St. Charles County is better because of you, but there is still so much more to do.
Local sales tax dollars fund the work of nonprofits that serve St. Charles County families. For every dollar spent in St. Charles County, 1/8 of a cent is used to provide mental health and treatment services to kids and teens. With these dedicated funds, we have made great progress, and St. Charles County is consistently ranked near the top in Missouri for the health and well-being of kids. However, with a growing youth population, new stressors, and an ongoing opioid epidemic, we have increasing challenges as well.
In 2004, St. Charles County passed a 1/8 cent sales tax. Since this time,
- Teen pregnancy rates have decreased by 52%
- The number of juvenile offenders has decreased by 58%
- High school dropout and suspension rates have decreased by 50%
These successes will lead to a better, brighter future for our youth.
In spite of our success, challenges remain. We continue to see an increase in demand for services and supports, with an anticipated increase of 25,000 county youth in the next ten years. There are an increasing number of children entering foster care due to opioid addiction among parents.
An estimated 2,000 kids ages 12-18 attempt suicide annually.
