CANYON CITY – Curbing drinking and drug use among kids rises to the top of a list of challenges facing Grant County in a report unveiled last week.

The report is the Grant County Commission on Children and Families’ new comprehensive plan, which is required by the state. Its goal is to identify the major needs facing children and families in the county and strategies for meeting those needs.

Dana Brooks, director of the Commission, presented the comprehensive plan last week to the Grant County Court, which approved it unanimously. The plan goes next to the state Commission on Children and Families.

Brooks said recently that the plans are a blueprint for action not just for the Commission, but for all the agencies that work with county residents.

Brooks said the information in the plans helps direct state funds to specific problems, based on the actual needs of the local communities.

“The comprehensive plan has us looking not just at the ‘why’ but the ‘why here’ aspect,” she said. “We’re asking what sets us apart, what makes us different?”

Brooks told the Court that the report is the “culmination of over a year’s worth of work.”

The preparation involved members of the commission, as well as input from numerous community groups and agencies.

The report also drew on a “Five Minutes for Families” survey taken last year. The survey was offered online and at the annual Health and Safety Fair.

The comprehensive plan noted the results of that survey.

Respondents cited youth substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and drugs) as their top concern, followed by adult substance abuse, living wage employment opportunities, child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence. In all, 19 problems were ranked.

Brooks said the results mirrored Grant County’s rankings with the Oregon Progress Board. According to the comprehensive plan, the county ranked 33rd – or fourth worst – among counties for eighth grade tobacco use; 35th in eighth-grade alcohol abuse, 35th in child abuse or neglect, and 36th in unemployment.

However, Brooks noted that the rankings were based on a five-year average, and don’t refect some improvements shown in recent years, thanks to new initiatives. The report noted, for example, that eighth-grade substance abuse has dropped slightly in the last three years.

The comprehensive plan also asked community partners to identify gaps in service that affect the ability to deal with challenges. These include the shortage of living wage jobs, the lack of health and dental insurance, and other factors.

Brooks also noted that the report identified obstacles to local efforts, such as frequent changes in staff and directors in key agency positions. In addition, having agency directors or decision-makers so far away from the service area can stall efforts to take action, she said.

Tackling the youth substance abuse problem, the plan noted several strategies being employed in the schools and through the Grant County Safe Communities Coalition. Those efforts include information in health classes, new peer-based programs, the “Face it, parents” public information campaign, after-school activities for kids, and assessments of youths referred by the county Juvenile Department.

The Coalition is conducting a “social norms campaign” at Grant Union High School, the county’s largest high school, to try to answer the “why here” question. The campaign uses focus groups of students to discuss various issues.

While youth substance abuse was the top issue identified by the comprehensive plan, Brooks said the commission and its partners will continue working on strategies to deal with a variety of other issues.

Commissioner Scott Myers, who was involved in the plan work, agreed.

“By focusing on the one issue here, it doesn’t eliminate our focus on all the other 18 issues on the table,” he said.

One of those issues – child abuse and neglect – will be on the agenda when the Commission meets in March.

Brooks noted that the comprehensive plan is not static. While it is adopted for a six-year period, it can be changed as the community’s needs change.

Brooks also noted that the news is not all bad, when it comes to families and kids in Grant County.

“Even though we’re saying we’re bad on some things, we’re very good on some things as well,” she said.

The plan noted that the county is 16th or better than the average on 27 of the 41 benchmarks reported by Oregon Progress Board. “The county ranks among the top ten in the state on 17 of the benchmarks,” the plan said.

“Our future will depend on the ability to draw from our strengths to shore up our weaknesses,” the plan said. “With a strong committed community behind the efforts, Grant County will strive toward a stronger, brighter future for children and families.”