From CalMatters...
They Delivered 5,600 Babies. They Blame California Rules for Putting Them Out of Business
08/25/2024Birth centers are popular options for families who want to deliver a baby outside of a hospital. Nineteen of them closed in California in the past decade, deepening the state’s maternity care crisis.
From CalMatters...
Raising Kids in California? They May Have College Savings Accounts You Don’t Know About.
05/30/2024The state is directly investing money for low-income students and all newborns to attend college. After two years, the program is still not widely known by the students who need the most financial assistance.
From California Healthline...
Paris Hilton Speaks Up for California’s ‘Troubled’ Teens
04/17/2024Heiress 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.
From EdSource...
Homeless Infants and Toddlers Largely Unenrolled in Early Ed Programs
03/28/2024Evictions have exacerbated homelessness nationwide, increasing the rate of homeless infants and toddlers. Most of those children are not enrolled in early education programs.
From EdSource...
New California Teaching Standards Increase Focus on Family Engagement, Social-Emotional Learning
02/12/2024The state is to implement long-awaited new guidelines in 2025 despite some calls for a year’s delay.
From CalMatters...
Parents’ Rights Groups Mobilize as California Advances a Ban on Youth Tackle Football
01/15/2024The 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.
From SFGate...
Fourth Graders Might Lose Free Access to California State Parks
01/12/2024California’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.
From SFGate...
Pasadena Named Travel Destination for 2024 by NY Times
01/09/2024Pasadena 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.
From EdSource...
California Still Struggling to Support Young Students, Report Finds
01/08/2024The 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.
From Voice of San Diego...
San Diego County Schools Face Post-Pandemic Funding Woes
01/04/2024San 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.
From CapPublicRadio...
01/03/2024Leaders 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.
From EdSource...
California Community College Students Helping Peers
01/03/2024Two-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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Law Goes Into Effect Blocking Guns in Many California Public Places
01/02/2024A 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.
From New York Times...
CA Minimum Wage Hits $16 an Hour
01/02/2024The 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.
From CNN...
Gender-Neutral Toy Law Goes Into Effect
01/01/2024A 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.”
From CalMatters...
Californians Can Now Save Money on Vasectomies, Other Birth Control
12/31/2023California adopted several laws to increase access to contraception and abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. The latest one eliminates out-of-pocket charges for birth control for millions of Californians.
From Santa Cruz Sentinel...
Science Doesn’t Yet Support Broad Restrictions on Teens’ Access to Social Media
12/26/2023In a report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, researchers instead lay out a plan for what society might do to improve adolescents’ interactions with social media.
From CalMatters...
Happy New Year, California Workers! You Now Get More Paid Sick Days
12/26/2023Under a new law, employees in California are guaranteed five paid sick days a year, two days more than previously. Worker advocacy groups say the benefit is needed, but business groups warn of additional costs.
From CalMatters...
Domestic Violence Shelters Play a Key Role in Fighting Homelessness. Now They Face Deep Funding Cuts
12/19/2023Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit new spending is unlikely.
From EdSource...
CA AG Backs Motion to Oppose Actions of SoCal School Board
12/13/2023California Attorney General Rob Bonta has formally backed an August motion by two law groups to keep the Temecula Valley Unified School District from being able to notify parents about transgender children or censor instruction about race. A hearing for the motion is scheduled for Jan. 24.
From CalMatters...
California Company Used Child Labor for Dangerous Poultry Processing Work
12/13/2023The Exclusive Poultry Inc. agreed to pay $3.8 million in wages, damages and penalties in part for hiring children for dangerous work. The case is one of hundreds federal labor officials investigated last year.
From Sacramento Bee...
Supreme Court Upholds California Ban on Conversion Therapy
12/11/2023By declining to hear a conservative group’s challenge, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. California is one of 22 states to ban this practice.
From KQED...
At-Home COVID Tests Can Be Reimbursable in California
12/07/2023Although the federal government is providing four free COVID tests per month, that’s not the only way to get them. Aetna and Blue Shield of California members can be reimbursed for up to eight at-home tests per month, while Kaiser Permanente is offering discounts on tests.
From CalMatters...
Moms Who Suffer Domestic Abuse Can Lose Their Kids. But Does This Policy Make Any Sense?
12/06/2023California’s “failure to protect” law allows child welfare agencies to take kids from households scarred by domestic violence. Advocates say the separation can worsen a family’s trauma.
From CalMatters...
State Invested $53 Million in Teaching Low-Performing Kids to Read. Here's How it's Paying Off
12/03/2023In 2020, the state agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed too many students were not learning to read. As part of that agreement, the state spent over $50 million on 75 schools with the lowest reading scores.
From CalMatters...
Border Patrol Dumped 42,000 migrants on San Diego Streets. The County Needs Help to Help Them
12/03/2023San Diego-area nonprofits and faith organizations struggle to provide for tens of thousands of migrants border agents have released on San Diego streets.
From Capital & Main...
Right-Wing Takeover of SoCal School Board Stirs Angst
12/01/2023Students and teachers alike are decrying the actions of the Temecula Valley Unified School District board, which became conservative in majority following the recent elections of three members. The board’s actions include banning critical race theory and mandating parental notification if their child is transgender.
From Capital & Main...
Utility Increases Loom for 16 Million California Households
11/30/2023Utility 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.
From CalMatters...
Will Kids Still Take Their Medicine? New State Law Forces Pharmacies to Take Out the Flavor
11/28/2023Parents 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.
From Sacramento Bee...
State Debuting Mental Health App for Young People Next Year
11/15/2023The 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.
From KFF Health News...
New RSV Shot Could Help Protect Babies This Winter—If They Can Get It in Time
11/08/2023Emily Bendt was in her third trimester of pregnancy when she first heard the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had approved a new shot for infants to protect them from the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
From Los Angeles Times...
A Story With Teeth: Why California Kids Lag in Dental Health
10/31/2023California 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.