The California Children’s Report Card grades the State on its ability to support better outcomes for kids, from prenatal to age 26. The Report Card evaluates California’s leaders on the data around kids’ well-being, recent policy progress, and how we compare to other states. The Pro-Kid Agenda provides recommendations to the state’s leaders on how to improve outcomes for kids in each section, which includes health, education, family supports, child welfare.

Findings: The report began with a first-time assessment of online safety for children. Authors recommend establishing minimum guidelines protecting privacy and data security, preventing algorithmic bias and inequity, and guiding ethnical and age-appropriate use to keep children safe online. The other four main topic areas were graded:

• Health: An A- score for health insurance, but Ds in birthing health, preventive screenings, and preventing substance abuse.
• Education: The state scored in the B range for preschool and transitional kindergarten, expanded learning programs, higher education, and early care and education workforce. However, early intervention and special education efforts and connections with adults at school scored Ds.
• Family Supports: The state scored Bs for paid family leave, income assistance for low-income families, and food security.
• Child Welfare: C scores for stable homes and enduring relationships and health care for kids in foster card, and D grades for education support for students in foster care and transitions to adulthood.

The report references oral health research and poverty level data from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Health Interview Survey.