Catching Them Early :: essays papers

Catching Them Early capital of Virginia, California, is a predominately low-income city across the bay from San Francisco. In some of its hard-pressed neighborhoods, children be at high risk of crowd involvement, drug abuse, and violence and teen pregnancy. But instead of relying only on law enforcement agencies to keep children safe, the people of Richmond have taken matters into their own hands. Community agencies and schools are working together to break the cycle of poverty and violence. Catching Them Early profiles the extraordinary efforts of Richmonds Lincoln basal School to ensure a bright future for its children. Ninety-nine percent of the kids attending Lincoln qualify for federal meal subsidies many have family members in a gang. So the school makes special efforts, including the hiring of outreach workers, to provide the kind of support kids need to stay in class and do well. Teenagers in Richmond view support at Families Unites, an unusual commu nity health organization that has made crime prevention part of its mission. Families Unites and its caseworkers like outreach worker Gonzalo Rucobo, who was himself once a gang member, help kids stay out of gangs and avoid conflicts that can lead to violence. Catching Them Early observes one teenagers struggle to remove himself from gang violence without alienating his aging friends. Two of my friends, he says, have got shot down, and they were not banging anymore. Im just trying to stay out of trouble. I dont say Im lucky until probably ten eld from now. You never know whos going to come up behind you. Catching Them Early also explores how Richmond is responding to the growing tendency of teenage girls to become pertain in violence and crime. Richmond targets teen mothers, providing them with training in child rearing and help in anticipating the difficulties they will encounter, and makes a special effort by programs like Head Start to make sure that young children ge t the support they need to become successful students. Richmond is inspiring, says series writer/ producer Roger Grief, because its a community under pressure that is challenging its youth crime problem without relying solely on cops, courts, and corrections.