Santa Cruz County Families & Children Articles

Fun activities created by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History help students engage with nature and learn about the remarkable resources in our backyard.

This innovative equity program offers transportation funding for State Park visits to low-income students, providing access to nature and learning.

As summer wanes and the school year approaches, hundreds of families gathered in Watsonville Plaza Saturday to receive free new backpacks filled with school supplies.

The Skypark community came out to celebrate the Fourth of July on a warm morning for the annual Independence Day Kids Bike Parade in Scotts Valley.

Santa Cruz County Child Protective Services workers prioritize reunifying children with their birth parents, and have been accused of insensitive treatment and intimidation of families, according to a report released June 17 by the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury.

A Bright Future in Sight: Camping Unlimited at Camp Krem Approved for FEMA Assistance

Watsonville city officials gathered Friday to break ground on a major renovation and upgrade for Ramsay Park.

A bill from a member of the Legislature’s happiness committee would require schools to come up with homework policies that consider the mental and physical strain on students.

The state is considering zeroing out funds for CalWORKS family stabilization and job subsidy programs to help balance the budget.

More frequent outdoor breaks can improve student attention, reduce behavior problems. Over the last decade, a growing list of U.S. states—including Missouri, Florida and New Jersey—have mandated daily recess. California joined the trend in late 2023.

City of Scotts Valley has announced the grand opening of the inclusive Skypark Tot Lot Playground on Sunday, March 17, from 11am-1pm.

Home to the state capital, Sacramento County offers many amusements for visitors and locals alike. But only some require no cash outlay.

Lawmakers in California and other states are now making attempts to prevent the reported harms to children caused by social media platforms. The U.S. Senate got into the act as well, at a dramatic Jan. 31 hearing.

Undocumented Californians are leaving health care clinics with “smiles” after they learn they’re newly eligible for Medi-Cal insurance. The health insurance expansion was decades in the making for immigrant advocates.

California is modernizing how it pays health care providers through Medi-Cal. Some mental health providers say the changes endanger their services.

Local officials counted on the state’s Homekey program to convert hotel rooms. But now a major developer has defaulted on loans and the state housing department is investigating.

The California food banks association warns of rising food insecurity, but its pleas for more state aid face a tough slog next year due to the projected budget deficit, as a federal program to help people get enough food is …

End Poverty in California, a nonprofit founded by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, has been on a listening tour of the Golden State since early 2022.

For the food-insecure community in Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank feeds the need.