Summary
California is home to more than 9 million children. With 12 percent of the nation’s children, the well-being of California kids has a big impact on the well-being of children nationally, but California recently ranked 38th out of 50 states in children’s well-being. Research has shown a strong connection between children’s socioeconomic status and overall well-being. About 1 in 4 California children lives in poverty.
California is also one of the most diverse states in the U.S.: 1 in every 2 children is Latino, and 22 percent of students are English learners from at least 60 different language groups. Nearly half the state’s children (4.4 million) live in immigrant families, and the majority of those (91 percent) are U.S. citizens.
Yet research consistently finds large disparities in kids’ well-being based on racial, ethnic and language background. In a state as diverse as California, our future civic and economic well-being hinges on closing those gaps, and ensuring every child is healthy, well-educated and safe.
