The 2026 California Children’s Report Card, developed by Children Now, is a comprehensive report on children’s well-being in the state. It grades the state on its ability to support better outcomes for kids, from prenatal to age 26, across 30 key children’s issues, including health, education, child welfare, online safety and early childhood. Each section of the report card includes policy recommendations that can guide the development and enactment of a whole-child agenda.
Education
The education section grades the state in 13 areas related to early childhood education through higher education. Most relevant to TK-12 board members are grades in preschool and transitional kindergarten (B+), education for dual language and English learners (C), accountability and outcomes (C-), education funding (C), expanded learning programs (B), STEM education (C-), educator pipeline, retention and diversity (C), student connections with adults at school (D) and school discipline and attendance (C).
“The breakdown in federal leadership has placed the burden squarely on California to protect and uplift its 5.8 million public school students,” the report states. “However, even as needs grow, California schools are facing larger class sizes, staffing shortages, and insufficient funding disproportionate to much of the rest of the country. The result: an education system with widening achievement gaps, especially in critical areas like math. Test results reveal California’s stalled pandemic recovery, with scores trailing other large states and a widening gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students.”
Looking deeper into a few categories, the report card states that California is home to the second-largest population of English learner (EL) students in the country. “EL students face persistent and widening disparities in English and math achievement. Yet the State has set low expectations for EL progress on the California School Dashboard, leading to minimal accountability and limited district-level action.”
Recommendations to improve EL education for policymakers include using an asset-based approach to supporting multilingualism, rigorous core content and instruction that promotes equity.
Recommendations for state leaders includes increasing investments in targeted teacher training and ongoing professional development focused on bilingual education and standardizing “reclassification criteria — including establishing clear English proficiency benchmarks and a consistent observation protocol involving teachers and parents — to ensure fair, transparent, and consistent EL reclassification.”
The report card finds that California underinvests in its educational system. During a January webinar reviewing key sections of the report, Children Now Vice President of Policy and Programs Vince Stewart said student outcomes illustrate that.
“Despite being the world’s fourth largest economy, California spends just 2.82 percent of its gross domestic product on education compared to 3.87 percent in New York. That difference represents billions of dollars each year and resources that could support smaller class sizes, student services and educator retention,” Stewart said.
The state’s STEM grade is reflected in the lack of access to STEM subjects, particularly science, engineering and computer science, especially ignored in the early grades; lack of qualified teachers for STEM subjects; and “weak” math teacher preparation programs, according to the report.
Recommendations to improve STEM instruction include making continuous, high-quality STEM instruction a core element of every child’s education early on and more investment in the state’s capacity to prepare, support and deliver teaching to the state’s standards.
Health
The state is graded on eight health categories including birthing health (D+), environmental justice and health (C+), health insurance (A-), health care access and accountability (C-), preventative screenings (D), supporting mental health (C-), preventing substance abuse (D+) and oral health care (C-).
The report cites cuts and policy changes at the federal level, as well as some state budget decisions, for halting progress California had made in recent years to protect children’s health. “A climate of fear and instability impacts the physical and mental health of young people,” the report states. “The State has pursued crucial lawsuits and legislation to protect California’s kids, but such promises can feel thin to families facing masked immigration officers, scarce health care options for their trans kids, and federal use of Medi-Cal data for immigration enforcement.”
Health impacts of federal policies to California’s children include:
- Immigrant families are less likely to bring their children in to see a doctor
- Closure of some pediatric clinics/hospitals, especially in rural areas
- Gender-affirming care for youth is becoming less available
- Health coverage is getting more expensive
- School mental health providers are less accessible due to high student-to-counselor ratios (?)
- Parents are confused by shifting federal vaccine guidelines for children
- Local dental, nutrition, lead screening and other children’s health programs get less funding
The report card also includes sections on family supports and child welfare. Read the full report card here.
