The 2005 N.C. Child Health Report Card, issued jointly by the N.C. Institute of Medicine and the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute (NCCAI), makes it clear that North Carolina gets what it pays for.

n Access to publicly-supported health insurance has been expanded in recent years, and the percentage of uninsured children has dropped substantially.

n Vaccines have been made available to all children at little or no cost, and the state's child immunization rates at age two have been among the best in the nation in recent years.

n Laws requiring smoke detectors, safe storage of firearms, child passenger safety restraints and graduated drivers' licenses have kept child injury deaths in check.

n The continued underfunding of child protective services, and the reduction of funds for services to prevent child abuse and neglect have resulted in tragically high numbers of confirmed cases of child maltreatment and maltreatment fatalities.

Usually, these data are hard to locate or are issued separately and independently. Presenting them in one brief document paints a more complete picture of the health of North Carolina's children and youth. It also helps to track progress on the “Comprehensive Child Health Plan” developed five years ago by the N.C. Institute of Medicine.

“Our most positive results reflect major investments made by the General Assembly and the hard work and perseverance of coalitions that include state and local agencies, providers and child/family advocates,” said Tom Vitaglione, senior fellow of Child Health and Safety at NCCAI. “However, the budget crisis over the past several years is slowing the pace of North Carolina's progress. Some critical health services have been reduced and many remain seriously underfunded.

“The 2005 N.C. Child Health Report Card shows improvement from last year in some of the graded areas of child health,” said Howard Lee, chairman of the State Board of Education. Lee is a former state senator who once represented in Moore County. “At the same time, we still see health disparities in prevention efforts among our various populations.

Dr. Leah Devlin, the state health director with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said: “When we as a society get serious about investing in prevent of health problems and the promotion of health in children and their families, we achieve tremendous advancements in health and quality of life. One of the best examples of such a success is the well-documented and dramatic decline in vaccine-preventable diseases due to the state's major commitment to immunization.

Meanwhile, a recent landmark decision by the N.C. Supreme Court has confirmed children's constitutional right to the opportunity for a sound, basic education.

“It must be recognized that failing to deal with health issues robs children of this opportunity,” Vitaglione said. “Children cannot maximize their educational potential if they have been poisoned by lead, are dealing with the pain of tooth decay, are living with untreated developmental delays or chronic illnesses, or do not feel safe at home.

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