Press Releases

Released today, the 2013-14 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California is a guide to the top state-level policymaking priorities for children.

Statement by Eileen Espejo, director of media & health policy for Children Now.

Nationwide, employment among Americans, ages 16-24, are at its lowest 
since World War II.

An interactive, online report released today delivers a current and comprehensive picture of children’s condition in every one of California’s 58 counties.

Children Now announced today it is supporting both Propositions 30 and 38 on this November’s ballot, joining other leading education voices endorsing both initiatives.

With the exception of Health, where California ranks 23rd, the state ranks at the bottom of all other categories of children’s well-being.

A broad group of respected leaders and concerned citizens are posting videos onto a YouTube channel to express their opposition to children shouldering a huge portion of the $8.3 billion in budget cuts proposed by the Brown Administration.

Over 2.7 million children in the nation live in kinship care, according to a new KIDS COUNT report released today from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Children Now.

More than one million California children live in high-poverty areas, according to the new KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot released today by The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Children Now.

Children Now is encouraged by the attention given to childhood obesity. However, among the many steps taken to address the obesity epidemic, Children Now remains concerned about the lack of progress made to curb unhealthy food marketing to children.

Data released today finds that approximately 3.2 million California children live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment.

Supporting children is clearly the best investment the state can make, yet even in the best of times, children are not the top priority in state spending.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will host a policy forum exploring what keeps students from coming to school in the first place and how schools and communities can partner to bring them back to the classroom.

Statement by Jeff McIntyre, national policy director for Children Now.

Children Now today announced that Donna Friedman Meir was elected to Children Now’s board of directors.

Packard Foundation cites work of Children Now, The Children’s Partnership, California Children’s Health Initiatives, and United Ways of California as critical to continued progress.

Citing the state’s failure to prioritize kids, a comprehensive plan addressing the systemic education and health problems undermining children’s development was delivered to California’s incoming policymakers today.

No two places in the state are alike in terms of the condition of their children, according to the 2010 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being, an online research and advocacy tool released today.

The California State Senate today gave final approval to legislation that would create an early warning system for high school dropout prevention, tracking student attendance as early as kindergarten.

With California’s budgets in continuing crisis mode and resulting cuts in state funding for programs meeting children’s needs, Children Now has released a new 27-page guide, which covers the state’s myriad early learning and development programs, services, and funding streams.

A new report released today highlights the need to increase the number of children reading at grade level by the end of third grade, a critical academic milestone that can predict whether or not children graduate from high school.

Children do not have enough lobbying dollars or campaign contributions or enough people organized behind them to get the attention they need in interest group politics, according to Children Now, a leading nonpartisan, nonprofit children’s public policy organization, that today launched “The Children’s Movement” to organize a public pro-kid constituency.

President Barack Obama today unveiled a proposal outlining sweeping reforms to the nation’s health care system, including the preservation of children’s health care coverage programs and recommendations to expand coverage for children.

Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, on today’s State of the State address.

Significant changes to children’s health care and education policies are required for California to regain its financial footing and safeguard its future economic competitiveness, according to a new study released today from Children Now.

Landmark report raises serious doubt about the future viability of industry self-regulation to help address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s special session on education.

Report shows that, between 2000 and 2006-07, California improved on five of 10 measures that affect children’s well-being.

The issues weakening California children’s well-being are also undermining the economic prosperity of the state as a whole, according to a new study.

A new study by Children Now reveals substantial deficiencies in children’s educational television programming and raises serious doubts about broadcasters’ commitments to the nation’s children.

To shore up California’s economic and civic outlook, state and community leaders, advocates and concerned citizens must work to address the many local environmental factors that together influence children’s development, according to a new report by Children Now.

Study found that companies spent $1.6 billion in 2006 to promote food and beverages to children, with television continuing to dominate the advertising landscape.

California continues its slide in the national rankings of children’s well-being, according to a new report released today by Children Now and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Adelstein spoke today at the Media Institute, where he outlined his proactive agenda to improve the media environment for our nation’s children.

Children Now statement on Governor Schwarzenegger’s revisions to the California state budget.

Reductions totaling over $198 million statewide would result in the loss of over 18,000 child care spaces in California for low-income working families.

Children Now statement on K-12 findings by Governor-appointed committee.

Public policy decisions in 2008 are critical to determining the well-being of California’s children and the state for years to come.

When media companies are allowed to own multiple television stations in a single market, children suffer the consequences, according to new research released today.

Eighty-five percent of children from immigrant families in California are citizens and three-quarters of them are bilingual, according to a new Children Now report.

California stacks up poorly against other states in supporting its children, according to a new report.

Wide disparities in children’s well-being from county to county are presented in a new report by Children Now.

Children living along the California-Mexico border face substantial challenges to their health and educational well-being, according to a new report.

Statement from Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, regarding Governor Schwarzenegger’s state budget revisions.

Statement in reaction to the Federal Communications Commission’s report on television violence.

Statement on the FCC’s decision to fine Univision for airing children’s soap operas to fulfill educational programming requirements.

Children Now statement on the proposed California budget for 2007-08.

As the state legislature gets set to reconvene next Monday and Governor Schwarzenegger launches a new term, voters are looking for comprehensive changes to the public education system.

Today, Children Now will testify in a community forum on media consolidation.

The Children’s Media Policy Coalition urged the Federal Communications Commission to protect children’s interests before making changes to media ownership rules.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission will hold its first public hearing in Los Angeles to discuss media ownership rules.

Children Now reacted to today’s Federal Communications Commission ruling on children’s television programming and advertising.

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 638, which greatly expands the availability of after school programs in California.

Three Children Now-sponsored bills received bipartisan support for their common-sense approaches to improving children’s well-being.

A conference including Senators Clinton (D-NY) and Brownback (R-KS) is being held today to explore current and emerging digital advertising practices targeting children.

The issues affecting children in border communities should not be perceived as just on the border, according to new research issued by Children Now.

California budget reflects solid support for children’s education, including preschool, but fails to broaden children’s health coverage.

Children’s well-being in California is no longer improving as steadily as it did in the late 1990s, according to a new report.

Several communities throughout California are successfully addressing the statewide need for increased access to quality preschool programs, according to a new report from Children Now.

Children Now statement on the FCC’s vote to open the revised digital television rules for public comment.

New TV rules ensure children continue to be provided three hours of educational programming per broadcast station per week.

New report by the Center for the Study of Social Policy offers a state-by-state analysis of effective policies and recommendations for California to consider.

Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed 2006-07 state budget includes commendable funding increases for children’s health and education programs, but they are not nearly enough to actually fix the problems.