United Way of Central Florida's goal is to improve lives in Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties by mobilizing the people and resources that can make a difference.
The first step, though, is to understand clearly what issues confront the people of Central Florida, what obstacles we face. They are varied, and of varying magnitude. A steering committee of key social sector professionals assembled in August 2002 to begin researching quality of life indicators in Polk County. Here is a sample of some realities they found:
Education
- Only one in five children in Polk County are served in school readiness programs or have access to quality pre-kindergarten education.
- Nearly one in four adults 25 or older in the greater Lakeland/Winter Haven area does not have a high school diploma.
- Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties fall below the state and federal averages in the percentages of adult population with at least a bachelors degree. Only 15 percent have that degree or higher.
Healthcare
- Half of the county's population qualifies for and receives care through Medicaid and/or Medicare, the government healthcare programs.
- About 99 out of 1,000 women ages 15 to 19 in the greater Lakeland/Winter Haven area give birth each year.
- One out of every five people in the Lakeland/Winter Haven area (90,000 people out of 450,000) has a diagnosed disability.
Self-Sufficiency
- About 14 percent (70,000 people) of Polk's population live below the poverty level (which is an annual income of $18,000 for a family of four). That's higher than the state average of 12.4 percent.
- Polk's per capita income is $23,285, which is less than the Florida and U.S. averages.
Childcare
- There are 34,500 families in Polk with children younger than 6. Of these, 61 percent (21,000 families) have both parents in the workforce.
- It's estimated that as many as 7,000 children in Polk would qualify for subsidized childcare help. The current system accommodates 5,300.
- About 16,000 single mothers with children younger than 18 live in the greater Lakeland/Winter Haven area.
