Calhoun County Community Report Card 2016-2017

The Coordinating Council (TCC) of Calhoun County, in conjunction with State of Michigan systems reform efforts, brings together local organizations to set priorities for the allocation, reallocation and repositioning of resources for children, youth and families. Participation in the TCC demonstrates that health, mental health, education and human service professionals in Calhoun County are committed to having a positive impact in the lives of the people they serve.

One of the key roles of TCC is to encourage and advocate for the establishment of effective services based on needs assessment. To that end, professionals in Calhoun County routinely examine myriad educational, economic, health and social indicators. Many of the major indicators used to determine and describe the status of the community in areas of Economic Self-Sufficiency, Healthy Family and Social Relationships and Access to Community Resources, are presented here in the Calhoun County Community Report Card. On the following page (TCC Outcome Measurement) you will find a snapshot of major objectives that TCC has established for Calhoun County, along with just a few of the many indicators it monitors in pursuit of these outcomes for the county’s children, youth and families.

Indicators are important for several reasons. First, they help describe community conditions relative to all residents. Second, they can be used to educate and inform local and state planning efforts and public policy decisions. Third, indicators can be used to measure progress toward identified community goals by describing current conditions and trends. Additionally, indicators help monitor the impact of investments and policy decisions.

What makes a good Indicator?  Indicators need to matter. They need to be relevant and important to the community.  Indicators need to be measurable, reflecting quantifiable and accurate data.  Indicators need to mean something. They should create a convincing picture that is easily explained to the public and other stakeholders, like policy-makers and funders. i As citizens, policy-makers and funders have the ability to see data trends, they have the opportunity to mobilize and advocate for change, make data-driven program and services decisions, and determine the best allocation of resources to impact community issues.