We look to you to show us how the world should be. A community that is healthy for children, youth and families is implicit in the Sustainable Community Roundtable's vision for South Sound, as described above, from the 1995 State of the Community report . This profile looks at trends in selected indicators of family well-being, educational quality, and community inclusion of young people. It also looks at what's being done, and how each of us can help move these indicators in a positive direction. They are, after all, an important part of our present and the parents and grandparents of future generations.
Healthy families are the primary building blocks for healthy communities.
A child s primary relationship to parents and extended families is critical for healthy nurturing. Like ripples from a raindrop on a pond, children s relationships reach outward from their family to other adults they meet in their neighborhoods, schools and the wider community. These adults could be neighbors, teachers, coaches, pastors, shopkeepers, or bus drivers. In recent years, communities in South Sound have experienced increasing violence and other troubling behaviors involving young people. In 1992 the County Commissioners appointed an advisory group, Partners for Children, Youth, and Families, to coordinate strategies by service providers.