There are too many children in The T&D Region living in poverty, a condition fostering disadvantages that reach into health, education and emotional welfare, reveals a national survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Baltimore-based children’s advocacy group released its 20th annual Kids Count Data Book. The state-by-state study profiles the well-being of America’s children and looks at 10 indicators from infant mortality to single-parent families.

The study found South Carolina ranks 45th in the well-being of children, with its child poverty rate having increased by 11 percent between 2000 and 2007 to 21 percent. The poverty rate measure was based on the 2007 poverty line, which was characterized by an income below $21,027 for a family of two adults and two children.

Orangeburg County’s child poverty rate was 72 percent higher than the U.S. average, while Bamberg County’s rate was 89 percent higher. Calhoun County’s rate was only 39 percent above the national average. All statistics, however, point to the need for the state to address the factors leading to its poverty-ridden condition, S.C. Kids Count Project Director Dr. Baron Holmes said.

“These problems are skewed toward the problems of disadvantaged children, and we have more disadvantaged children. Our poverty rate would be a good indicator. Counties or states that have a high percent of children in poverty or low-income situations generally do worse on Kids Count rankings,” Holmes said.

The report reveals that the state, for example, ranks 47th in the nation in the percent of low-birth-weight babies (less than 5.5 pounds). Another ranking in which the tri-county area did particularly poorly is child death rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-14).

Orangeburg County’s child death rate was 79 percent higher than the national average, while Bamberg County’s rate was a staggering 226 percent higher. Calhoun County’s child death rate was not as high above the national average at only 32 percent above.

“Every report in the world means nothing unless we ... have a strategy for dealing with poverty in South Carolina. We don’t have a plan,” said Steve Skardon, executive director of the Palmetto Project, a private, nonprofit initiative created in 1984. It brings citizens, cooperations and governmental agencies together to tackle community issues, including improving health care access.

“We need a plan that’s going to involve the private sector and the public sector. The leadership from the community is needed and not something that’s imposed from the federal government. It’s not that people don’t want to work, get jobs or make a good living to support their families and communities. The problem is we’re not thinking outside the box,” Skardon said.

“How can we create infrastructure to allow people to either get jobs or get skills that they need to get the jobs? South Carolina is doing a terrible job of creating a framework for economic growth. When a company wants to look at coming to South Carolina, ... they’re not just looking for cheap land to throw up a factory and hire people. They’re looking at the whole gamut of things in terms of a community’s health,” he said.

Gregg Robinson, executive director of the Orangeburg County Economic Development Commission, said a focus on infrastructure development is indeed the key to the economic growth needed to put parents to work.

“It’s hard to be a good parent and keep your kid educated when you’re struggling to find a job. Water, sewer, gas and electricity ... are the fundamentals of a solid foundation to build construction and recruit companies. We’re working very hard and diligently,” Robinson said, on work force and community development, including providing truck driver, welding and other training in high-paying jobs “that are needed right now.”

“You have to go where the jobs are and skill sets are greatly needed. We’ve got to get people trained if they’ve lost their jobs in order to get them out of that poverty. Orangeburg has historically had one of the highest unemployment rates. For the first time ever, we’ve fallen out of the top 10 in the first six months of 2009. We’re working with existing industry to help retain people. It’s tough out there right now,” Robinson said.

“Some of it clearly is the fact that the national economy is in bad shape and South Carolina is even worse, so that’s going to drive up poverty rates,” said John Ruoff, director for South Carolina Fair Share, a state advocacy group. He said the state’s “backward job development strategy” is part of the problem.

“We continue to do sort of trickle-down stuff ... as if somehow we’ll get the well-off to do OK and then it’ll trickle down to poor folks. I’m not sure that ... has ever worked,” he said.

Ruoff said the root causes of poverty, including payday and title lenders and “other folk that exploit people in low-income communities and keep them stuck in a cycle of poverty,” are overlooked.

“We have to develop economic strategies that actually make sense instead of just focusing on cutting taxes. We really have to begin investing in schools, infrastructure and the quality of life in this state. We’re going to have to have job creation and the kind of economic development that will help more and more folks come out of poverty,” Ruoff said. “That’s especially true with infrastructure development in those rural counties.”

Greg Carson, spokesman for Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5, said the district has a high rate of children living in poverty.

“These children aren’t afforded the experiences or the exposure to things that kids from well-off families are exposed to. When you’re a parent in poverty, your focus is trying to make sure that your family is fed. That doesn’t leave a lot of time or room for taking time with children to read to them, teach them their alphabets or teach them how to count to 10,” Carson said.

He said the district has implemented a parenting program to help give children living in poverty a head start on educational success. It involves children as young as age 2.

“We try to be part of their development from a very early age, but we’re also working with the parents to help them understand what their role is. It’s an uphill battle, but ... you’ve got to have all your players involved: parents, teachers, staff and the community. You want to break that cycle of poverty,” said Carson, noting parents not only receive parenting skills but receive finance and other life skill education with the parenting program.

Phyllis Schwarting, superintendent of Bamberg School District 1, said, “Really the only way to get out of that cycle of poverty is to try to get an education and better yourself. In today’s society, there are many ways for students to go to college that may not have the financial resources they need.”

“Our county does have one of the highest poverty rates, and we have a large number of parents who did not complete school; therefore, they may not place as much emphasis on the value of an education as they might need to. So there are a lot of things that play into that figure for us. But I don’t think it’s exactly fair to say that poverty is the root of all evil,” said Schwarting, stressing there are many young children in poverty-ridden conditions who “pursue higher education and set higher goals for themselves.”

“I’m not saying it’s easy, but it can be done. There are so many people in this district who are willing to try to help them find some of those avenues,” she said.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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