In Tulare County, California, residents are breathing -- not to mention working, learning and playing -- a little easier after a coalition of concerned families pushed for regulations that create a quarter-mile buffer zone between pesticide spraying and schools, residential neighborhoods, preschools and farm labor camps. This Grassroots Snapshot from the Children’s Advocate has the scoop on their success.

In California, the journey from parent to activist starts at home: the Los Angeles Community Action Network won a citywide law to preserve affordable housing in residential hotels targeted for luxury development.

On June 6, Californians will have a chance to vote on Proposition 82, which would provide voluntary, free preschool for all California four-year-olds by 2010. It's the latest, and largest, effort at the state level to increase the supply of early education. Here are the main points and the key arguments, pro and con. This article comes from the May-June 2006 issue of Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Even putting aside the difficult issue of legal status, immigrant families face some particular barriers to finding good early-education opportunities for their youngsters. This report looks at the situation in California. This article originally appeared in the March-April 2006 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

We serve children who are struggling with mental illness or emotional disorders. Our mission is to work with children and their families to transform their lives, build emotional, social and familial well-being, and to transform the systems that serve them.

Common Sense Media is the leading nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving kids' media lives. Our mission is to give parents, educators, and kids a choiceand a voice about the media they consume. We believe in sanity, not censorship. We provide trustworthy information, practicaltools, and a respected public voice that help create a healthier media environment for children and youth.

Kids who have no place to go end up going nowhere. Kids with some place to go end up going places.

Every day in the United States as many as 15 million children leave school with no place to go. And every day many of these children are involved in crimes, join gangs, or experiment with drugs, alcohol or sex.

After-School All-Stars offers a proven alternative for middle school children. We engage them in activities and on-going relationships that increase confidence and encourage success in all areas of their lives - at home, in school and in the community.

Kidango inspires all children and their families by promoting their potential and diversity through quality education and nurturing relationships.

The philosophy of Kidango is based on the belief that each child deserves an opportunity for total development. Each child comes to the program with certain strengths that should be expanded upon and reinforced. These strengths are based on the learning and teaching styles of their home, which are influenced by the structure and cultural background of the child's family. Those responsible for the program are challenged to create a multi-lingual, cross cultural environment, which will foster the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of all children

In the border state of California, many of the area’s children feel close ties to Mexico, Asia and other countries. This Children Now fact sheet examines issues children face on the California-Mexico border, provides characteristics of families and children, and offers recommendations for investments and policy improvements that can strengthen family well-being in the region.

The Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego law school has released its 2005 Children's Legislative Report Card, which describes the year and examines several child-friendly bills in the areas of economic security, nutrition, health and safety, child care, and child protection. Legislators' floor votes are detailed. Of the 20 child-friendly measures featured in the Report Card, 18 were sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk for his consideration; he ultimately vetoed over one-third of them.

Mathematica gives good marks in its report to Congress on the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIPs) that offer health care coverage to children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and beyond. In almost all areas examined—outreach, enrollment and access to services—the programs are succeeding. In the 10 states studied, programs were put in place quickly, and overall, families were satisfied with the ease of enrolling children, many of whom remained enrolled for 12 months, depending on the state.

A new report from Mathematica examines the Santa Clara County Healthy Kids Program, an ambitious effort to close gaps in health insurance coverage for children. Researchers identified many significant improvements in medical, dental, and vision care among children who participated in Healthy Kids.

Education, Tutoring, Employability, Mentoring, Attachment Theory

Education
Emancipation
Transitional Housing
Mental Health
Child welfare Policy

Employment, education, housing, immigration and independent living services (foster care)

Incarceration of youth (including the California Youth Authority), incarceration policy in general (youth and adult), therapeutic power of writing, the transition between incarceration and freedom, re

The Sierra Health Foundation has grants available of up to $10,000 for its REACH Program Improvements Grant. The purpose of this program is to improve the quality or to increase participation in quality programs that target youth. Programs that address areas such as emotional and physical safety, skill building, and community and family environment are stressed.