El Dorado County Families & Children Digest

Utility giant PG&E is set to raise its rates an average of 13% on Jan. 1. That equals an extra $32.50 a month, or $390 for the year.

Parents say flavored medication can help ensure their kids finish a prescription. Far fewer California pharmacies are offering that service as they await new rules from a state regulator.

Since 2013, the Nest Family Resource has been dedicated to helping families thrive from fertility through parenthood in an accessible, inclusive, and compassionate environment.

The state will offer a free mental health app beginning Jan. 1 for people ages 13-25. It is currently being tested in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

California kids have some of the lowest-ranked dental health in the United States, with challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Here’s a look at the problem and what’s being done to address it.

Safeguarding children through healthy initiatives, education, law enforcement and deterrence, or SCHIELD, is the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office's new mantra and mission to connect with its community.

More than 40 states are suing the social media giant. The legal actions allege that Meta has deceived the public about the harms of Facebook and Instagram, which the attorneys general say “exploit and manipulate” children.

Signed by the governor in September 2022, AB 2881 aims to help student parents in California by offering them priority registration. Advocates are optimistic the law will formalize data collection, allowing them to better serve this student population that represents 1 in 5 students nationally.

Despite an influx of money to counter learning loss during the pandemic, English language arts and math test scores remain low.

Kaiser patients waited 19 days for follow-up mental health appointments in 2019, nine days longer than state law permits. The settlement includes the largest-ever penalty issued by California’s behavioral health regulator.

Newsom rejected Senate Bill 799, which would have paid striking workers California unemployment benefits after two weeks, and SB 686, which would have extended workplace safety protections to domestic workers, such as housekeepers and nannies.

Several anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers are advertising abortion pill reversal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the claims false advertising that mislead vulnerable patients.

The Mother Teresa Maternity Home in Placerville celebrated its grand reopening last month, nearly eight months after severe storm damage forced the facility’s closure.

A small group of activists want California voters to decide whether transgender minors should be allowed to receive puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement following Anderson Union High School District Board’s decision to implement a mandatory gender identity disclosure policy detrimental to the well-being of LGBTQ+ students.

Reno attorney Joey Gilbert wasted no time going to work after he was hired by the Douglas County School Board.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District and the South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center are partnering to build on their interrelated missions through the sharing of resources, personnel and the input of those they serve.

The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Fausel House Child Advocacy Center has been awarded accreditation by the National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process.

The Sacramento History Museum debuted “Meet May Woolsey,” an exhibit on the third floor in the Community Gallery that recounts a treasured story about a young Sacramento girl who passed away in September 1879.

Congressman Kevin Kiley spent the day in South Lake Tahoe meeting with area leaders before recognizing a longtime business for its years of service to the community.

More than 300 local students participated in the SAGE Map Contest hosted by the El Dorado County Surveyor’s Office and the El Dorado and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District.

El Dorado County will increase compensation to environmental consulting company Dudek by more than $142,000 for additional analysis and planning on the Diamond Springs park project. The park is will be adjacent to Charles F. Brown Elementary School.

The Sacramento Zoo is opening an exhibit 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur Safari at the Sac Zoo runs through March 2024, featuring more than 20 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs.

About 300 South Lake Tahoe youth celebrated the end of their winter season with the youth development nonprofit SOS Outreach.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe received a grant from the Vail Resorts Epic Promise program.

Cheyanne Lane has been appointed as interim executive director of Tahoe Youth & Family Services. Lane began working for TYFS in 2006 and has filled many roles during her tenure.

Tahoe Tessie isn’t real but climate change is. That’s the tagline for “Find Tahoe Tessie,” an augmented reality game app developed by UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The mission of the Kiwanis International organization is to strengthen the community and serve children. In meeting these goals, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra participates in various service events.

Georgetown School of Innovation sixth-graders created StoryCorp-type podcasts about different agencies that helped during the Mosquito Fire. The class came up with 10 different agencies to interview.

SCOTUS rejected a last-minute plea from the tobacco industry and cleared the way for enforcement of a statewide ban that includes menthol cigarettes.

In online pregnancy discussion groups, dozens of California women have detailed their long waits for results and the anxiety it has caused.

“Ski Patrol Pups’ follows the story of the author’s puppy, Walter, as he and his friends learn what it takes to become ski patrol dogs.