Bradenton Herald November 19, 2004 Migrant-needs poll puts education first
PALMETTO - With annual incomes far below the poverty level, the average migrant worker family is encouraging education among its young children in Manatee County, according to data released Thursday by an area social agency. Preliminary data by the Latino Community Network's Needs Assessment of Farmworker Communities in Manatee County indicate that the average farmworker supports about three family members and earns between $5,000 and $9,000 a year - about $5,000 to $9,000 less than the national poverty threshold. The poverty level is $14,824 for a three-member family, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Latino Community Network compiled the statistics based on a 120-question survey issued to 525 households out of an estimated 18,000 farmworker households in Manatee County, advocates said. Most of the data was collected in Spanish but compiled in English. Christine Talcott-Roberts, of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, served as a subcommittee member for the Latino Community Network and explained the findings at the organization's monthly meeting Thursday afternoon. "Over and over, what we're seeing is stability," Talcott-Roberts said about trends in the farmworker community. On average, Manatee County farmworkers have lived in the area for about six years. About 20 percent of migrant workers work in the fields, with 64 percent of those surveyed saying they had "very poor" or "poor" English skills. With an average of about 2.5 children per household, researchers found that 54 percent of migrant worker parents visited their child's school in the past year. Advocates hope the data collected will help etch the attributes and needs, such as education, housing, health and social concerns, of Manatee County's migrant population, who some say are an often unheard voice in a growing community. "We have a great opportunity for education at this point," said Maria Matos, chairwoman of the Latino Community Network, Matos said the data allows the organization and area social agencies to "put one and one together and make it happen" for a group of people who, often times, don't know where to turn for simple things, such as doctor visits. The research found that about 76 percent of the community were born in Mexico, and about 9 percent were born in the United States. About 7 percent were born in Guatemala, while the remaining 8 percent are from other Central and South American countries. Issues of concern among farmworkers include rising medical costs, housing and immigration issues. The survey found that 51 percent of the migrant population live in duplexes or triplexes, while another 26 percent live in mobile or single-family homes. While a little more than 42 percent feel somewhat safe in their neighborhoods, 38 percent viewed crime as a problem in their communities, according to the data. Requests include more parks, better housing, laundry services and street lights in their neighborhoods. Nine months of the two-year project were dedicated to gathering data after researchers mapped out areas of Manatee County where farmworkers live and took twice as long to conduct than the Sarasota migrant needs assessment. The Latino Community Network plans to formally present its findings at the Manatee Convention and Civic Center on Dec. 16. With the establishment of social services in areas that are lacking, Aida Frayer of Legal Aid of Manasota hopes education will strengthen the impoverished migrant worker. "It's about teaching and empowering them to do things for themselves," Frayer said
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