FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. PT
Contact: Matt Roman, [email protected] or 617-835-3167.
Children Now President Ted Lempert issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s budget proposal released today (1/10/24):
For decades, California has consistently underinvested in its kids. While we recognize the large deficit affecting the Administration’s budget proposal, we can’t continue down this path of deprioritizing kids that has led to alarmingly poor outcomes. We applaud the Administration’s renewed commitment to child care rate reform, but are particularly concerned with some proposed reductions, including the elimination of the 24/7 hotline for youth in foster care and taking dollars back from state preschool. The California Children’s Report Card released this week highlights the critical investments the Governor and Legislature must make to better address the current child care, youth mental health and substance abuse crises, improve LCFF implementation, and provide more supports for youth in foster care and experiencing homelessness, as well as a host of other issues critical to our collective future.
For questions or media requests, please contact Matt Roman at [email protected] or 617-835-3167.
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Children Now is a non-partisan, whole-child research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health and education in California. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a network of more than 5,400 direct service, parent, civil rights, faith-based, and community groups dedicated to improving children’s well-being.
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