September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness about this urgently important crisis. Currently, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14, the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24 and the 12th leading cause of […]
Category: Conditions of Children
Conditions of Children
Policymakers are leaning into supporting overall student well-being
Schools play a key role in supporting student well-being, and a new analysis of governors’ 2022–25 State of the State addresses and legislation introduced across the country show state policymakers are increasingly adapting comprehensive health supports to help local educational agencies provide children with better […]
California student immunization requirements
For many families, August is for frenzied back-to-school shopping and reestablishing morning routines to get children to class on time. However, August is also National Immunization Awareness Month — the perfect opportunity for schools, as well as parents and guardians, to review student vaccination records, […]
New report provides recommendations for supporting Native American youth experiencing homelessness
California has one of the highest rates of homelessness among Native American students, according to a new report from Schoolhouse Connection, a national homeless youth advocacy group. During the 2022–23 school year, approximately 450,000 Native American students were enrolled in public schools across the U.S., […]
Teens value many of the same long-term goals as adults, but feel they will be harder to attain
Sixty-two percent of the 1,060 U.S. teens ages 13-17 who participated in a recent survey said that graduating college is extremely or very important to them, however, being able to pursue what they enjoy (82 percent), having a good standard of living (81 percent), a successful career (80 percent) and owning a home (72 percent) were top priorities.
Teen court program seeks to provide young people a path forward
Del Norte County is in the early stages of bringing back an initiative dissolved decades ago that will allow local teens who commit a first-time, non-violent offense, such as fighting, shoplifting or graffiti, to take accountability and repair harm without getting involved in the justice […]
Promising practices in youth justice for counties
Because of their involvement with local youth through social services, health, education and juvenile justice systems, counties can play an integral role in improving outcomes for the young people they serve.
California’s School Meals for All program under threat
By Genoveva Islas On May 22, after an all-night session, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by 215 to 214 votes, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” outlining a spending plan for the U.S. At this writing, the U.S. Senate is now voting on their […]
Social companion bots need stronger safeguards to protect minors
Interactions between children and companion chatbots could exacerbate mental health problems and addiction and lead to increased risk of self-harm, according to a new study from Common Sense Media and Stanford School of Medicine’s Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health Innovation. Companion bots are artificial intelligence […]
Report: Well-being of California children lags more than half of states
Of the 50 states, California ranked 32nd in the country for the overall well-being of its children, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2025 Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being.











