Now is the time to take action to urge state lawmakers to support the bills as they move through policy committees
 
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Dear Child Advocate,

The California legislative session is in full swing, and there are a number of bills on the agenda that could have a significant impact on California's children and youth. CDF-CA is sponsoring and prioritizing bills to reduce child poverty, improve access to health care, ensure educational equity and transform justice systems for youth.

Now is the time to take action to urge state lawmakers to support the bills as they move through policy committees - please visit our Bill Watch page to take action.

Our voices are louder and actions stronger when we fight together. Your support is crucial to our success. Thank you for answering the call; it won't be the last as there is a long road to justice for California's children.

Onward,
 
 
Alex M. Johnson
Executive Director
Children's Defense Fund - California
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
2016 Policy Agenda
 
On February 23rd, we joined key state legislators and their staff in Sacramento for a press conference and legislative briefing to introduce our 2016 policy agenda. Entitled Leveling the Playing Field for Children, the policy agenda identifies the steps that California lawmakers can take today to ensure that all our children have what they need to realize their potential tomorrow. Recognizing that children don’t come in pieces, the policy agenda highlights policies that support the whole child by lifting children out of poverty, providing quality health care to every child, ensuring educational equity, and transforming the juvenile justice system to focus on prevention and rehabilitation.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
Key State Bills Introduced
 
We are partnering with state legislators to sponsor several pieces of legislation that aim to improve the odds for vulnerable children in California. Please help us make sure these bills are passed into law.
 
 
 
 
Afterschool Access for Success Act
 
Assembly Bill 1567, by Assemblymember Campos, requires state-funded after school programs to waive program fees and provide priority access for children who are homeless or very poor.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
Student Transportation for Success
 
Assembly Bill 1572 by Assemblymember Nora Campos would close the school achievement gap and increase opportunity for California's poorest youth by offering free transportation to school.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
End the Criminalization of Youth for Riding Transit Without Fare
 
Senate Bill 882, by Senator Hertzberg, prevents children and youth under 18 from being charged with a penal code infraction for riding transit without fare.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
Featured Updates
 
 
 
Every Student Matters Retreat
 
Members from our Action Scholars Leadership program in Long Beach joined fellow youth leaders from across the state for the annual Building Healthy Communities/Every Student Matters Retreat this past weekend to solidify campaign priority goals, strategy and activities.
 
Read more...
 
 
Connecting Child Health to School Success
 
On January 15, the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education issued a joint guidance letter and a toolkit of promising practices to improve the health of students. The toolkit highlighted CDF-CA's model of working with school districts to identify uninsured students and connect them to health coverage.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
Youth Spotlight: Mykel Duffey
 
Mykel Duffey is certain that he would be failing many of his high school classes and spending most of his time at home couch surfing had it not been for Children's Defense Fund - California. Instead, he has done things that he never imagined and has hopes of becoming a child psychologist.
 
Read more...
 
 
California Earned Income Tax Credit
 
Did you know there's a new California cash back tax credit for working families? It's called the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and it's modeled after a federal credit that also gives back money to working families.
 
Read more...
 
 
In the News
 
 
 
Children Defense Fund Pushes Package Of Poverty And Justice Bills In Calif Legislature
 
FEB 24, 2016 | KVCR
 
A group that advocates for kids in California is urging state lawmakers to approve a package of bills intended to end child poverty and transform the juvenile justice system. [...]
 
 
 
Child Advocates Release 2016 Policy Agenda
 
February 23, 2016 | Capital Public Radio
 
A new bill was pushed at the Capitol Tuesday to make sure more kids have equal opportunities in California. Members with the Children's Defense Fund said too many children, especially disadvantaged and special needs children. [...]
 
 
 
New bill aims to help California's children have equal opportunities
 
February 23, 2016 | KCRA
 
A new bill was pushed at the Capitol Tuesday to make sure more kids have equal opportunities in California. Members with the Children's Defense Fund said too many children, especially disadvantaged and special needs children. [...]
 
 
 
Narrowing the Accountability Gap: Lowering the Voting Age to 16 for Youth in School Board Elections In California
 
February 10, 2016 | Huffington Post
 
Hundreds of students walked out of schools and across Minneapolis to protest U.S. immigration policies. In Detroit Public Schools, students demonstrated over unsafe and deteriorating schools. [...]
 
 
 
Advocates Eye Reformers for Top L.A. County Probation Post
 
February 3, 2016 | Chronicle of Social Change
 
The Los Angeles County Probation Department has cycled through six probation chiefs in a decade. This time, juvenile-justice advocates hope the county will attract someone with a desire and capacity to oversee reform of the nation's largest juvenile-justice system. [...]
 
 
 
County Considers New Probation Watchdog Group
 
February 2, 2016 | Patch
 
The Board of Supervisors took a step Tuesday toward revamping oversight of the Probation Department, a shift that could ultimately include a citizens oversight commission. [...]
 
 
 
 
         
 
 
 
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