Santa Cruz County Local News: Families & Children

04/17/2024
Heiress Paris Hilton is on a mission to shine a light on the "troubled teen industry," a largely unregulated multibillion-dollar industry that is gaining public scrutiny for alleged abuse of vulnerable youths.

04/02/2024
In the planning stages since 2021, a new inclusive and accessible playground opened at Skypark.

03/28/2024
Evictions have exacerbated homelessness nationwide, increasing the rate of homeless infants and toddlers. Most of those children are not enrolled in early education programs.

03/12/2024
The County of Santa Cruz is remodeling the two story office building at 5300 Soquel Avenue in Live Oak with conference rooms, family spaces and other amenities for youth in crisis and expand the Health Services Agency’s substance use disorder and mental health services.

02/16/2024
Harnessing their collective expertise, two nonprofits in South Santa Cruz County have joined forces to provide resources to families in need and fight against regional inequities.

02/14/2024
A former children's residential treatment program outside Watsonville is set to be converted into 21 new housing beds for youth by early next year, with the backing of a nearly $3.6 million state grant.

02/12/2024
The state is to implement long-awaited new guidelines in 2025 despite some calls for a year’s delay.

02/02/2024
Learning loss during the pandemic hit California’s low-income students hardest. An agreement requires the state to focus spending there.

01/15/2024
The Assembly has until the end of January to decide the fate of the youth tackle football bill, which would prevent kids under 12 from playing the sport to protect them from brain trauma.

01/12/2024
California’s projected budget deficit of close to $38 billion likely means some cuts are coming. Among them, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed ending the California State Park Adventure Pass, which offers free access to some state parks for fourth graders.

01/09/2024
Pasadena is the only California city named a travel destination for 2024 by The New York Times. This comes despite the Los Angeles-area city being just the 45th-largest city in the state.

01/08/2024
The 2024 California Children’s Report Card from an organization called Children Now noted that the state has failed to improve economic disparities for students. The report also dings the state for things like STEM offerings, early intervention and special education.

01/04/2024
San Diego Unified School District has received more than $700 million in federal and state relief funds since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with these funds ending, some schools could be facing serious deficits.

01/03/2024
Two-thirds of community college students in California admit to struggling to meet basic needs. The California Community Colleges’ Student Ambassador Program has empowered more than 50 students to act as resource guides to help them.

01/03/2024
Leaders of a parental rights advocacy group announced they’re planning to sue California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the way his office has characterized a 2024 ballot initiative they authored.

01/02/2024
The dawn of 2024 meant that California’s minimum wage rose from $15.50 to $16 an hour. That puts the Golden State at the second-highest minimum wage for a U.S. state, trailing only Washington state at $16.28 an hour.

01/02/2024
A law passed by the California legislature in 2023 has gone into effect banning licensed gun holders from bringing their firearms to places like playgrounds, churches and casinos. The law faces an ongoing challenge in the federal court system.

01/01/2024
A 2021 law passed by the California legislature went into effect Jan. 1, requiring major retailers to maintain an aisle of toys marketed to people of either gender. The bill’s author, Evan Low, said the legislation will help kids “express themselves freely and without bias.”