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Our Vision
We envision Somerset County as a community in which the entire family feels safe, supported
and involved; youth are active and involved; adults excel in the work force; and people from all
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote a safe, healthy, and stable environment for all Somerset County
children and families by achieving a comprehensive system of education, health, and human
Our Role
Develop family-focused, community-based services for children, youth and families that
Plan, coordinate, and evaluate programs and services that benefit children, youth and
Mobilize data and resources available to support children, youths, and families in their
communities.
organizations, and both public and private citizens that serve children, youths, and
Provide a point-of -entry service to the public on the availability and status of services for
Strategic Goals
Our Programs
Active Parenting: Free, regular parenting classes in Princess Anne and at the Somerset
County Detention Center and Eastern Correctional Institution to support family change in
a class setting.
of childhood hunger in for families in the community, through a series of smart cooking,
child nutrition, community education and outreach, and sustainable small gardening
projects.
community outreach that uses the innovative Alternative Peer Group design to support
adolescents in their recovery and their parents, and to conduct community outreach and
education.
Methodology
To provide both objective and subjective data on the needs and strengths of Somerset
County children and families, as well as the challenges they face, a multi-pronged evaluation
strategy was employed by the SCLMB through its 2016 Needs Assessment and Community
Planning process. First, three focus groups were held with community stakeholders. Second,
eight interviews were conducted with community leaders or “key informants.” Third, secondary
data offered both through the Governor’s Office for Children as well as other data sources on
each of the Indicators that measure progress in Maryland’s eight Results for Child Well-Being
A parallel process evaluated data on the Children’s Cabinet four strategic goals, part of
Governor Hogan’s effort to restore Maryland’s economy with a focus on improving human
capital. Those four strategic goals demand a collaborative effort among all child and family
serving agencies on both the state and local levels. The four strategic goals are: Reduce the
for Disconnected Youth; Reduce Childhood Hunger; and Reduce Youth Homelessness.
University of the strategic goals and the influence of those social challenges on children and
youth in Somerset County. The study shows a total negative economic impact of $796 million.
opportunities would support 10,769 jobs and generate more than $15 million in local tax
revenue.
Based on the available data and analysis through its 2016 Needs Assessment and
planning workshop, the Board prioritized the child well-being Result Areas of: Families are Safe
and Economically Stable, Indicator of Child Poverty; Healthy Children, Indicator of Substance
Use; and Youth have Opportunities for Employment or Career Readiness, Indicator of Youth
Employment. The board developed its proposed FY19 programs based on an overall collective
impact strategy to fills gaps in service in Somerset County and to support the expansion of
Areas of Strength
Since 2009, Somerset County has made significant strides in connecting children to
health insurance.
Between 2008 and 2013, Somerset County recorded a 46.2 child death rate per 100,000
while the state rate was 60.8. Not only was the county rate lower than the state as a whole
but also was the fifth lowest jurisdiction in the state, comparing favorably with other
The percentage of kindergarteners rated by their teachers as being overall “fully ready”
for school rose from 81% in 2010 to 90% in 2014. During these same five years, a higher
percentage of Somerset students were assessed as “fully ready” than all students across
the state in all years but 2013. Somerset youngsters continued to outperform incoming
kindergarteners across the state under new, more rigorous testing procedures introduced
in 2014-1015.
For students in Grades 3-8, Somerset students compared well with students across the
state in Reading and Math. On the other hand, the one-year snapshot of results from the
new statewide testing method, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
An increasing percentage of Somerset’s teenage students are completing both college and
From 2008 through 2012, Somerset County’s rate of violent crime per 1,000 persons was
Areas of Concern
Between 2009 and 2013, Somerset’s rate of birth to teens exceeded the state rate each
year but one and exceeded the Eastern Shore regional rate in three of those years. In
2013, Somerset had the highest rate of births to teens among all state counties.
While just a snapshot, the one-year data presented on obesity and students’ feelings about
their body weight indicate that Somerset County students have a much higher percentages
of measured obesity and higher concern about their weight than students across the state.
Somerset County youth evidenced a higher percentage of substance use than students
across Maryland in every reported category of the Maryland Youth Risk Behavioral
Somerset’s high school students did slightly less well than students statewide in High
School Assessment Tests in biology, English, and algebra and fell well below state
The percentages of disabled Somerset County students who test at or above proficient in
the three subject areas of math, reading, and science, are significantly below the state
averages.
The rate of bullying incidents reported in public schools has been higher in the county
than is found statewide in each of the past five years for which data are available.
While Somerset County showed a steady and significant decrease in its one-year dropout
rate from 2009 to 2015, the newly implemented cohort dropout rate indicates that county
students drop out at significantly higher rates than their peers across the state.
Data indicate that about 19% of the county’s young adults have less than a high school
education; this compares with about 13% statewide. On the other hand, about 44% of
Somerset youth have a high school degree or equivalent while that figure is only 29%
The percentage of young people between the ages of 16-24 in Somerset County who
participate in the labor force is significantly below state percentages; in fact, in some
years between 2010 and 2014, the county percentage was almost half. .
Somerset has a significantly higher rate of indicated and unsubstantiated findings of child
maltreatment than is found in comparison with state data. On the other hand, between
2011 and 2013, the county rate has decreased almost 37%.
The county has a consistently higher percentage of child food insecurity than is found
Somerset not only evidences a higher rate of out-of-home child placements but also
Between 2009 and 2013, the county showed an increasing percentage of public school
students who were considered homeless. County percentages are notably higher than state
percentages.
The percentages of children who lived in poverty in Somerset County was significantly
higher than the state percentages in the years between 2009 and 2013 and increased each
Suggested Strategies
Increase knowledge of and access to existing resources, especially addiction programs for
youth.
Engagement with youth needs to begin at an early age (2 to 3 years old). Too many are
Career education for young people and county adults that match employment
Salisbury.
Affordable child care. This was especially important in connection with GED
Economic development to provide jobs for adults and youth, especially those without a
college degree.
Strong support for full development of the coming Vocational/Technical High School.
Resources