Oct. 1 forum slated on child well-being trends in Putnam

Putnam County's child poverty rate is slightly below the state's rate according to the Kids Count in Indiana Data Book, yet statistics also show that the rate of free and reduced-price lunch usage, along with the use of food stamps, has increased over the past four years.

The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) is hosting an Oct. 1 forum to take an in-depth look at Putnam County's trends in child well-being and at how to find resources to help local children.

This forum will feature Julie Whitman, IYI's vice president of programs. She will discuss the state of children in Putnam County and show attendees how to use data to tell a community's story by finding reliable statistics on the Kids Count Data Center.

The forum will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the Mill Pond Health Campus, 1014 Mill Pond Lane, Greencastle.

As part of IYI's Youth Worker Café program, the forum is free and lunch will be served, but reservations are required by noon Monday, Sept. 30. Interested persons may RSVP at www.iyi.org/YWC.

Reservations may also be made by contacting IYI Statewide Outreach Manager Debbie Jones via phone at (317) 396-2729 or via email at djones@iyi.org.

An overview of Putnam County data related to child development and child well-being can be found at the Kids Count Data Center.

Youth Worker Cafés are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations to benefit children. This Youth Worker Café is made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Putnam County Youth Development Commission, United Way of Putnam County, Putnam County Family Support Services, the Children's Bureau and IYI.

For more information, persons may contact IYI West Center Indiana field representative Katie McGaughey at kmcgaughey@iyi.org.