getting better, but it’s got a long way to go. I
don’t envy the administration or school board members; that would be a
thankless job.”
“I would make major changes to the school district so it’s responsive. I want to
see every child get an education. In some cases, MPS is better than Racine
Unified. I have grandkids who lived on the East side of Milwaukee and they went
to a Montessori school, which was part of the public school system. They came
to Racine and bought a huge home for same price they were paying in
Milwaukee. But now they have to pay to send them to Racine’s Montessori
school.”
•
Other changes that would make a difference
“I would say healthcare/dental services are what I’d like to see improved. I don’t
know what the new national health care bill will do; I don’t know if it will make it
more available or not. I just don’t know. I think people now have a hard time
navigating the system. I don’t think that getting BadgerCare is that easy.”
“Racine needs to be re-zoned before money can be distributed. There is interest
from outside investors to take old buildings and turn them into new businesses. .
. . This is a big need in the community particularly when you get on certain areas
south of Memorial Drive. There are projects that could be done, but investors pull
back because of the zoning issues, and it hurts the community. This is not
something the mayor can just do overnight, but it is one of the needs to have
someone take a look. Nobody’s looked at it for a long time.”
“I’ve often wondered how to raise the level of understanding and empathy for
staff . . . . but we don’t have a lot of money to do that a lot. A one shot deal is not
going to make a system impact. If you could help us understand how to help with
this culture change, we would appreciate it. I think there are a lot of staff that
Page 80
August 2010
don’t get it. I tell teachers that parents are sending the best that they have. We
need to take the students and plug along. Some people just have a shoot the
victim mentality, or they say ‘damn parents.’ We need to figure out how to get
over the blame game. If you could connect us with some info about how to do
that, it would be great. If you could help us educate and understand mental
illness, poverty, and other similar issues it would really help us.”
“The infant mortality grant is good news. Although, to be quite frank, it’s obviously
symptomatic, other than education. We have one of the highest infant mortality
rates in the Nation, or we have had it on and off. We were all part of the early
childhood development stuff. It’s evidence-based and should help bring down the
rate.”
“I think I’d like to see people stop thinking poorly. I don’t know if that can happen.
The way I see it is you have poor people on one side and people who are not in
poverty on the other side. The people who are not in poverty expect less from
those who are in poverty. People in poverty start to expect less, too. So, that’s
what I mean by people in poverty needing to stop thinking poorly. They need to
value themselves. They are so resourceful. They need to think of themselves as
people of value; they do have great value. That’s what’ll end poverty or at least
bring it to very low numbers.”
Page 81
August 2010
Focus Groups-Racine County
Purpose
The Planning Council conducted focus groups with service providers and low-income residents
of Racine County to explore and gather information about the challenges people in poverty face,
what resources are available and what resources are needed to assist people in poverty, and
suggestions to address poverty in Racine County. This information was gathered so that the
Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency (RKCAA) can better serve low-income residents in
Racine County.
Methodology
RKCAA and Planning Council staff worked together to indentify specific groups of people to
engage in a guided discussion. Groups that were identified included Racine County service
providers, Head Start Policy Council representatives, and adults with children enrolled in Racine
County’s Head Start program. RKCAA and the Planning Council worked together to recruit and
schedule three separate focus groups as described below.
For the focus group with services providers, the Planning Council, in cooperation with RKCAA
staff:
• Identified organizations that address various needs in the community:
housing/homelessness, energy assistance, emergency food, workforce development,
prisoner re-entry, disability, and health;
• Sent an email invitation to agency directors explaining the purpose and scope of the
focus group and how the information obtained would be used, and asking them to
identify and send one representative to a focus group;
• Made follow-up calls and sent emails to those participants identified to participate in the
focus group; and
• Sent an email reminder two days before the focus group, and placed reminder calls the
day before the focus group.
For the focus group with Head Start parents from the Policy Council:
• Staff at Head Start recruited participants from its Policy Council to attend a focus group.
For the focus group with Head Start parents:
• Staff at Head Start recruited parents who had children enrolled in Racine County’s Head
Start program but who were not involved with the Policy Council.
As an incentive for participating, focus group members were entered into a drawing to win a $25
Target gift card (one gift card was given away at each of the Head Start focus groups).
All three focus groups lasted approximately 90 minutes, and all were facilitated by the Planning
Council’s Associate Planner and documented by the Assistant Planner; two of the three focus
groups were also documented by a Planning Council intern.
Page 82
August 2010
A set of open-ended questions was designed to guide focus group participants in the discussion
(see Appendix D for the full set of questions). Focus group participants were asked to discuss:
1. One positive thing about the community;
2. Most significant needs or challenges faced by people in poverty;
3. Needs that are well met by the existing resources;
4. Resources that could be expanded and those that are missing; and
5. Changes that would address poverty in Racine.
Service providers were also asked to describe what has been done to ensure coordination in
service delivery for people affected by poverty.
Those who participated in the two Head Start focus groups were asked to provide basic
demographic and background information at the outset of the focus groups.
Detailed notes from the focus groups were reviewed using qualitative analytic techniques. Key
themes were manually coded and illustrative quotes related to those themes were identified.
Limitations
The viewpoints in this section of the report are limited to the thoughts and opinions of the focus
group participants and are not presented as representative of all Racine County service
providers or parents who have children enrolled in Racine’s Head Start program. Nonetheless,
the issues and themes discussed provide some insight into the experiences of people who work
with those in poverty or those who identify themselves as being low-income.
Focus Group Participants
A total of 28 people participated in the three focus groups; 11 (out of 11 who signed up)
attended the service provider focus group, seven (out of 11 who signed up) attended the Head
Start Policy Committee focus group, and ten (out of 15 who signed up) attended the Head Start
parent focus group.
Representatives from the following agencies participated in the service provider focus group:
HALO, Inc., Health Care Network, Inc., Love, Inc., Racine County Food Bank, Racine City
Health Department, Racine County Workforce Development Center, Racine/Kenosha
Community Action Agency, Racine Vocational Ministry, Inc., and Society’s Assets.
Demographic and background information was captured for the other two focus groups using a
brief survey (see Appendix E). Information was available for all 17 Head Start focus group
participants. Nearly all participants were female.2 Approximately half reported that they were
2
Fifteen of the participants were female; two were male.
Page 83
August 2010
between the ages of 19 and 303. Most participants were persons of color4 and more than half
said they had lived in Racine/Kenosha for 10 years or longer.5
Focus Group Summary
The following summary examines answers across all three focus groups for similarities,
differences, and trends in the comments made. Where it is important to distinguish between the
focus groups, it is made clear which focus group made the comment.
Positive qualities of the community
•
Sense of community and community assets
When asked to discuss positive qualities of the community, focus group participants
frequently spoke of the sense of community they have as residents of Racine County. Some
participants talked in detail about a “big-city, small-town feel” that makes Racine County a
close-knit community. A number of participants across the three focus groups described
Racine County as an ideal community for raising a family. As summarized by one
participant:
“One positive thing about Racine is that it is large enough, but it’s small too. Everybody
knows everybody; you run into the same people. It’s small enough to raise a family.”
Focus group participants said one element that contributed significantly to their connection
with the community was the availability of the lakefront, public spaces, and public events for
social interaction and leisure. For example:
“Our lakes, parks, and community centers have a lot to offer. We do have a lot in our
cities.”
“I like North Beach; it’s a Blue Ribbon Beach and we should be proud of that.”
“Just the various things to do; the festivals and carnivals in the summer time.”
•
Network of resources in the community that address a wide range of needs
When describing positive qualities of Racine County, participants across all three focus
groups overwhelmingly spoke about the range of resources available in the community to
support residents. Participants cited services that address basic needs (housing assistance,
food assistance, etc.) and resources that address other needs of individuals and families
(educational support for children, health and wellness, etc.)
For the most part, participants in the focus groups with Head Start parents expressed being
pleased with the number and different types of resources available in the community to deal
with a range of issues their families face. For example:
“One of the positives about the community is that there is a lot of help available.”
“I have good day care for my children.”
“The positive thing about Racine is the afterschool programs.”
3
Eight reported being between the ages of 19-30, seven reported being between the ages of 31-40, and two reported
being between the ages of 41-50.
4
Seven reported their ethnicity as being African American/Black, five reported being Hispanic/Latino, and five
reported being White/Caucasian.
5
Eleven said they had lived in Racine/Kenosha 10 years or longer, five said they had lived in the area for 4-9 years,
and one said she had lived in the area for 1-3 years.
Page 84
August 2010
“One positive thing that I like that they’re trying to do is promote health care. At the
community centers they are trying to do three exercise classes; they are at a different
center everyday of the week.”
In the focus group with service providers, participants often mentioned that Racine County
was fortunate to have an array of resources within the county to address needs in the
community. Participants expressed a general sense that their organizational efforts were
supported by the larger community. For example:
“Our community is one hundred percent behind us.”
“The community always comes through for us.”
“The feeling I get is that when there are problems, the community is willing to pull
together and help to find solutions.”
One participant in the focus group with service providers noted that in the past, it was
difficult for some organizations in Racine County to work together collaboratively. However,
this participant also said that organizations are now doing a much better job of working
together. One participant noted that service providers in different parts of the county are now
more involved and that the public sector is becoming more engaged.
Most significant needs or challenges facing people in poverty
•
Employment Opportunities
Across all focus groups, participants noted that the lack of jobs in Racine County was an
issue for people in poverty. This was compounded by a range of overlapping issues (too few
family sustaining jobs, lack of access to technology, meeting educational requirements,
employment testing and unrealistic expectations, driver’s license issues, etc.) that make it
challenging for people in poverty to obtain a job. Other issues related to employment will be
discussed in later sections.
Many participants expressed their sense that many jobs with a family supporting wage have
left the community, that existing jobs are part-time or temporary and offer little opportunity
for advancement, and that jobs in surrounding counties offer higher wages.
Focus group participants described some of the challenges facing people in poverty who are
seeking employment:
“A lot who are poor don’t have phones. It is hard to get a job because a lot [of
employers] like to leave messages about coming in for interviews.”
“And now you almost need a computer to get jobs. If you don’t have one, you need to
find time to go to the library, if it’s available.”
“Going to the library with kids is a challenge. If you have a three-year-old, they start
running around because they can only behave for some length of time before they’re
bored. I’m not saying you can’t bring your child to the library, but after 20 minutes of
trying to fill out an application, you know.”
“Some people work two to three jobs just to get by.”
“It seems like all of the jobs that are hiring are for 20 hours a week. That’s not enough, at
least not enough to make it. Especially if you have to take your child to day care; think
about how much you have to pay for that. It’s not enough.”
One participant noted that entry-level jobs (for example, cashier, hotel worker, cleaner, fast
food worker), which may have been easy to get in the past, are becoming increasingly
Page 85
August 2010
difficult to obtain. Participants also reported frustration with the high-level requirements for
many jobs. One participant provided some detail into the challenges of finding even entrylevel employment.
“There are too many requirements. Besides a high school diploma, they want you to
have degrees.”
“High school diplomas don’t mean much. Having a Bachelor’s degree is like having a
high school diploma and having a Master’s is like having a Bachelor’s.”
“Jobs are a need. McDonalds wants you to take a placement test now, for them to
consider you to be a candidate. Just to flip a burger! To me, I felt that fast food was
quicker to get than any other job. I always worked in fast food, since I was 15 when I
came here. Now, I have to take a placement test and if you don't score high, they don’t
choose you.”
Participants noted that businesses sometimes perceive job seekers with the appropriate
backgrounds for a job as overqualified and do not offer them jobs. For example:
“Even if you do have the degrees, then they tell you that you’re overqualified and they
still won’t give 'em to you.”
One participant reported that job seekers interested in apprenticeships or training programs
sometimes do not meet minimum qualifications for training and that there is a need to
provide more basic forms of training to prepare people for training programs. This participant
provided an example:
“Because of the content of the program at Gateway, they have to have a certain level of
math or reading. If they don’t test at that level, we can’t admit them to the program
because there is low chance they will be able to succeed. We provide very little in terms
of remedial education. This might be considered an area of need.”
Several participants in the focus group with service providers noted that driver’s license
issues are a barrier facing many people affected by poverty. For example:
“Driver’s license is an issue. An economist from UW came and spoke to a group of us at
the Workforce Development Center and said that getting people driver’s licenses was
probably the one thing that would be the easiest and most effective way to help people.
It’ll get worse with the mandatory insurance that’s coming up in June. People will get
relatively minor tickets, but can’t pay them and then their license will be revoked.”
“Then they will get caught driving without a license and they’ll have another fine.”
“That affects their credit rating, by not paying those bills.”
“And now, employers are looking at that.”
Some participants in the focus group with Head Start parents also noted that families with
low and moderate incomes struggle with transportation, buying appropriate clothing for the
workplace, and lacking personal and professional connections with people who can refer
them to jobs.
•
Transportation Issues
The issue of public transportation overwhelmingly stood out in all three focus groups as a
challenge for people in poverty. In general, focus group participants noted that there are too
few busses in Racine County, that busses do not go to all locations, that buses do not come
frequently enough or run late enough, and that public transportation is limited outside of the
Page 86
August 2010
City of Racine. Participants noted that issues regarding transportation make it difficult for job
seekers or workers to get to businesses. Focus group participants commented:
“I’ve worked with people without cars and it is just a huge issue to get food or jobs. It is
nearly impossible for them to take jobs that may be open to them.”
“Transportation. Jobs are out by the I [Interstate]. If there’s not a bus, there’s not a job.”
“The job might not be far out, but if the bus doesn’t go there, you can’t get there.”
“It’s a challenge if you don’t have a vehicle, which a lot of people living in poverty don’t
have a vehicle or license. Or they may have a vehicle that is in need of maintenance.
You need a vehicle to get to a job. It’s even difficult to get to the Workforce Development
Center to look for a job now that they’ve moved further away.”
•
Meeting Basic Needs and Accessing Services
Focus group participants noted that people in poverty experience challenges related to food
security and housing. Many of the participants in the focus group with service providers who
were active in the Emergency Services Coalition discussed food needs. There was a sense
among some participants that current resources only provide a limited supply of food and
that the location of resources for food are not always accessible. As put by one participant:
“Accessing emergency food and meal programs can be challenging. If you are directed
to a pantry that happens to be open and it’s on the south side and you live on the north
side, you will be traversing all over on the bus. It would be an all day project for a couple
of bags of groceries. Also, it’s just a two to three day supply of food. It is not a weeks
worth of groceries; it is for emergencies. The community meal program is scattered so
transit is an issue.”
Participants in the focus groups with Head Start parents spoke about housing needs. A few
participants expressed being frustrated with the wait list for Section 8 Vouchers, dealing with
bad property owners, and feeling that their options on where to live in the community were
limited.
Participants also expressed some concerns with utility expenses. For example:
“We make $300 a month, but pay $500 a month in the winter time”
“I am in the same situation. There are five to six months where you are paying high bills.
Think about how much they get for energy and gas and you still got to pay for food and
everything. It’s just not enough money.”
“Energy assistance says you make too much to be eligible.”
“Where I’m from, our gas and light is separate, but here, if you can’t pay on your bill and
you’re delinquent, you get both cut off because it’s together. That’s part of the problem.
There is only one company doing that service. That’s a lot different than where I’m from.”
The availability of affordable housing and housing with supports was described as limited.
As put by one participant, “safe, affordable, accessible housing is still an issue.” Two
participants spoke specifically about Section 8. For example:
“Housing vouchers for families need to be increased. The wait list is tremendous for that.
Most of the calls I get are for housing.”
“Section 8. . . . there’s no turnover unless you die or get kicked out.”
Participants noted that seniors sometimes have financial issues because their limited
income doesn’t meet their needs. For example:
Page 87
August 2010
“An elderly person with credit issues finding a place to live. Their credit history can make
it hard. It’s hard to make it with bad credit.”
“We provide Rep Payee services to help people get back into housing. Those programs
help guarantee that their rent will be paid.”
Focus group participants reported that seniors with low income must often decide how to
manage expenses for bills, food, and medications and a limited income. For example:
“Those who can’t get their meds go out and use other drugs to self medicate.”
“I still see seniors making the choice between taking their meds or eating good meals.”
“It’s not just deciding between taking medicine and eating, but it is also deciding between
paying rent and utilities and all these other things.”
Although the resources available in Racine County were described as positive by focus
group participants, there was some concern from a small number of participants in the focus
groups with Head Start parents that services are not always accessible. Participants
expressed frustration with not being able to access help over the telephone in a timely way
and reported that calls for help have long waiting times. Focus group participants also
expressed being overwhelmed by the process of accessing services and noted that the way
the system is set up for people to access services is not user friendly. As put by one
participant:
“One of the barriers is what the State has you go through to get assistance. That’s true
for food, medical assistance, and child care. It’s not that easy to get those services. You
need to fill out paperwork. If you can’t read, or have issues with that, it’s impossible."
•
Quality and Affordable Education
Across all focus groups, the discussion on the need for education focused on both K-12
education and educational opportunities for adults. A few focus group participants noted that
the K-12 public school system was plagued with problems, including truancy and low
graduation rates. In general, there was a sense that children in poverty may have a difficult
time performing well in school because of the challenges associated with poverty. For
example:
“It’s tough to focus on school when you have to focus on whether or not you are going to
have a roof over your head, or where you are going to stay tonight, or if you are going to
get a meal.”
In discussing K-12 education and resources in the community, participants in the Head Start
focus group noted that there has been a decrease in available supports for children and
families. For example:
“The King Center a couple of years ago had after school programs that tutored kids [but
some of the program are no longer available].”
“Everything is getting cut and they are taking away from the schools.”
“Then they [the students] get in trouble [when there are not activities for them].”
Some participants in the focus groups with Head Start parents articulated a need for
increased cooperation between them and the schools. A few participants reported feeling
discouraged when trying to check up on their children because they did not feel welcomed
or listened to, that it is difficult to find a time to meet with teachers, and that issues regarding
behavior and academic progress are not addressed early on. For example:
Page 88
August 2010
“My kids’ school starts at 7:15 in the morning. So, if I want to meet with a teacher, I
would need to meet with them before 7:15. When the children go home, that’s when the
teachers go home too.”
“As far as schools, one of the things I noticed is that things get out of proportion rather
than stopping them at the beginning. Your kid may be tardy one, two, or three times.
Parents don’t get a letter until the 16 time or above. That’s when they think it’s an issue. I
think the school should call you up when your kid is tardy the third time and see if the
parent is caring enough to do something about it.”
In the focus groups with Head Start parents, participants also reported having mixed
experiences regarding educational opportunities as an adult. Participants described upfront
fees as a barrier, applying for grants as challenging, and qualifying for financial support as
unrealistic. Other issues mentioned by participants included the difficulty in paying for school
and juggling the demands of parenthood, education, and other responsibilities.
•
Availability of Health Care, Oral Health and Other Health Services
Another need cited by participants was access to health care and oral health services.
Participants described access to health and oral health services as a concern both for those
with health insurance and the uninsured. These concerns included finding a medical
professional who will accept BagerCare Plus, long waiting lists, and a lack of free care.
A few participants described the dilemma of low- to moderate-income individuals whose
incomes are too high to qualify for state health insurance, but too low to afford private
insurance or an employer-sponsored health plan. As one participant noted:
“Medical care for those not on BadgerCare [is a need]. Some people make a little more
than $10/hour, so they couldn’t get BadgerCare Care. The working poor have no access
to health care because insurance is either not offered through their employers or they
can’t afford it.”
There was general agreement in one focus group with Head Start parents that prescription
drugs are not always covered by insurance. Participants in this focus group noted that it is
taxing on families who have to pay out-of-pocket to cover medications.
Participants across all focus groups expressed concerns about the time it takes to be seen
by a doctor because of long waiting lists. For example:
“For every one you get in to see the doctor, there’s that many more on the waiting list.”
Access to quality oral health services was also noted as a need for people in poverty.
Across all focus groups, participants noted that there are a small number of dentists in
Racine County. Participants noted:
“My two little girls, they were put on an HMO and no clinics will see my kids. They can’t
get dental or nothing. I had to wait a whole month for my kids to get seen in a clinic. I
don’t know Kenosha or Milwaukee, so I’m not gonna travel to a clinic in places I don’t
know to get their teeth done. It’s hard. The HMO give you one doctor that you can go to
down here, and you don’t know if the doctor is any good.”
“There are no dentists in Western Racine County that will accept BadgerCare. There is
one in the City. The FQHC [Federally Qualified Health Center] on Northwestern Avenue
does have one. For people in Burlington it’s a 45 minute drive. Sometimes we’ll have a
staff person take them in and then they just sit and wait and sometimes you can’t even
get in that day.”
Page 89
August 2010
“I would send people to Marquette University in Milwaukee. That is a good option, but
there are issues with getting there.”
Focus group participants reported that there is a need for additional support for persons with
behavioral health concerns. In discussing mental health needs, one participant noted:
“Anything having to do with mental health has been a gap for a long time. It helped when
the HOPE Center came online. That could be enhanced, too. Kenosha’s mental health
facility shut down so we are seeing more from there, and we are sending some people
from Racine to Milwaukee for care.”
Another area of need mentioned was substance abuse treatment services. Although St.
Luke’s was mentioned as a resource, focus group participants reported that the community
lacks rehabilitation and substance abuse services, particularly support services for people
once they have completed formal treatment programs.
Needs Met by Existing Resources
Focus group participants were asked to describe which needs in the community are well met by
existing resources.6 Participants reported that workforce development, emergency assistance,
and financial support are needs being well met by existing resources. Participants also
mentioned some specific agencies/programs that are helping address the needs of people in
poverty
• Workforce Development
“Racine Vocational Ministries helps people with barriers from employment with job seeking
skills.”
“At the Workforce Development Center we help people with their resumes and using
computers. People can just walk in and get help.”
“The Workforce Development Center runs a 16 week intensive Boot Camp. We have a 95%
placement rate for jobs. Many of these people have no experience or have come from
factory jobs.”
“There is a senior training program at the Workforce Development Center. That does a good
job of placing people in good spots.”
“They have the W2 program. That gives you money and helps you find a job. They do
training at the Workforce Center. The OIC also helps people get their high school diploma
and find a job.”
•
Basic Needs Assistance
“There’s a whole new movement for urban gardening and involvement in community
gardens and renting plots and teaching folks how to grow food.”
“Our emergency food network of providers is very good. Sure there are problems because
it’s not enough. They need more than an emergency food allotment; they need access to
meals on a daily basis. But the network of providers is good.”
“HALO, the homeless shelter, has helped a lot of people get off the streets. I helped with the
transitional housing, and helped those moving to the community. The nice thing was that
they didn’t have to be a Wisconsin resident for a certain amount of time to get services.”
6
Service providers and Head Start parents reported on very similar types of resources that meet the needs of people
in poverty. Responses in this section have been grouped together across all three focus groups.
Page 90
•
August 2010
Financial Support
“The Workforce Center has a child care credit. They help pay for child care; that helps in a
lot of ways.”
“I think we do a good job of funding programs and identifying alternative funding resources
that are available. We do the Moving Out program, Telework, and WisLoan.”
“The energy assistance program has their issues, but when it works, it works well.”
“Food stamps, WIC, and vouchers.”
•
Specific Agencies/Programs
“The YWCA still has the Dress for Success program which provides clothing. They provide
that service to women.”
“There’s a new program through Workforce Development that includes local business
leaders; it is through United Way and it’s called Advancing Family Assets. the goal is to take
50 families out of poverty by directing them to available resources and promoting selfsufficiency. They are getting communication and job skills, and are being shown what
services are available for them to access. I think it has potential, but it is too soon to say it is
creating change.”
“I’m part of another group that does this program that a lot of churches offer. They’re seeing
more of a need for couples, and the unity of couples. I’m involved with a lot in that aspect in
the Hispanic community. If you don’t have a right relationship, you don’t have a right family.
We hit the family first. We go to them before they’re married. Before, there were no
meetings; people just got it done and over with. Now we offer certain classes. We do this
thing on the Internet where people can go to see if you’re a good match. If the computer
says there’s something wrong, then don’t do it. There is a need for strong families and
partner relationships.”
“The Community Action Agency, as a whole, has a lot of resources and a lot of programs.”
“It’s the best thing [Head Start]. It helps with families and transitions with kids. You come in
with kids, and they have support groups, family meetings, even like this one, this focus
group. It broadens horizons and lets you know what resources are available.”
Efforts to Ensure Coordination in Service Delivery
In the focus group with service providers, participants were asked to describe those efforts and
partnerships in Racine County designed to ensure coordination of services.
• Workforce Development
“The Boot Camp program is a partnership with Gateway. It was originally started with
Johnson Company because they noticed a lack of qualified welders, so they developed a
program. This is a partnership between Gateway Technical College, businesses, and the
Workforce Development Center.”
•
Basic Needs Assistance
“Racine County has a really successful Continuum of Care.”
“Advancing Family Assets brings all of them together under one program. The Workforce
Development Center is involved and United Way. All agencies that are involved are trying to
connect families with all of the resources that are available to them.”
“We work with Society’s Assets, Catholic Charities, Family Services, Hispanic Outreach,
Racine Vocational Ministries, Energy Assistance, Rapid Re-Housing, and a Transitional
Page 91
August 2010
Living Center which houses women and children.” [Agency representatives describing
efforts in Western Racine County].
•
Substance Abuse and Treatment
“Coordination between social services and ZCI (Zimmerman Consultant, Inc.), which
coordinates alcohol and drug treatment. With ZCI there is more opportunity for treatment.
They partner to do assessment. The Aging and Disability Resource Center is involved too;
they do phone assessments.”
•
Health and Well Being
“The Health Department works with Head Start. We provide a lot of on-site services at Head
Start, including lead poison testing, blood draws, and dental care. We provide these
services to other organizations, as well. We do dental varnishes for prevention.”
“We utilize the lead removal program through the city as well.”
•
Re-Entry and Violence Reduction
“The City of Racine has an Office of Community/Strategic Partnerships. They have a gang
violence reduction program at REM.”
“There is a Community Re-entry and Release Program. People who are just out of prison
are represented by the police, legal systems, and social services. They get them welcomed
back into the community and show them the social services available to them.”
“We also do a re-entry program and the people at the table are the DOC, wardens,
Gateway, the Workforce Development Center, parole officers, as well as social service
providers. It’s a little broader scope of who is collaborating.”
Resources that could be Expanded or are Missing
•
Resources for Job Seekers and Workers
Focus group participants spoke about the need for employment opportunities in Racine
County. One community resource that addresses issues related to employment cited across
all focus groups was the Workforce Development Center. Participants’ suggestions for ways
this resource could be expanded included:
o
Hold extended hours for people who are unable to visit the Center during
normal business hours;
o
Engage the business community to identify where employment needs are,
and match trainings to address those identified employment needs;
o
Have staff or recruiters communicate to job seekers the specific skills they
are looking for in workers;
o
Offer more basic training for people, such as how to use a computer; and
o
Perform outreach in the Latino community.
Participants also noted that some of the job seekers accessing employment services have
been in programs for extended time periods with minimum results. As put by one participant,
“there are issues with intergenerational poverty.” Participants in the focus group with service
providers noted that they are seeing the same individuals and families return to access
programs.
Aside from transportation issues discussed in an earlier section of this report, participants
noted that it could be helpful for workers if more businesses were able to provide
Page 92
August 2010
transportation to jobs. Focus group participants also noted that there could be more
community support or support groups for people who are unemployed.
•
Resources for Children and Youth
Focus group participants listed a range of resources currently available in the community for
children and youth that could be expanded upon. Participants mainly focused their
discussion on jobs and programs in the community.
Participants in all focus groups noted that the E3 Program through the Workforce
Development Center was a positive resource for youth. However, participants did express
some concerns: the E3 Program only serves a limited number of youth, some youth who
could benefit from the program are screened out because of their parents’ income, and that
employment training and jobs are only offered during summer months.
In the focus group with Head Start parents, participants discussed the need for more
programming for children and youth in Racine. Participants cited substance abuse
prevention, summer meal programs, pregnancy prevention, and bi-lingual programming for
Latino youth as resources that could be expanded. Participants noted that resources are
needed throughout the entire county and should not be isolated to the inner city. Other
comments included:
“We need teen centers; they would hit the behavioral problems that we’re seeing in the
schools. I think we need to add this thing to help kids because they are lost. Children
need sex prevention. I’m sure there are programs out there, but I do not know of any,
and I’ve been here all my life. They need these at the community centers. I see young
girls who are pregnant, and girls with strollers, and girls who wanna be pregnant. All I
see at the community centers is people playing basketball.”
“Racine has a program for teens, for young mothers and fathers, at the King Center. The
Women’s Resource Center has a Safe Start program for teenagers as well. YMCA has a
youth academy program for boys and girls. There are some programs for teens and
youth, but the community centers need more supports.”
One participant also noted that it is difficult for parents to pay for social and recreational
programming for their children and pay their bills:
“If you’re a single parent, you have to pay for rent, food, and gas; you don’t have any
extra money for t-ball or basketball camp, especially at the prices they want for them.”
Focus group participants expressed concerns about the quality of staff who work with their
children. A few participants noted that low wages and the use of volunteer staff might
contribute to the quality of the programming. For example:
“We do have some programs, we just need to raise the bar on quality. There are some
out there that are pretty decent. Some of what’s happening is that workers are paid low
wages, and their quality of care is not up to par. It could be more decent if they were
paid better; you’d get better outcomes. You’d get people who are out there that really
care about children.”
“It would be good to have a supervisor drop in and account for the children there, or
have a sign in sheet so you can check and see if your child was there; you don’t even
know.”
“You just drop them off. The Center says they’re not liable for who the kids leave with.
As soon as you leave, your child could leave, too.”
Page 93
•
August 2010
Resources for Populations with Special Needs
Focus group participants noted that there are some existing resources in the community for
special needs populations but that often those resources are not sufficient to meet needs.
Two major barriers for special needs populations include long waiting list for services and
that certain services do not exist to deal with specific and complex special needs.
Participants noted that services for children who are deaf are missing and that children with
special needs could benefit from exposure to technology to “level the playing field.”
Focus group participants also discussed resources for people with physical and
developmental disabilities. A key issue was employment and the accessibility of employment
training programs. Participants in the focus group with service providers reported that there
were delays with the application process and that programs have long waiting lists.
Participants also noted that with the changes in the job market, employers have cut back on
the number of people with disabilities who participate in employment training programs.
One focus group participant shared her experience on accessibility issues for people with
disabilities, and others participating in the discussion seemed to agree. This participant
reported:
“Public places could be more handicap accessible. They do have them, but not in certain
spots. People with disabilities go everywhere, just like people who don’t have
disabilities.”
“You just go through too many loopholes to get transit like everybody else has.”
“Transportation could be better. The qualifications could be a lot more lenient. You
almost have to take a physical and get a doctor’s note to prove that there’s something
wrong with you. I have to get a letter from my doctor and then they mail me this card that
says I’m disabled.”
In discussing children with special needs, participants in the focus group with Head Start
parents provided some insight into their frustrations in working with the schools. As reported
by one participant:
“They need to listen to parents more often because they know their children.”
“They only listen if it has to do with behavior, and those behaviors come when a child is
not able to keep up with the rest of the class. Then they say, ‘Oh, now it’s a problem.’ ”
“Teachers think that they have them in school for eight hours a day, so they know what
the child needs. They don’t ask the parent for help until they get blue slips.”
There was general agreement among participants that some of the supports for special
needs are beyond the schools’ capacity to handle or that problems must escalate before
supports can be made available. These participants also noted that when issues are not
addressed in a timely manner, students drop behind academically and run the risk of being
labeled. For example:
“The criteria for getting speech and language services and early childhood are per
Unified criteria. I’ve tried for two years to get my son help because I think he needs work
with his speech. The tests that they have him take say that he does not qualify. I can see
that in a couple of years, they’ll say he does need help and I’ll say that I tried to get it for
him two years ago, when it would have been easier.”
“Or they tell you that your disability is not bad enough. Now they have to be delayed two
years or more to get help.”
Page 94
August 2010
“Kids get into Unified and they don’t want to be labeled. Let’s fix it now so they don’t
have to be labeled by their peers and teachers; let’s fix it now.”
One participant reported that:
“One of the things is autism. There is no health care for them in Wisconsin. This is one
of the worst states for that; you either need to move away from Wisconsin and start
somewhere else or get put on the wait list for years and years. You can’t wait for years
because the child needs those services as soon as they are diagnosed.”
Similarly, a participant discussed the difficulty in finding child care for children with special
needs, particularly for older children with more complex needs. For example:
“There are centers out there, but, for example, my friend has a son and he’s 12 and has
autism. Day care centers won’t take him. Older special needs kids and kids with medical
issues have a hard time receiving day care. Providers don’t want to deal with insulin
shots or seizures, you know. This prevents my friend from working because she has an
autistic 12 year old. Diabetics they might take, but extremely limited kids or those who
need [nursing] care, they may not want to deal with it.”
•
Resources for Seniors
When reporting on the resources that could be expanded for seniors, focus group
participants identified health care, food security, financial services, medication assistance,
and transportation as areas where seniors could benefit from an expansion of resources.
Meals on Wheels was cited as a resource, but there were some concerns with service
delivery and the range of menu options available to seniors. One focus group participant
noted that when meals are provided, meals are often not healthy, and that many people
have medical conditions such as diabetes which require that special meals be made.
Participants also expressed the sense that seniors can be overwhelmed when trying to
access and navigate through complex service delivery systems, that seniors need more
social interaction, and that special transportation for seniors could be expanded.
Summary and Conclusions
According to focus group participants, the most significant needs or challenges facing people in
poverty in Racine are a lack of employment opportunities, inadequate transportation system, a
need for quality education for children and adults, affordable health care and oral health
services, assistance with basic needs, and issues with accessing support services. Of these
needs, the lack of employment opportunities, education and transportation were described as
the most significant needs that, if addressed, could assist with meeting other needs.
Participants reported that workforce development, assistance with basic needs, and financial
assistance to low-income individuals are available in the community. Some of these services
are the result of existing collaborations (Workforce Development Boot Camp, Continuum of
Care, Emergency Food Network). In other areas, participants said efforts to better coordinate
services were underway (substance abuse treatment, re-entry and violence prevention, and
children’s health).
Focus group participants listed a number of ways to improve existing resources and resources
that are missing from the community. Resources for children and youth were described as
limited; participants noted the need for job opportunities for youth, prevention programming for
substance abuse and pregnancy, summer meal programs, and more bilingual programming for
Latino youth. In general, resources that could be expanded for people with special needs
included employment opportunities, housing with supports, more accessible public spaces,
Page 95
August 2010
transportation, resources to handle more complex needs, health care, access to technology,
and child care for older children with special needs.
Overall, focus group participants described poverty as a web of needs that make life difficult for
people with limited incomes. The effects of poverty extend far beyond basic needs and impact
educational attainment, employment and personal relationships.
These discussions with Racine County service providers and low-income residents yielded rich
information. However, this information was limited to a small number of focus group participants.
Looking forward, future focus groups with low-income individuals might be expanded to include
Racine County residents who are not receiving services provided by RKCAA, and additional
focus groups convened in order to better include the diverse perspectives of persons living in
rural parts of the county, seniors, men of color and youth. By addressing some of these
limitations, feedback from a range of community members would be integrated into future focus
group input to help inform the work of RKCAA.
Page 96
August 2010
References
Battiato, K. (2007). Justice Alternatives for Wisconsin: Reducing the costs of the criminal justice system.
http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/36786
Center on Wisconsin Strategy (2010). Wisconsin Job Watch: April 2010 Data Update. http://www.cows.org/pdf/ds-WIJobWatchMar10.pdf
Dannenberg, A. (2003). The Impact of Community Design and Land-Use Choices on Public Health: A Scientific Research Agenda.
American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1500-1508. http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/9/1500
Gesner M, Schleiter MK, and Statham A (2006). Exploring Educational Attainment in Racine, Wisconsin. Racine County Workforce
Development Board Planning Committee.
http://www.uwp.edu/departments/community.partnerships/documents/EducationalAttainmentSummaryReport8-17.pdf
Journal Times. Unhealthy snacks restricted at Unified. http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_d4a334c4-1390-11df-a60b001cc4c002e0.html
Li, J. (no date). The Real Picture of Land-Use Density and Crime: A GIS Application.
http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc00/professional/papers/pap508/p508.htm
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (7/14/09). BadgerCare Plus expansion means adults without children are eligible.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/50809082.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (5/26/10). State says health care reform will save Wisconsin at least $745 million.
http://www.jsonline.com/business/94933334.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (3/24/2010). State’s black fourth-graders post worst reading scores in U.S.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/89007417.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10/5/09). State suspends BadgerCare Plus Core enrollments.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/63529162.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (12/11/2009). Two Milwaukee high schools on U.S. News' best list.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/education.html?tag=Rufus+King+High+School
National Center for Educational Statistics (2010). The Condition of Education 2010. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010028_1.pdf
National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin (2008). The 2008 Burden of Diabetes in Wisconsin.
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/diabetes/PDFs/Burden08.pdf
Oliver, P. (2010). University of Wisconsin-Madison. Racial disparities in criminal justice website.
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~oliver/RACIAL/RacialDisparities.htm
Planning Council for Health and Human Services (2009). A report on key substance abuse indicators.
http://www.planningcouncil.org/docs/reports/atoda/2009_ATODA_Report_%20Revised.pdf
th
Public Policy Forum (2009). 12 Annual Comparative Analysis of the Racine Unified School District.
http://www.publicpolicyforum.org/pdfs/2009ComparativeAnalysis.pdf
Public Policy Forum (2009). Public Schooling in Southeastern Wisconsin 2008-2009.
http://www.publicpolicyforum.org/pdfs/2009SchoolingReport.pdf
Racine City Development Department (2009). Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan: 2005-2009 Strategic Plan
– 2009 Action Plan. http://cityofracine.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=389
Racine City Development Department (2010). 2010-2014 Consolidated Plan. http://cityofracine.org/Adopted_City_Plans.aspx
Racine County Department of Planning and Development (2009). A multi-jurisdictional comprehensive plan for Racine County:
2035 (Preliminary Draft). http://racine.uwex.edu/cnred/documents/RacineCountyComprehensivePlan.pdf
Racine County Department of Planning and Development (2009). Racine County Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan
Summary. http://racine.uwex.edu/cnred/documents/Summary.pdf
Page 97
August 2010
Racine County Economic Development Corporation (2005). The Racine County Economic Development Plan 3.0.
http://www.racinecountyedc.org/aboutus/economic_development_plan.htm
Racine County Executive (2009). Racine County receives $200,000 grant for drug & alcohol treatment court.
http://www.racineco.com/CRepository/RacineMedia/RNM20090729_002.pdf
Racine County Executive (2009). Racine County recognized for drug endangered children program.
Racine County Executive (2009). State of the County 2009.
http://www.racineco.com/CRepository/RacineMedia/RN20090513_000.pdf
Racine County Executive (2010). State of the County 2010.
Racine County Human Services. Racine County Mental Health System. http://www.hsd.racineco.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=c4BI4VL9o0%3D&tabid=36
Racine County Smart Growth. Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan Fact Sheets.
http://racine.uwex.edu/cnred/DraftChapters.html
Racine County Workforce Development Board (2008). Higher Expectations: A workforce development strategy for Racine County.
Racine Health Department (2009). http://www.cityofracine.org/Health.aspx
Racine/Kenosha Snap-Ed (2010). Plan for supplemental nutrition assistance program nutrition education (SNAP-Ed) in Racine and
Kenosha Counties during FY 2010.
Racine Post (4/7/2010). State Releases WKCE Scores; Here are Unified’s. http://news.racinepost.com/2010/04/state-release-wkcescores-here-are.html
Racine Unified School District (2010). Website and Fact Sheet. http://www.racine.k12.wi.us/
Racine’s Collaboration for Lead Education, Abatement and Reduction Committee (2005). C.L.E.A.R. out lead!
http://www.cityofracine.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=967&libID=988
Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). Regional Water Supply website.
http://www.sewrpc.org/SEWRPC/Environment/RegionalWaterSupplyPlan.htm
Transit NOW http://www.transitnow.org/
Tuthill, L. (2008). Breaking new windows – Examining the subprime mortgage crisis using the broken windows theory. Geography &
Public Safety, 1(3), 9 -10, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/topics/GPSNewsletter.pdf
United Way of Racine County (2008). Community Investment: Report on Community-wide Indicators.
http://www.unitedwayracine.org/files/file/2008%20Community%20Indicators%20Report%20SG.pdf
University of Wisconsin-Extension. Hunger close to home. http://racine.uwex.edu/flp/documents/HungerCloseToHome-Racine.pdf
University of Wisconsin-Extension (2009). Plan for Food Stamp Nutrition Education in Racine and Kenosha Counties.
University of Wisconsin-Extension, Center for Community and Economic Development (2010). Current data (2000-2009) on
foreclosure civil cases in Wisconsin. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/economies/communityindicators/documents/q1_final.xls
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, generated by Julie Whelan Capell and Susan
Tragesser, using American FactFinder, http://factfinder.census.gov. April & May 2010.
U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, generated by Julie Whelan Capell, using American FactFinder, http://factfinder.census.gov.
April & May 2010.
U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, generated by Julie Whelan Capell, using American FactFinder, http://factfinder.census.gov.
April & May 2010.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Diabetes data and trends.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ddt_strs2/CountyPrevalenceData.aspx?StateId=55
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (2010). Farmer’s markets and local food marketing: Farmer’s market
search page. http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/Default.aspx
Page 98
August 2010
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (2009). Household Food Security in the United States, 2008.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/Err83/
U.S. Geological Survey (2007). Protecting Wisconsin’s Groundwater. http://wi.water.usgs.gov/gwcomp/find/racine/index_full.html
Western Racine County Health Department (2008). 2008 Annual Report. http://www.wrchd.org/
Wilson, R. (2008). Foreclosures and crime: A geographic perspective. Geography & Public Safety, 1(3), 1-2.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/topics/GPSNewsletter.pdf
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (2010). WISKIDS Count 2009/2010. www.wccf.org
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (2009). Wisconsin Head Start State Collaboration Office Needs Assessment
Report: 2008-2009 Survey Results.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Poverty Status and Health Insurance Coverage in Wisconsin.
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/localdata/pdf/0507fhs/racine.pdf
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Badger Care Plus brochure. http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/badgercareplus/pubs/p-10179.pdf
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. County HIV Case Surveillance Data. http://dhs.wi.gov/aids-hiv//map.htm
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Maternal and Child Health, Family Health Section (2008). National Survey of
Children with Special Health Care Needs. http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/children/overview/SLAITSCSHCN%20report%20final%20September%202008.pdf
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Health Informatics (2008). Births to teens in Wisconsin
2008. http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/births/pdf/08teenbirths.pdf
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (2008). Wisconsin Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity Report.
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/dataindex.htm
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Eligibility Management. Unduplicated Food Stamp/Food Share recipients served by
county – CY 2009. http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/em/rsdata/unduplicatedrecipients/fs-unduplicated-recipients-cy09.xls
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Women, Infants and Children (WIC) website (2010). http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Wisconsin Particulate Matter Emissions Data.
http://dnr.wi.gov/air/emission/historical_emissions/historical_emissions_pm.htm
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2009). Wisconsin Schools and Districts that Missed AYP for School Year 2008-09.
http://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/sifi/WAYP_main.asp
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2009). Wisconsin Schools Identified for Improvement for School Year 2008-09.
http://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/sifi/WSIFI_main.asp
Wisconsin Department of Standards, Assessment and Accountability (2010). WKCE Two-Year Cohort Group Comparisons: Spring
2010.
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (2009). Racine County Workforce Profile 2009.
http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/county_profiles/current/racine_profile.pdf
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (2010). April jobs and unemployment rates announced.
http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/newsreleases/ui_state_default.pdf
Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health website, Birth Counts Module, generated by Susan Tragesser, April 2010.
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/wish/main/wis_births/wis_births_home.htm
Wisconsin Nutrition Education Program (2010). WNEP 2010 annual plans page. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wnep/plan/FY10plns/
Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance (2010). Crime in Wisconsin 2009. http://oja.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=19873&locid=97
Page 99
Tables-Racine County
Community Needs Assessment
Racine County
Table 1: Zip Code Map of Racine County
Page 100
August 2010
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 2: Map of Existing Land Use in Racine County: 2000
Page 101
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 3: Map of Recommended Land Use in Racine County: 2035
Page 102
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 4: Map of Existing Land Use in the City of Racine 2000
Page 103
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 5: Map of Recommended Land Use in the City of Racine 2035
Page 104
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 6: Map of Recommended Land Use in the City of Racine 2035 – Center City
Page 105
August 2010
Table 7: Map of Racine County Watersheds
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 106
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 8: Map of Racine County Contaminated Sites
Page 107
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 9: Map of City of Racine Contaminated Sites
Page 108
August 2010
Table 10: B01001. SEX BY AGE - Universe: TOTAL POPULATION (2006-2008 American
Community Survey 3-Year Estimates)
Total:
Male:
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 17 years
18 and 19 years
20 years
21 years
22 to 24 years
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 and 61 years
62 to 64 years
65 and 66 years
67 to 69 years
70 to 74 years
75 to 79 years
80 to 84 years
85 years and
Female:
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 17 years
18 and 19 years
20 years
21 years
22 to 24 years
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 and 61 years
62 to 64 years
65 and 66 years
67 to 69 years
70 to 74 years
75 to 79 years
80 to 84 years
85 years and
Racine County,
Wisconsin
198,870
98,876
6,509
7,230
6,863
4,618
2,319
1,536
934
4,269
7,061
5,585
7,090
7,279
8,258
7,616
6,374
2,493
2,389
1,407
1,707
2,688
1,810
1,638
1,203
99,994
6,504
6,749
6,906
4,494
2,256
1,286
1,129
3,494
5,998
5,478
6,553
7,728
8,302
7,529
6,580
2,201
2,872
1,616
2,067
2,868
2,395
2,764
2,225
Village of
Caledonia
27,552
13,216
749
1,096
1,059
721
227
181
46
414
794
506
1,001
1,070
1,024
1,275
878
434
441
232
253
388
139
218
70
14,336
689
1,060
926
448
154
154
45
297
516
648
880
1,013
1,147
1,211
1,095
261
530
313
461
380
443
1,123
542
Village of Mount
Pleasant
25,735
12,614
730
676
727
476
347
71
122
447
784
659
871
795
1,131
1,057
925
320
269
260
315
357
543
397
335
13,121
724
541
673
580
393
108
214
413
660
577
719
910
1,162
1,117
913
281
491
264
391
403
592
453
542
City of
Racine
77,890
37,669
2,971
3,049
2,741
1,802
959
649
371
1,916
3,121
2,848
2,853
2,063
3,054
2,231
1,842
728
914
339
599
991
629
480
519
40,221
3,342
2,916
2,549
2,072
985
726
335
1,592
3,437
2,766
2,469
2,877
2,897
2,560
2,400
799
997
488
706
1,024
826
785
673
Page 109
Racine
East
131,177
63,499
4,450
4,821
4,527
2,999
1,533
901
539
2,777
4,699
4,013
4,725
3,928
5,209
4,563
3,645
1,482
1,624
831
1,167
1,736
1,311
1,095
924
67,678
4,755
4,517
4,148
3,100
1,532
988
594
2,302
4,613
3,991
4,068
4,800
5,206
4,888
4,408
1,341
2,018
1,065
1,558
1,807
1,861
2,361
1,757
Other Racine
County
67,693
35,377
2,059
2,409
2,336
1,619
786
635
395
1,492
2,362
1,572
2,365
3,351
3,049
3,053
2,729
1,011
765
576
540
952
499
543
279
32,316
1,749
2,232
2,758
1,394
724
298
535
1,192
1,385
1,487
2,485
2,928
3,096
2,641
2,172
860
854
551
509
1,061
534
403
468
August 2010
Table 11: B02001. RACE - Universe: TOTAL POPULATION
Data Set: 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates
Total:
White alone
Black or African American alone
American Indian and Alaska Native alone
Asian alone
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone
Some other race alone
Two or more races:
Two races including Some other race
Two races excluding Some other race, and
three or more races
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
198,870
163,130
20,115
553
1,748
0
8,827
4,497
1,175
3,322
Village of
Caledonia
27,552
25,653
450
105
390
0
636
318
0
Village
of
Mount
Pleasant
25,735
22,379
1,365
156
447
0
849
539
209
318
City of
Racine
77,890
51,289
16,934
178
442
0
6,305
2,742
545
330
Racine
East
131,177
99,321
18,749
439
1,279
0
7,790
3,599
754
2,197
2,845
Other
Racine
County
67,693
63,809
1,366
114
469
0
1,037
898
421
477
Table 12: B03002. HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE - Universe: TOTAL POPULATION
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
City of
Racine
Other
Racine
County
Total:
198,870
77,890
120,980
Not Hispanic or Latino:
179,229
63,923
115,306
153,656
44,390
109,266
19,702
16,521
3,181
522
156
366
1,684
406
1,278
White alone
Asian alone
0
0
0
500
308
192
3,165
2,142
1,023
52
42
10
3,113
2,100
1,013
19,641
13,967
5,674
9,474
6,899
2,575
413
413
0
31
22
9
Asian alone
64
36
28
0
0
0
8,327
5,997
2,330
Two or more races:
Two races excluding Some other race, and three or more races
Hispanic or Latino:
White alone
Two or more races:
Two races excluding Some other race, and three or more races
1,332
600
732
1,123
503
620
209
97
112
Page 110
August 2010
Table 13: Map of City of Racine TIFs
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 111
August 2010
Table 14: Map of City of Racine BIDs
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 112
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 15: Map of Racine County Bike Paths: 2006
Page 113
August 2010
Table 16: B08122. MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK BY POVERTY STATUS IN
THE PAST 12 MONTHS - Universe: WORKERS 16 YEARS AND OVER FOR WHOM
POVERTY STATUS IS DETERMINED
Total:
Below 100 percent of the poverty level
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level
Car, truck, or van - drove alone:
Car, truck, or van - carpooled:
Public transportation (excluding taxicab):
Walked:
Taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle, or other means:
Worked at home:
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
95,480
4,085
5,815
85,580
81,214
2,977
4,502
73,735
7,395
314
721
6,360
1,453
225
201
1,027
2,081
486
241
1,354
1,003
23
66
914
2,334
60
84
2,190
City of
Racine
35,358
2,575
3,579
29,204
28,440
1,799
2,595
24,046
3,452
177
443
2,832
1,141
203
201
737
1,164
350
224
590
501
23
61
417
660
23
55
582
Other
Racine
County
60,122
1,510
2,236
56,376
52,774
1,178
1,907
49,689
3,943
137
278
3,528
312
22
0
290
917
136
17
764
502
0
5
497
1,674
37
29
1,608
Page 114
August 2010
Table 17: Proposed Public Transit Plan Elements: Racine County 2035
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 115
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 18: Proposed Bike Path Plan Elements: Racine County 2035
Page 116
August 2010
Table 19: Percents of Racine County Households with Housing Problems
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 117
August 2010
Table 20: Percents of City of Racine Households with Housing Problems
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 21: Percents of City of Burlington Households with Housing Problems
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 118
August 2010
Table 22: Percents of Sturtevant Households with Housing Problems
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 23: Percents of Yorkville Households with Housing Problems
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 119
August 2010
Table 24: Locations most likely to cause lead poisoning risk in the City of Racine
(RCLEAR 2005)
Page 120
Table 25:
August 2010
HPRP Service Provision in Racine & Kenosha Counties (through 2/26/2010)
Concentration of HPRP Service Provision in Racine & Kenosha Counties
(HUD 2010)
HPRP Service Transactions Racine & Kenosha Counties
(HUD 2010)
Page 121
August 2010
Table 25 (Cont’d): HPRP Service Provision in Racine & Kenosha Counties (through 2/26/2010)
Types of HPRP Services Provided by County
(HUD 2010)
HPRP Rent Assistance Map of Services Provided
(HUD 2010)
Page 122
August 2010
Table 25 (Cont’d): HPRP Service Provision in Racine & Kenosha Counties (through 2/26/2010)
HPRP Housing Search and Legal Aid Map of Services Provided
(HUD 2010)
HPRP Rent Payment and Utility Assistance Map of Services Provided
(HUD 2010)
HPRP Case Management and Basic Needs Map of Services Provided
(HUD 2010)
Page 123
August 2010
Table 26: RECEIPT OF FOOD STAMPS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY PRESENCE OF
CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE FOR HOUSEHOLDS - Universe:
HOUSEHOLDS
Total:
Household received Food Stamps in the past 12 months:
With children under 18 years:
Married-couple family
Other family:
Male householder, no wife present
Female householder, no husband present
Nonfamily households
No children under 18 years:
Other family:
Household did not receive Food Stamps in the past 12 months:
With children under 18 years:
Other family:
No children under 18 years:
Other family:
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
75,097
4,571
3,096
905
2,173
298
1,875
18
1,475
160
349
274
75
966
70,526
21,467
14,551
6,498
1,755
4,743
418
49,059
22,271
3,709
1,405
2,304
23,079
Village of
Mount
Pleasant
10,861
326
240
39
201
0
201
0
86
32
0
0
0
54
10,535
2,565
1,828
737
233
504
0
7,970
3,697
599
322
277
3,674
City of
Racine
30,241
3,240
2,035
570
1,465
103
1,362
0
1,205
123
294
248
46
788
27,001
8,199
4,649
3,452
769
2,683
98
18,802
6,424
1,650
465
1,185
10,728
Racine
East
41,102
3,566
2,275
609
1,666
103
1,563
0
1,291
155
294
248
46
842
37,536
10,764
6,477
4,189
1,002
3,187
98
26,772
10,121
2,249
787
1,462
14,402
Other
Racine
County
33,995
1,005
821
296
507
195
312
18
184
5
55
26
29
124
32,990
10,703
8,074
2,309
753
1,556
320
22,287
12,150
1,460
618
842
8,677
Table 27: RECEIPT OF FOOD STAMPS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY POVERTY STATUS
IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS FOR HOUSEHOLDS - Universe: HOUSEHOLDS
Total:
Household received Food Stamps in the past
12 months:
Income in the past 12 months below poverty
level
Income in the past 12 months at or above
poverty level
Household did not receive Food Stamps in the
past 12 months:
Income in the past 12 months below poverty
level
Income in the past 12 months at or above
poverty level
Racine
County,
Wisconsin
75,097
Village of
Caledonia
9,615
Village
of Mount
Pleasant
10,861
City of
Racine
30,241
Racine
East
50,717
Other
Racine
County
24,380
4,571
172
326
3,240
3,738
833
2,003
0
124
1,568
1,692
311
2,568
172
202
1,672
2,046
522
70,526
9,443
10,535
27,001
46,979
23,547
4,617
422
496
2,835
3,753
864
65,909
9,021
10,039
24,166
43,226
22,683
Page 124
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 28: Locations of Child Care Centers: Racine County 2006
Page 125
August 2010
Table 29: Locations of Child Care Centers: City of Racine 2006
(RCDPD 2009)
Page 126
August 2010
Table 30: Racial Achievement Gap: WKCE Reading Scores
Reading
Kenosha
Racine
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
4th Grade (2004-2005)
% Prof + Adv
5th Grade (2005-2006)
% Prof + Adv
6th Grade (2006-2007)
% Prof + Adv
7th Grade (2007-2008)
% Prof + Adv
8th Grade (2008-2009)
% Prof + Adv
African
American
65.6%
White Gap
85.4% 19.8
African
American
62.4%
White Gap
86.6% 24.2
African
American
66.7%
White Gap
89.7% 23.0
African
American
64.7%
African
American
67.8%
60.7%
56.5%
59.1%
82.8% 22.1
78.1% 21.5
86.7% 27.6
52.2%
53.6%
56.7%
81.9% 29.7
79.3% 25.7
87.9% 31.3
55.9%
56.4%
60.6%
84.3% 28.4
78.5% 22.1
90.3% 29.7
54.5%
53.3%
58.6%
White Gap
88.7% 24.0
White Gap
89.3% 21.5
84.8% 30.3
52.3%
86.1% 33.8
77.2% 23.9
56.4%
79.2% 22.8
90.0% 31.4
60.8%
89.8% 29.0
Table 31: Racial Achievement Gap: WKCE Math Scores
4th Grade (2004-2005)
% Prof + Adv
Math
Kenosha
Racine
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
5th Grade (2005-2006)
% Prof + Adv
6th Grade (2006-2007)
% Prof + Adv
7th Grade (2007-2008)
% Prof + Adv
8th Grade (2008-2009)
% Prof + Adv
African
American
56.5%
African
American
46.7%
White
75.6%
Gap
28.9
African
American
42.5%
White Gap
80.9% 38.4
African
American
54.9%
White
86.6%
Gap
31.7
African
American
51.5%
White
85.3%
Gap
33.9
White
86.4%
Gap
29.9
35.5%
38.0%
40.3%
72.1%
64.8%
79.2%
36.7
26.8
38.8
30.2%
31.1%
35.8%
68.5% 38.3
62.3% 31.2
80.2% 44.4
31.8%
30.5%
38.2%
72.9%
61.7%
83.2%
41.1
31.2
45.0
39.9%
29.6%
38.3%
74.5%
61.3%
84.0%
34.7
38.9%
70.7%
31.6
39.6%
67.6%
45.7
45.1%
84.9%
31.8
28.0
39.7
August 2010
Table 32: Disabilities by school district for Racine County, 2009
(Wi Dpt Public Instruction)
August 2010
Table 33: Total children with disabilities by school district for Racine County, 2009
Page 129
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 34: Racine Schools and School Districts: 2006
Page 130
August 2010
Table 35: Percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that
schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children
with disabilities.
School Year
2005-2006
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2006-2007
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
2007-2008
District
0000
0665
0777
4620
6113
6125
6181
6545
0000
0657
0896
1449
1540
2793
3857
5780
6083
0000
District Name
State of Wisconsin
Bristol #1
Burlington Area
Racine
Waterford Graded J1
Watertown
Waunakee Community
Wilmot UHS
State of Wisconsin
Brighton #1
Cambridge
Dover #1
East Troy Community
Kenosha
Muskego-Norway
Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated
Waterford UHS
State of Wisconsin
CESA
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
% of Parents
72.04%
78.27%
77.76%
81.81%
71.40%
62.50%
90.00%
76.70%
73.57%
77.80%
66.70%
55.60%
66.60%
72.30%
59.40%
100.00%
83.30%
73.41%
Page 131
August 2010
Table 36: Juvenile drug sale and manufacturing arrests by county - 2007
County
Opium/ Cocaine
#
#
Synthetic Narcotics
%
#
%
Other
#
Total Sale &
Manufacturing
%
#
5
11.9%
29
69.0%
7
16.7%
1
2.4%
42
110
36.9%
161
54.0%
3
1.0%
24
8.1%
298
4
17.4%
13
56.5%
2
8.7%
4
17.4%
Kenosha County
Milwaukee County
%
Marijuana
Racine County
23
(Wi OJA)
Table 37: Juvenile drug possession arrests by county - 2007
County
Opium/ Cocaine
#
Kenosha County
Milwaukee County
Racine County
%
Marijuana
#
Synthetic Narcotics
%
#
%
Other
#
Total
Possession
%
#
4
2.1%
183
93.8%
6
3.1%
2
1.0%
195
25
2.5%
905
89.3%
4
0.4%
80
7.9%
1014
6
7.1%
74
87.1%
3
3.5%
2
2.4%
85
(Wi OJA)
Table 38: Adult drug sale and manufacturing arrests by county – 2007
County
Opium/ Cocaine
#
Kenosha County
Milwaukee County
%
Marijuana
#
Synthetic Narcotics
%
#
%
Other
#
Total Sale &
Manufacturing
%
107
66.5%
43
26.7%
9
5.6%
2
1.2%
1,235
58.5%
642
30.4%
40
1.9%
193
9.1%
43
30.1%
49
34.3%
8
5.6%
43
30.1%
Racine County
#
161
2110
143
(Wi OJA)
Table 39: Adult drug possession arrests by county - 2007
County
Opium/ Cocaine
#
%
Marijuana
#
Synthetic Narcotics
%
#
%
Other
#
Total
Possession
%
#
81
15.1%
437
81.2%
18
3.3%
2
0.4%
538
Milwaukee County
439
13.3%
2,479
75.4%
72
2.2%
299
9.1%
3289
Racine County
109
15.7%
458
65.8%
109
15.7%
20
2.9%
Kenosha County
696
(Wi OJA)
Page 132
August 2010
Table 40: Racine students who reported never having used alcohol - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
266
231
279
187
103
93
1159
#
%
180
67.5%
115
49.9%
111
39.7%
56
30.2%
20
19.3%
18
19.8%
500
43.2%
(PCHHS 2009)
Table 41: Racine students who reported never having used tobacco - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
334
345
492
399
312
263
2145
#
%
315
94.3%
313
90.8%
398
80.8%
231
57.9%
174
55.9%
121
46.0%
1552
72.4%
(PCHHS 2009)
Table 42: Racine students who reported never having used marijuana - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
363
359
486
364
276
238
2086
#
%
335
92.4%
281
78.2%
338
69.5%
219
60.2%
146
53.0%
121
51.0%
1441
69.1%
(PCHHS 2009)
Page 133
August 2010
Table 43: Racine students who reported using alcohol in the past 30 days - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
42
94
216
246
243
242
1083
#
%
4
10.6%
19
20.5%
67
30.8%
98
39.7%
111
45.8%
125
51.8%
425
39.2%
(PCHHS 2009)
Table 44: Racine students who reported using tobacco in the past 30 days - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
14
48
85
98
106
112
463
#
%
1
3.6%
5
10.4%
10
12.1%
15
15.8%
21
19.9%
27
23.8%
79
17.1%
(PCHHS 2009)
Table 45: Racine students who reported using marijuana in the past 30 days - 2008
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
TOTAL
N
16
38
129
142
146
114
585
#
%
1
4.1%
3
8.3%
24
18.5%
33
23.4%
41
28.1%
28
24.5%
130
22.2%
(PCHHS 2009)
Page 134
August 2010
(RCDPD 2009)
Table 46: Hospitals and Clinics in Racine County: 2007
Page 135
August 2010
Appendices
Appendix A: List of Key Informants
Interviews Conducted for the Current Assessment
Fabiola Diaz, Bilingual Nutrition Educator, UW Extension Racine County*
Mark Gesner, Director, Community Development, UW Parkside, Center for Community
Partnerships*
Susan Gould, Vice President, Community Impact, United Way of Racine County
Geoffrey Greiveldinger, Chief of Staff, Office of the Racine County Executive
Patricia Hoffman, Assistant Superintendent, Burlington Area Schools
Carole Johnson, Director, Local and Regional Community Programs, The Johnson Foundation
at Wingspread
Debra Jossart, Director, Racine County Human Services Department
Karla Krehbiel, Senior Vice President, Johnson Bank*
Attorney Gai Lorenzen, Managing Attorney, Legal Action of WI, Inc.*
David Maurer, President and Chief Professional Officer, United Way of Racine County
Connie Zinnen, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Burlington Area Schools
*Represents both Racine and Kenosha Counties
Potential Key Informants for Follow-up Interviews
Arletta Tucker, 21st Century Preparatory School
Marcia Fernholz, City of Racine Health Department
Chuck Ruehle, Coming Together Racine
James Wilson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Center
Maurice Horton, Gang/Crime Diversion Task Force (G/CDTF)
Barb Tylenda, Health Care Network
Linda Ayala, Johnson Financial Group, Inc.
Bill Schoessling, Love, Inc.
Debbi Embry, Mayor's Office of Strategic Partnerships
Christina Weigler, Partners2
Daniel Baran, Professional Services Group
Donnie Snow, Racine County Board
Dan Taivalkoski, Racine County Food Bank
Chris Reuwer, Racine County Human Services Department
Kerry Milkie, Racine County Human Services Department
Alice Oliver, Racine County Workforce Development Center
Page 136
August 2010
Robert Beezat, Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency
James Shaw, Racine Unified School District
James Schatzman, Racine Vocational Ministry, Inc.
Ahmad Qawi, Racine YMCA
Pat Crowell, Salvation Army
Michael Frontier, San Juan Diego Middle School
Theresie Bode, SC Johnson
Laura Sumner Coon, San Juan Middle School
Merci Lucía Narváez, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
Yolanda Santos Adams, Urban League of Racine and Kenosha*
Beverlee Baker, UW Extension Racine County
Tracy Strother, UW Extension Racine County
Matt Wagner, UW-Parkside Small Business Development Center
Lara Shepherdson, Waller Elementary School
Victoria Libbey, Waller Elementary School
Cory Mason, Wisconsin State Legislature
Pastor Melvin Hargrove, Zoe Outreach Ministries, Inc.
Teofila Rivera
Bernardo Ortega, Executive Director, Spanish Center of Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth
County
Yolanda Santos Adams, Executive Director, Urban League of Racine and Kenosha
Key informants also suggested that counselors/mental health professionals, local aldermen,
psychiatrists, and representatives from the Racine Kiwanis Club be engaged in discussions
about poverty in Racine County.
*Asked to be interviewed, but declined.
Note: Some of the individuals listed were engaged in the service provider focus group.
Page 137
August 2010
Appendix B: Key Informant Interview Questions
Key Informant Interview Questions
RKCAA Community Needs Assessment
Key Informant Interview Questions
1. Tell us about your role in addressing poverty in Racine/Kenosha.
2. In your opinion, what are the top three needs of people in poverty in the community?
3. What are the systemic barriers to addressing the needs that you just described?
4. Take a look at our preliminary list of services and resources in Racine/Kenosha. What
are we missing?
5. Are these services sufficient in meeting the needs of the community, or are there gaps in
services (What else is needed? What will it take to get needed services? Why aren’t
these needed services already in place?)
6. With respect to Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency in addressing poverty, name
one strength and one weakness of the agency in combating poverty.
7. Name one thing that you would like to see happen in Racine/Kenosha to address
poverty.
8. Who else should we be talking to about addressing issues of poverty in
Racine/Kenosha?
9. What kinds of data or resources should we be looking at to inform our study (tell them
what we are already looking at)?
10. Is there anything else that you think we should know about these issues?
Page 138
August 2010
Appendix C: Focus Group Questions
RKCAA Community Needs Assessment
Focus Group Questions
1. Please introduce yourself and tell us briefly about one positive thing you like about your
community.
2. Describe the most significant needs or challenges facing people in poverty in your community.
3. What needs seem to be well met by the existing resources in the community for people affected
by poverty?
4. What community resources are available that could be enhanced or expanded for people affected
by poverty? (e.g., people with disabilities, the unemployed, youth, the elderly, etc.)
5. Are there any missing resources or services in the community for people affected by poverty?
6. Lastly, name one thing that could be done to help people affected by poverty who live in the
community.
Note: The following question was only asked in the service provider focus group:
What kinds of things have been done to ensure coordination in service delivery for people affected by
poverty?
Page 139
August 2010
Appendix D: Focus Group Survey
Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency
Community Needs Assessment
Focus Group Demographics
Your Gender?
Your Age?
Your Ethnicity?
How Long You
Have Lived in
Racine/Kenosha
Male
18 years of age or under
African American/Black
Less than a year
Female
19 to 30 years of age
Hispanic/Latino
1-3 years
Native American
4-9 years
White/Caucasian
10 years or longer
Other
(please specify) _____________
Over 61 years of age
August 2010
Appendix E: List of Resources for Racine County Residents
D E
E E
D S
X
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
1805 N. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Dr., Milwaukee,
WI 53212
Statewide
414-5622650
X
Aging and Disability
Resource Center of
Racine County
All Saints Center for
Addiction Recovery
All Saints Counseling
Center – Burlington
All Saints Counseling
Center – Racine
Amera-Care
1717 Taylor Ave., Racine,
WI 53403
262-6386800
9301 Washington Ave.,
Racine, WI 53406
152 E. State St.,
Burlington, WI 53105
1320 Wisconsin Ave.,
Racine, WI 53403
None listed
Arc of Racine
1220 Mound Ave., Racine,
WI 53404
Aurora Behavioral
Health
190 Gardiner St.,
262-6878626
262-7638183
262-6872380
262-4823113
262-6346303
262-7638871
262-7637766
X
X
D = Disability Resources
E = Employment Resources
Phone
Access
X
X
4C Community
Coordinated Child Care
Address
X
X
X
Organization
ED = Education Resources
ES = Economic Security Resources
F = Food Security Resources
H = Housing Resources
None listed
HC = Healthcare Resources
MH = Mental Health Resources
Page 141
Website
http://www.4cmilwaukee.org/pages/our_mis
sion
https://access.wisconsin.gov/
access/
http://www.adrc.racineco.com
/
None listed
None listed
None listed
None listed
http://www.thearcofracine.org/
http://www.aurorahealthcare.o
rg/services/behhealth/substan
ceabuse/index.asp
O = Other Resources
T = Transportation Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
Organization
Bethany Apartments
Brighter Futures
Initiative
Burlington Area Schools
X
X
X
August 2010
X
X
X
Burlington Taxi
Company
Career Industries, Inc.
Carthage College
X
X
Catholic Social Services
X
Children’s Service
Society of Wisconsin
X
X
City of Racine Health
Department
City of Racine Housing
Department
X
X
City of Racine
Transportation
Department (Belle
Urban System)
Address
635 Erie St., Racine, WI
53402
PO Box 8916, Madison,
WI 53708
100 North Kane St.,
None listed
3502 Douglas Ave.,
Racine, WI 53402
2001 Alford Park Dr.,
Kenosha, WI 53140
2711 19th St., Racine, WI
53403
2405 Northwestern Ave.,
Ste. 205, Racine, WI
53404
Racine, WI 53403
800 Center St., Racine, WI
53403
1900 Kentucky St.,
Racine, WI 53405
Phone
262-6394100
608-2618341
262-7630210
262-7633555
262-7524100
262-7524106
262-5518500
262-6378888
262-6333591
262-6369494
262-6369197
262-6379000
262-6192438
(Paratransit
)
Page 142
Website
http://www.racinedominicans.
org/pages/bethany.cfm
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/bfi/in
dex.htm
http://www.basd.k12.wi.us/
None listed
http://www.careerindustries.c
om
http://www.carthage.edu
http://www.archmil.org/aboutu
s/ShowResource.asp?ID=72
http://www.chw.org/display/P
PF/DocID/44030/Nav/1/router
.asp
http://www.cityofracine.org/He
alth.aspx
http://www.cityofracine.org/Cit
y/Departments/Development/
Dynamic.aspx?id=418
http://www.racinetransit.com
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
X
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Organization
Address
Phone
Website
Community Economic
Development
Corporation, Inc.
Community Health
Education
Congregations United to
Save Humanity
Cops ‘N Kids Reading
Center
Crisis Center of Racine
County
Developmental
Disabilities Information
Service
718 North Memorial Dr.,
Racine, WI 53404
262-6358908
http://www.cedcoracine.org/
3801 Spring St., Racine,
WI 53405
None listed
262-6873000
None listed
http://www.mywheaton.org
800 Villa St., Racine, WI
53403
3710 Douglas Ave.,
Racine, WI 53402-3227
1220 Mound Ave., #312,
Racine, WI 53404
http://www.cops-n-kids.org/
Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation
1516 S. Green Bay Rd.,
53406
1134 Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Dr., Racine, WI
53404
None listed
262-6321606
262-7520037
262-6732707
262-6370266
262-6387200
262-6369237
None listed
262-6325412
262-6342391
262-8865321
262-6326200
None listed
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Community Center
X
Erickson Ambulance
X
Family Service of
Racine
First Transit
X
X
August 2010
Focus on Community
53403
Racine, WI 53406
1220 Mound Ave., Ste.
307, Racine, WI 53404
Page 143
None listed
None listed
http://www.ddisracine.org
http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/l
ocations/racine.htm
http://www.fsracine.org/en/Ho
me.aspx
None listed
http://www.focusracine.org/co
ntent/
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
X
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
August 2010
Organization
Gateway Technical
College
1001 Main St., Racine, WI
53403
Genesis Behavioral
Health
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin
Southeast
Racine, WI 53403
6240 Bankers Rd., Racine,
WI 53403
Goodwill Industries of
SE Wisconsin
HALO, Inc.
5420 21st St., Racine, WI
53406
2000 DeKoven Ave.,
Racine, WI 53403
1032 Grand Ave., Racine,
WI 53403
1923 Green St., Racine,
WI 53402
209 Wainwright Ave.,
1100 Main St., Union
Grove, WI 53182
Head Start
X
X
X
X
X
Address
Health Care Network,
Inc.
Housing Authority of
Racine County
Housing Resources, Inc.
904 State St., Racine, WI
53404
837 Main St., Racine, WI
53403
1442 N. Memorial Dr.,
Racine, WI 53404
Phone
Website
800-2477122
262-6196200
262-6335001
262-5982200
http://www.gtc.edu/
262-5543155
262-6333235
262-6378399
http://www.gswise.org/AboutUs/Racine-ResourceCenter.aspx
http://www.goodwillsew.com
www.haloinc.org
http://www.racineheadstart.or
g/
262-6379349
262-7672738
262-8781292
262-6322400
262-6363405
262-6368271
Page 144
None listed
http://www.healthcarenetwork
.org/
http://www.rcha.org/
http://www.hri-wi.org/
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Lutheran Social
Services
Margaret Ann’s Place
X
X
X
Kenosha Transit
Love and Charity
Mission and Shelter
Love, Inc.
X
X
K & S Medical Transport
Lakeside Curative
Services
Legal Action of
Wisconsin
X
X
Organization
Lakeside Counseling
X
X
August 2010
Medix
NAMI Racine
OIC of Racine County
Address
Phone
53403
262-8848755
262-6342788
None listed
262-6534290
262-6534287
262-637Racine, WI 53406
9984
2503 Lincolnwood Ct.,
262-598Racine, WI 53403
0098
262-63553403
8836
800-2425840
1031 Douglas Ave.,
262-634Racine, WI 53402
7059
480 S. Pine St., Burlington, 262-763WI 53105
6226
th
2711 19 St., Racine, WI
262-63753403
3886
866-455Racine, WI 53406
4673
None listed
262-6371331
2300 DeKoven Ave.,
262-637Racine, WI 53403
0582
262-636Racine, WI 53403
3818
Page 145
Website
None listed
None listed
None listed
http://www.lakesidecurative.co
m/
http://www.badgerlaw.net/Ho
me/PublicWeb/LAW/localoffic
eRacine
None listed
http://love-inc.net/
http://www.lsswis.org/
http://www.margaretannsplac
e.org/Home.asp
None listed
http://www.namiracine.org/
http://www.oicracine.org/
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
August 2010
Organization
Address
Phone
Partners2
400 McCanna Pkwy.,
Planned Parenthood of
Wisconsin
834 S. Main St., Racine,
WI 53403
262-7630200 ext.
1052
262-6342060
Professional Services
Group
Project New Life
800 Goold St., Racine, WI
53402
1809 Douglas Ave.,
Racine, WI 53402
Racine, WI 53403
Racine, WI 53404
WI 53403
262-6386356
262-8983268
262-6355520
262-8860474
262-6386531
2320 Renaissance Blvd.,
Sturtevant, WI 53177
262-8987432
2000 DeKoven Ave., Unit
2, Racine, WI 53403
WI 53403
209 N. Main St.,
262-6322307
262-6386321
262-7672901
800-9245137
Psychiatric Services
Racine Community
Health Center
Racine County Birth to
Three Program
Racine County
Economic Development
Corporation
Racine County Food
Bank
Racine County Human
Services Department
Page 146
Website
http://partners2.basd.k12.wi.u
s/
http://www.ppwi.org/?process
or=content&sectionpath=13/1
4/15&complexcontentid=377
None listed
None listed
None listed
http://www.rachc.com/
http://www.hsd.racineco.com/
YouthDisability/BirthtoThree/
Mission/tabid/275/Default.asp
x
http://www.racinecountyedc.o
rg/
http://www.racinecountyfoodb
ank.org/
http://www.hsd.racineco.com/
Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
Organization
Address
Racine County
Opportunity Center
Racine County
Workforce Development
Center
4214 Sheridan Rd.,
Racine, WI 53169
WI 53403
X
Racine Emergency
Shelter Taskforce
Racine Family Literacy
X
Racine Friendship
Clubhouse
Racine Habitat for
Humanity
Racine Literacy Council
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
August 2010
X
X
X
Racine Psychological
Services
Racine Unified School
District-Administrative
Service Center
Racine Vocational
Ministry, Inc.
Racine Yellow Cab
Racine/Kenosha
Community Action
Agency
Phone
Website
http://www.rcoc.net/
53403
1925 Summit Ave.,
Racine, WI 53404
53403
53403
734 Lake Ave., Racine, WI
53403
53403
Racine, WI 53404
800-6648030
262-6386643
262-6386756
262-6386312
262-6381441
262-8983968
262-6369393
262-6379176
262-6329495
262-6348688
262-6355600
None listed
None listed
None listed
262-6342222
262-6378377
2113 N. Wisconsin Ave.,
Racine, WI 53402
Page 147
http://www.wdc.racineco.com/
None listed
http://www.racinefamilyliterac
y.com/
None listed
http://www.habitatracine.org
http://www.racineliteracy.com/
None listed
http://www.racine.k12.wi.us
http://www.rvmracine.org/inde
x.php
None listed
http://www.rkcaa.org/
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
Address
None listed
X
Red Cross Chapter
Headquarters
WI 53405
X
SAFE Haven of Racine,
Inc.
Salvation Army
Racine, WI 53403
Racine, WI 53403
X
Senior Cab
None listed
X
Shuttle Bug
None listed
Society’s Assets
53406
5900 11th Ave., Kenosha,
WI 53144
X
X
X
X
Organization
Recovery Transport
X
X
August 2010
Spanish Center of
Kenosha, Racine, and
Walworth County
Special OlympicsSoutheast
Tietel’s Transport
6011 Durand Ave., Ste.
400, Racine, WI 53046
None listed
Phone
262-6331484
800-5664060
262-5549997
262-6379559
262-6323147
262-9498294
262-5540063
262-6379128
None listed
http://www.sewisconsin.redcr
oss.org
http://www.safehavenofracine
.org/index.htm
http://www.usc.salvationarmy.
org/usc/www_usc_racine.nsf/
vw-dynamicindex/847E94E8A268215D80
256EC4005A48CB?openDoc
ument&charset=utf-8
None listed
None listed
http://www.societysassets.org
/index.html
262-6572160
http://www.spanishcenterkeno
sha.org/
800-9244320
262-2067043
http://www.specialolympicswi
sconsin.org
None listed
Page 148
Website
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
August 2010
Organization
TNJ Transport
Phone
UW-Parkside Center for
Community Partnerships
Voces de la Frontera –
Racine
Western Racine County
Health Department
Website
262-2429265
414-3229730
482 S. Pine St., Burlington, 262-767WI 53105
1478
3710 Douglas Ave.,
262-639Racine, WI 53402-3227
8084
None listed
800-9728080
2000 Domanik Dr., Racine, 262-898WI 53404
2240
718 N. Memorial Dr.,
262-637Racine, WI 53404
8532
262-886Sturtevant, WI 53177
8460
900 Wood Rd., Kenosha,
262-595WI 53141
3362
None listed
WI 53141
WI 53141
718 Memorial Dr., Racine,
WI 53404
156 E. State St.,
http://www.uwp.edu/
None listed
Transitional Living
Center
Transitional Living
Services CSP
Transtar Medical
Transport
United Way of Racine
County
Urban League of Racine
and Kenosha
UW Extension Racine
County
UW Parkside Small
Business Development
Center
UW-Parkside
Address
262-5952345
262-5953340
262-6194180
262-7634930
Page 149
http://www.tlcburlington.com/
http://www.tlservices.org
None listed
http://www.unitedwayracine.or
g/
http://www.ulrk.org/
http://racine.uwex.edu/
http://www.parksidesbdc.com/
http://www.uwp.edu/departme
nts/community.partnerships/
http://www.vdlf.org/
http://www.wrchd.org/
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
August 2010
Organization
Wheaton Franciscan
Healthcare
Wheaton Franciscan
Mental Health &
Addiction Care
Wisconsin WIC
Programs
X
Address
3801 Spring St., Racine,
WI 53403
Racine WI 53403
Racine WI 53403
262-6874011
262-6874011
262-6872222
Health & Nutrition Service
of Racine, 2316 Rapids
Dr., Racine, WI 53404
262-6377750
Racine City Health
Department, 730
Washington Ave., Racine,
WI 53404
X
X
X
X
Wisconsin Family
Assistance Center for
Education, Training &
Support, Inc. (FACETS)
Wisconsin Women’s
Business Initiative
Corporation
Phone
Western Racine County
Health Department, 156 E.
State St., Burlington, WI
53105
1134 Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Dr., Racine, WI
53404
2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Dr., Milwaukee,
WI 53212
262-3639494
http://www.mywheaton.org/
http://www.mywheaton.org/pr
ograms/mental_health/index.
asp
http://www.cityofracine.org/Cit
y/Departments/Health/Dynami
c.aspx?id=1004&terms=WIC
http://www.wrchd.org/
262-6377750
262-6338888
http://www.wifacets.org
414-2635450
http://www.wwbic.com/
Page 150
Website
O = Other Resources
D E
E E
D S
F
H H M O T
C H
X
X
X
August 2010
Organization
Address
Women’s Resource
Center
PO Box 1764, Racine, WI
53401
X
YMCA Racine
X
YWCA of Racine
53403
Racine, WI 53406
Phone
262-6333274
262-6333233
(Crisis
Line)
262-6341994
262-9892272
Page 151
Website
http://www.wrcracine.com/
http://www.ymcaracine.org/
http://www.riverbendracine.or
g/services.aspx
O = Other Resources

A Community Needs Assessment - Racine | Kenosha Community

Transcription

Similar documents

HIGH RIDGE CENTRE

Racine Marie-Élaine finale ENG - Joli

Money Matters - Racine Municipal Employees Credit Union

Duracolor, LLC - New Markets Tax Credit Coalition

Money Matters - Racine Municipal Employees Credit Union

October 8, 2013 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2013-82 2 3

WEATHER-RELATED SCHOOL CLOSING PROTOCOLS In the

Come Experience Catholic Theology According to the Mind and

money matters - Racine Municipal Employees Credit Union

hispanic heritage month!