Menu
Current data

2021

Every year, volunteers and our staff evaluate how we invest donor contributions to uphold our long-standing commitment of accountability. We addressed on the following topics the past year.

Select a topic to learn more:

Priorities

Indicators

Statistics

Sources

View Full Report

Priorities

The community status report was collated to focus on external issues in the Lubbock community and United Way’s role in addressing them. In each report, United Way addresses awareness, advocacy, education, consideration, collaborations, and the importance of good parenting. We’re dedicated to addressing Lubbock’s needs with diligence and transparency. Every year, volunteers and our staff evaluate how we invest donor contributions to uphold our long-standing commitment of accountability. We addressed on the following topics in 2020.
School Readiness
Our goal was to ensure that all children were school-ready by kindergarten and are grade-level readers by 3rd grade.
  • Areas of Emphasis
  • Children ages 0-8
  • Summer loss
  • Books in homes
  • Volunteer reading opportunities
  • Access to quality, affordable Pre-K
  • Adult Literacy
  • United Way Action
  • Conduct a sustainable, long-term community-wide effort to raise awareness of the importance of parents reading to and with their children in early childhood.
  • Build awareness of the need to close the achievement gap between minority and low-income students and non-minority, more affluent students.
  • Utilize successful parents to serve as mentors and role models to other parents.
  • Target awareness efforts to reach child care providers.
  • Continue and expand activities that promote the importance of proper social and emotional development to prepare children for school readiness.
Eliminating Trafficking
To eliminate child abuse and sex trafficking in our community, we focused on several key issues. 
  • Areas of Emphasis
  • Prevention and awarenss
  • Provide opportunities for parents to learn proper parenting skills and the importance of those skills in breaking the cycle of abuse.
  • Build awareness of the difference between human trafficking and sex trafficking and the scope to which it now exists in the local area.
  • Advocate for more training of professionals and awareness with the general public to recognize and understand how to take action related to sex trafficking.
  • Address the lack of infrastructure of agencies and services currently available in the community that support foster children and foster parents.
  • United Way Action
  • Continue current awareness and advocacy efforts aimed at child abuse.
  • Provide opportunities for parents to learn proper parenting skills and the importance of those skills in breaking the cycle of abuse.
  • Build awareness of the difference between human trafficking and sex trafficking and the scope to which it now exists in the local area.
  • Advocate for more training of professionals and awareness with the general public to recognize and understand how to take action related to sex trafficking.
  • Address the lack of infrastructure of agencies and services currently available in the community that support foster children and foster parents.
Mental Health Resources
Our goal was to provide access to all persons in need of mental health services.
  • Areas of Emphasis
  • Substance abuse
  • Homelessness
  • Infant and childhood mental health
  • Substance abuse prevention for youth
  • Adult education and treatment
  • Lack of infrastructure
  • United Way Action
  • Promote a community-wide conversation to build awareness and acknowledgement and to eliminate stigmas related to mental health issues.
  • Identify and address current gaps in services related to detox, medications, aftercare, outpatient rehabilitation, homeless and youth.
  • Raise the awareness of existing services in order to assist those in need to more easily gain access.
  • Facilitate the formation of a working group of service providers to collaborate on funding opportunities.
  • Advocate for more funding of youth prevention programs within public schools.

Indicators

2020 Born Healthy (Lubbock County)(TDHS) (Copy)

We reviewed each of the following, respectively:

  • Onset of prenatal care in the first trimester (per 1,000 births) 
  • Percent of babies born with low weight birth
  • Infant death rate (per 1,000 deaths)
2020 School Functioning (Region 17)(TEA)

We reviewed each of the following:

  • Retention (1st Grade), Non-Special Education
  • Retention (Kindergarten), Non-Special Education
  • Graduation Rate 4-Year Longitudinal Completion Rate (9-12)
  • Annual Dropout Rate (9-12)
2020 College Readiness (Region 17)(TEA) (Copy)

We reviewed the percentage of students at or above criterion in college readiness.

2021 Economics (Lubbock County)

For economics, we reviewed the following indicators:

  • Unemployment rate (Texas Workforce Commission)
  • Percentage of children in poverty (U.S. Census)
  • Percentage of adults in poverty (U.S. Census)
  • Persons without health insurance (U.S. Census)
  • Percentage of adults 25+ with at least high school education (U.S. Census)
  • Percentage of adults 25+ with Bachelor’s degree or higher (U.S. Census)
2021 Community Safety (Lubbock County)

We reviewed the following indictors to determine community safety:

  • Rape rate (per 100,000 population)(UCR)
  • Aggravated assault rate (per 100,000 population)(UCR)
  • Family violence rate (per 100,000 population)(UCR)

Statistics

Learn about common issues that Lubbock faces and how United Way stands with our community.

Economically Disadvantaged Children

Research shows growing up in poverty is on of the greatest threats to healthy childhood development.

Despite a slight drop in the 2017-2018 school year, Region 17 is once again showing significant numbers of economically disadvantaged children for the 2019-2020 school year. The current 62.98% rate is consistently higher than the state average of 60.2%.

Beyond the Classroom

Another key component of childhood success comes from identifying other learning, social, and emotional needs that may be barriers to academic achievement. Research indicates that providing mentors or adult advocates for at-risk students is an effective strategy.

After school closures in March 2020, the YWCA re-shaped their programs and began focusing more on tutoring, completing homework, and educational curriculum throughout the summer and 2020-2021 school year.

Economically Disadvantaged Children

Research shows growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy childhood development.

In the 2018-2019 school year, Region 17 shows significant numbers of economically disadvantaged children. The current 63.2% rate is higher than the state average of 60.6%.

Access to Affordable Care

Infant care in Texas costs 7.8% more per year than in-state tuition for four-year public college.

A key to establishing a strong foundation for children is access to quality, affordable childcare. The Early Learning Centers of Lubbock provides affordable, high-quality childcare. 93% of the families enrolled are low-income and their childcare fees are based on a sliding fee scale, making childcare affordable to all.

Domestic Violence

Lubbock County had more than double the rate of Family Violence (1,496 per 100,000 population) compared to the state average (690 per 100,000 population) in 2018.

The Legal Aid Society of Lubbock’s Family Legal Services program exists to assist disadvantaged families with their legal needs. Of the 1,142 cases they assisted with in 2020 over 70% involved victims of domestic or sexual violence. Through their partnership with Women’s Protective Services of Lubbock (WPS), they are able to send an attorney to the shelter twice a week. Beyond this partnership, WPS was able to assist 9,048 individuals through their residential and non-residential programs and their community outreach and education.

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child abuse rates in Lubbock County hit a record low with a rate of 12.8 per 1,000 children in 2020.

However, experts believe this number is grossly underreported through COVID-19 and rates are expected to increase through 2021. Many victims services agencies are already seeing numbers more on-track with previous year’s rates despite lower numbers served last year. CASA of the South Plains served 590 children while Children’s Advocacy Center served 4,218 through programs in 2020.

Sex & Labor Trafficking

59% of online victim recruitment in active sex trafficking cases occurred on Facebook.

89% of child victims in active sex trafficking cases in the U.S. in 2020 were between 14 - 17 years old. “In 2020, the top victim vulnerabilities in active cases were substance dependency (38%), having run away from home (28%), undocumented immigration status (17%), homelessness (10%), being in the foster care system (10%), having been previously trafficked (8%), limited English language skills (6%), financial debt (4%,), intellectual disabilities (4%), and prior incarceration (2%).

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)

ACEs are traumatic events that occur in childhood, including violence, abuse, and growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems. These issues impact victims for the rest of their lives. Trauma changes the way the brain functions and affects the body's stress response. Preventing early trauma is key to improving adult health.

Health

Every issue in this report were complicated and worsened, due to COVID-19. Poverty, economic mobility and stability, education, childcare, safety, and mental health all suffered setbacks. We will face the effects for years to come.

Diabetes Crisis

Lubbock County had 28.6 deaths per 100,000 people from diabetes versus 20.3 for the State.

Upbring’s Health for Friends Clinic provides healthcare services for people without access to health care or health insurance. Often, this means their illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, poor nutrition, high cholesterol, and obesity are left untreated. Upbring addresses these issues. However, many clinics and outreach sites have not been reopened after shutting down for COVID-19. Meaning many in need no longer have access to the care they need.

Mental Health

1,223 individuals, families and youth experiencing social, emotional or relational problems regained some personal well-being through affordable, high quality counseling services in 2020 through Family Counseling Services. Telehealth services and programs at assisted living facilities were two new initiatives started in 2020.

Women's Health

Texas is ranked 28th in terms of overall health and well-being of women. (Institute for Women’s Policy Research)

The physical and mental health outcomes among women vary across racial and ethnical groups in Lubbock County. (1) The mortality rate overall for Black women (273.5) is nearly double that of White women (145.7); Hispanic women have a rate of 159.4. (2) The mortality rate from diabetes for Black Women is 82.7 which is 68.1% higher than the rate for Hispanic women and over three times higher than the rate for White women. (3) White women in Texas have the highest suicide mortality rate, more than double or even triple any other race. (4) In Texas, about 20 in every 100,000 women die from breast cancer with mortality rates ranging from 9.6 (Asian/Pacific Islander) to 28.4 (Black). (5) It is estimated 1 in 8 women experiences postpartum depression. (6) Women are more than twice as likely as men to get an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. (7) 81.7% of Lubbock County women aged 18-64 have health insurance (2015) compared to 78% of Texas Women. Both still fall behind the national average of 88.4%.

Sources

Sources
2019 County Health Rankings
American Psychological Associates
Axios
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock
CASA of the South Plains
Center for Disease Control
Children at Risk
Children’s Advocacy Center of the South Plains
Communities in Schools of the South Plains
Early Learning Centers of Lubbock
Economic Policy Institute
Family Counseling Services
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Feeding America
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Kids Count 2021
Legal Aid Society of Lubbock
Lubbock Economic Development
Meadows Institute
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Parenting Cottage
Pew Research Center
Texas 2036
Texas Department of Family Protective Services
Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of State Health
Texas Education Agency
Texas Health and Human Services
Texas Workforce Commision
Trafficking Institute
TX Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning
Upbring
U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
United for ALICE Report
Voice of Hope
Women’s Protective Services
YWCA of Lubbock
Credits
Eugene Wang, Ph.D., Consultant
Devin McCain, Vice President Community Impact Lubbock Area United Way
Amanda McAfee, Vice President, Marketing & Communications Lubbock Area United Way
Directory
Contact Info
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy