Why Programs like The Bridge are Imperative

As stated in The State of Jacksonville’s Children Report prepared by the Jacksonville Children’s Commission in 2005 “ Studies have shown consistently that poverty is one of the strongest predictors of children’s overall level of risk or well-being. Perhaps no other single demographic factor serves as a more common denominator among all social and health ills.”

The following statistics based on research by Children’s Defense Fund: The State of America’s Children, 2004 show that low income children are at higher risk in many categories:

• 2.0 times as likely to repeat a grade
• 3.4 times as likely to be expelled from school
• 3.5 times as likely to be a dropout at ages 16-24
• 7 to 8 year olds test 4 points lower in Reading
• 7 to 8 year olds test 5 points lower in Math