I. AGENCY AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTION MISSION STATEMENT, PHILOSOPHY, PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The Council of the Southern Mountains is a private, non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation. It is a Community Action Agency in operation since 1964, and is concerned with the general welfare of the citizens of McDowell and surrounding counties providing quality programs, products and services for carrying out the following purposes:
1. To promote and facilitate financial, social and psychological self-sufficiency,
2. To contribute to the revitalization and resurrection of McDowell and surrounding counties to its highest economic and social potential, and
3. To empower the participants and/or recipients to take control over their futures.
II. SERVICE AREA GEOGRAPHY
McDowell County encompasses 539.40 square miles of mountainous terrain and is the southernmost County in West Virginia, bordering the State of Virginia.
The State of West Virginia Department of Highways’ surface type mileage system shows that McDowell County has roadways that are mountainous, constructed with elevations from 875 feet to 3,400 feet above sea level and with more than 90 % having a slope of 40 degrees or more.
The County seat, Welch is still the main center of educational, economic, political and civic activity. Unfortunately, the times and economy have changed in the County and most residents travel to neighboring counties and states for grocery, clothing, and major purchases. The coal industry is no longer the dominant industry or the principal employer in the County or in West Virginia. The population exodus from the County still continues today, as it has been for the last decade.
McDowell County still reports the lowest standard of housing in the entire state. Age is the primary factor affecting the existing housing in the County. As many as 10,991 houses, or 67% were built before 1940, and provide as much as 90% of the available housing in many localities. As a result, McDowell County has the highest number of substandard housing units of any County in the state with 41.8% of the houses rated below normal quality levels. Housing is inadequate for the middle to upper-income families. Thus, recruitment of professionals into the area is hindered. Likewise, the tax base is decreased. Finally, the existing housing also detracts from the natural scenic beauty of the area. Still, despite its poor condition, the demand for existing housing is high.
Much of McDowell County’s housing troubles arise from discrepancies in land ownership. Because the most developable land is owned by the railroads or coal companies, residential housing must locate on hills or around flood basins. Many of the homes and structures have been damaged or destroyed due to the recent flooding.
Existing housing must be conserved and additional housing must be built that creates homeownership opportunities for low and moderate income families, subsidized/public housing for the poor, and market rate units for those who can bear such costs.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation remains a concern considering that there are no major or four-lane highways. The roads are narrow, two-lane, winding roads with many single-lane bridges. Some roads are impassable, graveled and rutted by the weather. These roads are considered orphan roads and maintained only by the residents living in the community.
There is a scarcity of human service resources for residents of the County and the Head Start Program must coordinate services with County, State and Federal agencies which provide the types of services needed. These agencies include: three major hospitals, doctors specializing in specific services, psychiatric and psychological services, and specialty dental services. These are the major contributors to the Head Start children and families and are located approximately 50 - 90 miles outside of the County. Travel usually is to Mercer and Raleigh Counties and in Virginia to Tazewell and Buchanan Counties to obtain needed services. This promotes a hardship on the low-income population, as most do not own a vehicle or a vehicle that is reliable to travel extreme distances. Most families rely on neighbors for transportation.
The Head Start Program continues to arrange, as much as possible, transportation for our children and families to schedule appointments and in some cases emergencies. Our current fleet is aged and the wear and tear, plus repairs are numerous. In addition to the buses, there is one van used to transport children and families and for travel to attend trainings and conferences.
Additionally, there is a dependable, affordable and accessible public transportation system. However, the routes are limited to certain areas of the County.
WATER/SEWAGE
The County’s water, sewage, and solid waste facilities remain in poor condition. In all but a few areas, these facilities do not exist at all. Indeed, untreated wastewater is discharged into the Tug Fork River, the area’s major water source.
There are four major water/sewage systems in the County - the City of Gary, the City of Bradshaw, and the McDowell County PSD. The County seat - Welch has established a water/sewage system, which is currently being installed now. Hartwell, Bartley and Endwell communities are under the McDowell County Public Service District. The upgrade to the water/sewage systems of Gary, Anawalt, Pageton, Jenkinjones and the outlying communities has been completed. The City of War’s new sewer/water system is in the final stage of completion.
In the Sandy River District of McDowell County, there are currently families that do not have adequate plumbing and sewage. They rely on natural springs and wells for their water source. In many of these homes, the bathroom facilities are still not a fixture of the main living area.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
The meager resources of McDowell County continue to be strained by the economic crisis that has confronted McDowell County for the past three decades. The decline in coal production, flooding, and the migration of population because of the unemployment rate at 8.9% as compared to the state at 5.3% and the national average of 5.1% has caused a decrease in resources and services available to the residents of the County (West Virginia: May 23, 2005 Report on the Civilian Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment).
The top five employers in the County are:
TOP FIVE EMPLOYERS NUMBER EMPLOYED DECLINE/INCREASE SINCE 2003
MCDOWELL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 662 DECREASED BY 188 SINCE 2003
WELCH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL 320 DECREASED BY 1 SINCE 2003
MCDOWELL COUNTY CONTINUOUS CARE 115 INCREASED BY 10 SINCE 2003
MCDOWELL COUNTY GOVERNMENT 109 INCREASED BY 11 SINCE 2003
With an unemployment rate of 8.9%, there are 6,000 people employed in the County. According to the West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs this is an increase of 170 over the previous total of 5,830 in 2003. As shown in the table below, the employers with the highest number employed include the local, state and federal government; however this number has decreased by 140 since 2003. The other areas in trade, services, and goods producing/mining show increases in their employment numbers since 2003:
TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT NUMBER EMPLOYED PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYMENT
LOCAL/STATE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 1970 34.5%
TRADE 970 17%
SERVICES 1790 31%
GOODS PRODUCING/MINING 990 17.5%
Trade has increased by 20, services by 420, and goods producing/mining by 290 since 2003. Even with these slight increases in the employment numbers, the county continues to have a decline in population.
McDowell County is still designated an Enterprise Community and the process of revitalizing, upgrading and stabilizing the economy continues.
POPULATION GROWTH/DECLINE
The population has steadily declined according to the 1970 Census from 50,666 to 35,233 - 1990 Census figures. In the 2000 Census, the count was 27,329 residents in the County, with a total population of 1,808,344 residents in West Virginia. The United States Census Bureau reported that the population growth was behind the rest of the State by 22.4% with a 0.8% change statewide. The U.S. Census Bureau reports a decrease again in the county population since 2000. The figure reported for 2004 is 24,726; a decrease in 2,603 people.
The minority population comprises 13% of the total population, compared to the state minority population at 5%.
The population is made up of the following persons, according to the 2000 Census Data:
White persons – 87.1%
Black or African American persons – 11.9%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin – 0.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons – 0.2%
Asian persons – 0.1%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander –Less than 0.1%
Some other race or two or more races – Less than 1%
The population decline has affected the school system as well. There are 3 public high schools, 9 public elementary/middle schools and 2 private schools. Enrollment in the public and private schools has decreased yearly since 2003. Since 2003, the County has closed 4 public elementary/middle schools and lost 1 private school and 2 day care centers.
Public school enrollment was reported in 2003 at 4,469, a decrease of 103 students from the previous figure of 4,572 for program year 2001/2002. The April 2005 enrollment figure for McDowell County Public Schools was reported at 4,040; again a decrease of 429 students since 2003.
NAME GRADE LEVELS NUMBER ENROLLED PRE-K
PUBLIC SCHOOLS K-12 4040 - DECREASE OF 429 SINCE 2003 165 INCREASE OF 31 SINCE 2003
TWINBRANCH ACADEMY K-12 12 – DECREASE OF 5 SINCE 2003 0
NAZARENE CHURCH 1-12 25 – DECREASE OF 22 SINCE 2003 0
POVERTY POPULATION
A majority of McDowell County citizens exist at or below the poverty level. According to Kids Count information the percentage of children under 18 living below the poverty level is 53% in McDowell County with 24.3% children living below the poverty level in the state. The information also ranks McDowell County 10th in the nation and first in the state with 58.7% of children under 5 living below the poverty level.
The 2000 median family income for McDowell County was $20,496 as compared with the state average of $28,460. According to Kids Count, McDowell County has experienced a 24.6% increase in the number of children participating in the free and reduced school meals program since 1990, and now stands at 82.7%.
With a recent review of births recorded at the McDowell County Court House, the following is a listing of potential eligible children for 2005/2006:
AREA BIRTH YEAR 2002 BIRTH YEAR 2003
BIG SANDY 42 28
ELKHORN 14 16
ENDWELL 0 2
RAYSAL 10 8
WAR COVE 6 3
IAEGER 11 7
TOTAL – 83 (DOWN 25 SINCE 2003) TOTAL – 64 (DOWN 5 SINCE 2003)
TOTAL – 147 (DOWN 30 SINCE 2003)
This table is reflective of the births that have occurred in McDowell County since 2002. Approximately 147 children county-wide may be eligible for the 2005/2006 program year. This reflects a decrease in births since 2003. Records for 2004 were also reviewed, reflecting a total of 73 births in the entire county; only 9 more than 2003 and 10 less than 2002. This data is a partial listing of births. Some County residents give birth in neighboring counties and/or states and they are recorded therein. However, contacts will be made at the respective communities to arrive at a more accurate number of children. This information does reflect our concern in meeting our 320 funded enrollment number. The decrease in overall population and school populations, along with fewer births, makes the numbers of eligible children much less throughout the entire county.
HEALTH ISSUES
Welch Community Hospital, a 124-bed facility, is the only provider of acute inpatient care. The County's high rate of unemployment has caused the demand for health services to greatly increase. The physician/patient ratio is extremely high. There are approximately 30 doctors and 5 dentists currently providing medical and dental services in the County.
Health care concerns continue to impact residents of the County. Statistics compiled by the Family Resource Network, (F.A.C.E.S.) indicate that nearly all citizens surveyed are interested in information and services on health screenings, Children’s Health Insurance Program, stress reduction and weight loss programs/support groups. The findings also indicate that Medicare and Medicaid resources are the sole insurance resources for almost half the population polled. This finding indicates that Medicare and Medicaid programs in McDowell County are not only helpful in insuring citizens have available health care resources, but also they are absolutely necessary and vital as to the quality of life our citizens enjoy. Other findings indicate McDowell County citizens, as a whole, are unhealthy. The majority of the citizens, for whatever reason, do not have routine physical and dental screenings. Over half of the population polled is either underweight or overweight. Most citizens do not enjoy a diet low in fat and cholesterol. Most citizens are either inactive or smokers. The majority of citizens polled do not obtain a healthy balance of rest and activity and about half do not adequately manage day-to-day stress in their lives.
The Council of the Southern Mountains' Head Start Program participates in the Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (HEALTHCHECK) program through the State of West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. As a provider, we offer the children enrolled in Head Start, as well as their siblings, medical, dental and immunizations through a team of three nursing staff and contracted doctors and nurse practitioners. Follow-up dental services are provided to the Head Start children.
Without this needed service, approximately one half of these children would never see a dentist or doctor and their immunizations would not be complete by the age of public school enrollment. The medical liability insurance crisis has also made it even more difficult for children and families to access quality health care.
Another important issue is child abuse and neglect. According to Kids Count, the child abuse/neglect rate in McDowell County is 34.7%. This is a decrease from the previous year; however, the county continues to be above the 14.2% figure for the state.
III. CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Children with disabilities and special needs are served in the Head Start program. The Head Start Program enrolls children with disabilities and special needs including developmental delays, speech and language, health-related impairments and behavior disorders.
Other agencies including The West Virginia Department of Human Services, Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation, Birth to Three and McDowell County Board of Education serve children in different age groups with specialized needs. In 2004/2005 the Board of Education served approximately 9 - 10 children ages 3-5 that had disabilities and/or special needs. These children were in one Pre-K Special Needs classroom. The Board of Education also provided services to our Head Start program for children with special needs and speech and language concerns.
Birth to Three serves children in McDowell County. According to Birth to Three, they had 27 referrals this year throughout the county; with only 24 active IFSP’s. They also reported that this number was low and they were also concerned about the decrease in children. Birth to Three, along with many other organizations, including CSM Head Start joined together as the Next Steps Network (TADPOLE) and held a KIDS COUNT DAY or a child-find activity day. The event was held on May 6, 2005. The collaborating agencies anticipated a large turnout of children, however only 32 children attended from throughout the county.
The West Virginia Department of Human Services also serves children with special needs by referrals to other agencies and organizations.
The Head Start Program makes referrals to the appropriate agencies for the disability and/ or special needs of the child. Our staff attends the Next Steps Network meetings monthly to inform families and other agencies about Head Start services. Additionally, the Head Start staff attends meetings to discuss the placement, evaluations and services for our children.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics there were approximately 1,400 children under the age of 5 in McDowell County, 5% of the total population and only 0.04% categorized as special needs/disabled or a total of 56 children identified with disabilities/special needs.
IV. NEEDS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Concerning a variety of County issues, job opportunities are cited as the primary problem, along with increasing concerns over drug-related problems. The second most expressed problem is the need for education. The lack of food and clothing and other basic needs as well as recreational facilities, entertainment, and money continue to be concerns for residents.
Given the County’s limited resources, education outcomes for the residents of the County have not been encouraging. For example, of the County’s population age 25 years and older, 50.0% have a high school education. The high school dropout rate for McDowell County was 20.4% with the state rate at 16.4% (Kids Count). As for higher education the 2000 U.S. Census showed college graduates 25 years and older at 5.6%.
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL NUMBER
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES 9,369
COLLEGE GRADUATES 1,015
NEEDS IDENTIFIED/ NEEDS ADDRESSED
The Council of the Southern Mountains continues to provide training through several programs to interested individuals, in order to address some of the issues and concerns throughout the County. Classes for the Commercial Drivers License, Assistant Teacher, Food Preparation, Active Parenting and Child Care Certification have also been offered. These sessions are offered in the Head Start centers for the convenience of the parents and other participants that live in the surrounding communities. The Head Start parents help identify any specific topics of interest or concern to them. The topics expressed as major concerns include: clothing for the family, public transportation, adequate housing, homelessness, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, crime, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, mental health, emotional problems, pollution and handicap accessibility. The Head Start Program provides information to the parents in the form of workshops/conferences, parent meetings, literature and seminars.
Information, referrals and services which have been made available to the community include dental, mental health, family planning, child care, domestic violence, public transportation, legal, job placement, assistance for the homeless, college and university availability, adult education, job training, parent support, housing assistance, delinquency prevention, crime/teen pregnancy and substance abuse prevention services, driver’s training, nutrition, and financial management.
According to Kids Count, the percent of eligible children served by Head Start was 90.6% in McDowell County as of 2002. The state average was 62.0%.
SCHOOLS APRIL 2005 ENROLLMENT ENROLLMENT DIFFERENCE SINCE 2003 HEAD START CENTER IN SAME COMMUNITY/AREA
ANAWALT ELEMENTARY
109 DECREASED BY 39 ELKHORN CENTER
BARTLEY ELEMENTARY 86 CLOSING JUNE 2005 RAYSAL/WAR COVE CENTER
BERWIND ELEMENTARY 177 DECREASED BY 26 ENDWELL/WAR COVE CENTER
BRADSHAW ELEMENTARY 264 DECREASED BY 47 RAYSAL CENTER
GARY ELEMENTARY 111 CLOSING JUNE 2005 ELKHORN CENTER
KIMBALL ELEMENTARY* 396 INCREASED BY 177* ELKHORN CENTER
FALL RIVER ELEMENTARY 218 DECREASED BY 9 BIG SANDY CENTER
IAEGER ELEMENTARY 324 DECREASED BY 20 BIG SANDY CENTER
WAR ELEMENTARY 308 INCREASED BY 23 WAR COVE CENTER
WELCH ELEMENTARY 254 DECREASED BY 37 BIG SANDY CENTER
*Increase due to the consolidation of Switchback Elementary into Kimball Elementary.
Other centers serving children include, Wee Care a new licensed child care center, S.A.F.E., A Small World, and CSM Family Day Care. The Big Creek People in Action Child Care Center in Caretta, West Virginia closed during the summer of 2004 as well as Kids Time Day Care.
The Stop Abusive Family Environment Agency unit is operational for children and families involved in domestic violence situations. Referrals are made to the Head Start Program for all age-eligible children. We had 2 children enrolled this year in our Head Start Program.
The Council of the Southern Mountains operates the Family Day Care Program to ensure that children between the ages of newborn to 12 eat a well-balanced meal. The Family Day Care Program provides training for those who prepare meals, and limited federal reimbursements for meals served to children by public or non-profit organizations. Referrals are made to the Head Start Program for all age-eligible children.
The Head Start Program (presently operated by CDI, Inc.) operates five centers that are all licensed with the Department of Health and Human Services. Our Endwell Head Start Center holds the National Association for the Education of Young Children Credential.
The enrollment statistics for the other centers and agencies are shown in the following table:
CENTER NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED
COST PER CHILD NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED
0-3 NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED
3-5 NUMBER CHILDREN SERVED BY HEAD START
BIG CREEK PEOPLE IN ACTION CLOSED
STOP ABUSIVE FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS 16
NO CHARGE 2 1 2
KIDS TIME DAY CARE CLOSED
A SMALL WORLD DAY CARE 45 plus
WV DHHS RATES 30 15 3
WEE CARE 23 8 6 0
CSM FAMILY DAY CARE
MCDOWELL COUNTY NO CHARGE
FOOD REIMBURSEMENT 16 CHILDREN
11 ages 4-5
3 age 3
2 age 2
Employment
Pre-Natal Care
Nutrition Education
Preventive Health Care and other related topics
Cultural events
Budgeting
Housing
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Crime concerns
Teen Pregnancy
Domestic Violence
Mental Health issues
Emotional Health
Tax Information and Tax Credits
Special Needs and Disabilities
• Intergenerational participation in all aspects of the Head Start Program utilizing the existing Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by The Council of the Southern Mountains and other related programs and/or individuals such as the Experience Works Program.
Workshops that might be offered for the families throughout the program year:
Literacy
Stress/Time Management
Job Readiness Skills
Communication Skills
Financial Management
Problem Solving
GED Preparation
Job Search/Career Counseling
Railroad Safety
Nutrition
Breast/Cervical Cancer Prevention
Driver Education
HUD Issues
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Lead and Your Environment
WIC Nutrition
Child Care Certification
Mental Health/Observing Children
Transition Activities
Child Abuse/Neglect
Domestic Violence
Computer Literacy
The following is a list of locations providing possible trainings and/or counseling programs for individuals:
The Council of the Southern Mountains
McDowell County Vocational/Technical Program
McDowell County Adult Basic Education Program
Stop Abusive Family Environments, Inc.
Bluefield State College - Mercer and McDowell Counties
Valley Training Center - Mercer County
National School of Business - Mercer County
Bluefield College - Bluefield, Virginia
Southwest Virginia Community College – Richlands, Virginia
Welch Community Hospital
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Tug River Health Association
Birth to Three
Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center
Wyoming County Opportunity Council
West Virginia University
VII. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
CENTER LOCATIONS AND PROJECTIONS
Centers and classrooms were determined by the number of children that meet HSP eligibility requirements and the potential number of children that will become eligible during the program year. Every effort will be made to provide services to children in remote and distant areas. Our projections are based on current information, enrollment projections, and results of our week-long Enrollment Extravaganza held in May 2005. The center locations and projected numbers are as follows:
Center Name Classrooms Area(s) Served Number Projected
Big Sandy 4 Big Sandy, Hemphill, Welch, North Welch, Davy, Twin Branch, Asco, Hensley, Roderfield, Premier, Havaco, Johnnycake, Panther, Mohawk 60
Elkhorn 2 Elkhorn, Kimball, Carswell, Kyle, Maybeury, Crumpler, Powhatan, Algoma, Eckman, Gilliam Switchback, Keystone,Gary, Wilcoe, Pageton, Jenkinjones, Anawalt, Leckie, Conklintown, Elbert, Filbert, Ream, Thorpe, Blackwolfe, Skygusty 30
Endwell 2 Endwell, Squire, Canebrake, Newhall, Berwind, Vallscreek, Cucumber 29
Raysal 3 Stateline Ridge, Raysal, English, Bartley, 45
War Cove 2 Yukon, War, Coalwood, Rift, Caretta, Warriormines 35
BOE PRE-K 9 Entire County 81
TOTAL 22 McDowell County 280
To meet the needs of the changing society, population shift and the children that are isolated and receiving no services - a locally designed program option that includes, but is not limited to: the center-based programs, home-based options, and our collaboration with the McDowell County Board of Education and other day care providers. Eligible children and families living in remote areas of the County will be offered home-based options. After reviewing the Parent Survey from our 2004/2005 program year, 220 families declined the Home-Based Option with 24 interested. However, out of the ones that were interested, many selected the other center options as well and we will continue to review these findings.
McDowell County is a rural county located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains. The people of this county face economic, social, health, nutritional, geographical, and educational dilemmas that underline the great need for a comprehensive Head Start Program like the one The Council of the Southern Mountains continues to offer.
SOURCES OF DATA/INFORMATION
West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs
Labor and Economic Research
West Virginia Department of Human Services
The Council of the Southern Mountains
West Virginia Kids Count Data - County Profiles of Child Well-Being
West Virginia University Regional Research Institute
McDowell County F.A.C.E.S. Family Resource Network
U. S. Census Bureau
West Virginia Birth to Three
McDowell County Board of Education
McDowell County Universal Pre-K County Plan
Next Steps Network
McDowell County Courthouse
Head Start Program Surveys
Staff Comments
Observations
Interviews