The 2009 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook, which was released yesterday, shows few changes of significance and according to Mayor Scott Avedisian, that’s a good thing.

“It’s tough because our numbers were high to begin with. For me, having those stay stable is a win with declining resources,” he said.

Across the board, from economic well-being and health to safety and education, none of the figures showed major changes from last year. Given the state of finances in Rhode Island, Avedisian sees that as a sign educators and childcare professionals in Warwick and across the state are successfully fighting for children. The economy was a central topic at the factbook’s release breakfast however, held at the Crowne Plaza hotel and attended by more than 500 people including legislators and human service professionals.

“It is no secret that our state has very, very tough budget issues it has to deal with this year,” said Elizabeth Burke Bryant, the executive director of KIDS COUNT, in her opening remarks.

Chairperson of the Board at KIDS COUNT Bill Allen echoed those sentiments. “With the economic downturn in our state and nation we must work harder now more than ever,” he said.

The line-up of speakers each addressed the problems in decreased funding but touched upon money coming in they hope will be used for their cause.

“We have a president in the White House right now who gets it,” said keynote speaker Harriet Meyer, the president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund.

Referring to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Senator Jack Reed outlined funds that will be used toward childhood education, including $4.1 million in early education, $2.3 million for Head Start and $5.2 million in childcare development block grants. Currently, only 40 percent of the estimated 6,200 eligible children are enrolled in Head Start.

“As we come out of this economic crisis we can’t just go back to what we were doing before – we have to come out stronger,” said Reed.

“We believe these stimulus funds provide us an opportunity to make wise investments,” agreed Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed (D-District 13 – Newport, Jamestown).

The other focal point for the event was early childhood education. Meyer, who is known for her work in early intervention, said that “earlier is better” and the experiences children have even in the first 18 months of their lives are crucial. She shared a video clip of a mother interacting with her infant daughter. In the first minute, the mother is being active and engaging with the daughter – who responds positively. In the second minute, the mother essentially shuts down and does not respond to the pleas for attention from the baby, who becomes increasingly distraught. Meyer said this is an example of how important interaction is both at home and in school.

“It’s really important to look at relationships because relationships are the intervention we’re looking at before children enter school,” she said, adding that there is financial benefit to targeting kids before they get to school. “It is far more economical to invest in programs in early education than those implemented later in life.”

Avedisian said this is an area Warwick residents should be proud of thanks to the Early Childhood Center at Drum Rock. He said that by keeping kids in the city rather than busing them out to outside facilities, Warwick not only sees a savings but also strengthens its sense of community. The ECC serves as a full-day kindergarten and also has services for students with developmental delays and Autism.

“That is a big turnaround for us. It really shows that when you get the right mix of faculty and a principal you can do amazing things,” he said, giving special thanks to ECC Principal Kathryn Keenan.

Part of the goal of these early intervention measures is identifying at-risk children, which the factbook tries to track through its census-based indicators and economic well being figures. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program increased 17 percent from 2006 and Meyer explained that 36 percent of children under the age of six in Rhode Island live in low-income families, which has an impact on their development. For example, she said that a product of a middle class home hears 30 million words before entering school while a student living in poverty hears just 5 million. Moreover, Meyer explained that the quality of words is different and middle-class children are exposed to a larger vocabulary before the school system even gets its chance to catch them up.

“You cannot move our state indicators unless you deal with the poverty issue,” said outgoing Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters. “It’s as much about social and emotional strength as it is about academics.”

Congressman Patrick Kennedy agreed, using foster kids as an example of the type of children who need to be identified and assisted as early as possible. According to the congressman, an astonishing 42 percent of foster kids spend time in a correctional facility.

“We need a safety net in Rhode Island for children who are at the poorest levels,” Burke Bryant said.

Youth speaker Amanda Pereira, a member of nonprofit organization Young Voices that strives to turn urban youth into student advocates, said she has seen the urgency of that cause firsthand. As an immigrant who came to the United States 10 years ago, she has seen her parents work three jobs to support their family. She urged legislators to remember the plight of immigrants and low-income families.

That challenge to use the factbook figures and the at-risk indicators to influence policy in Rhode Island was shared by several of the speakers.

Avedisian said he often refers back to the book to rally support for different causes, like the health center and dental clinic in Warwick that has provided service to low-income families in the area. Calling on fellow legislators to use the factbook when directing funds and developing programs, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts called the event a starting point for the next few years to come.

“This factbook needs to do more than go on our shelves – it needs to influence what we do in this state,” she said.