Children Now

10/08/2026

This Children’s Environmental Health Day, let's do the work to protect our kids from the hazards doing them harm.👇

From drinking water, to diapers, to the foods they eat, kids are exposed to environmental hazards often, frequently without realizing it. This exposure to pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins can make kids sick, harm brain development, and impair their lifelong well-being. Our recent blog from our Environmental Health team details the most dangerous environmental threats affecting kids, and the actions California's leaders and all of us can take to protect them. We invite you to read here 👉 https://bit.ly/4g9E7vS

By Carley Clemons Photo SeventyFour by iStock Kids are exposed to environmental hazards often, frequently without realizing it. These exposures come from living near freeways or agricultural fields, eating foods with harmful ingredients or pesticide residues, wearing clothes or diapers made with tox...

10/06/2026

🤔 Want to know about the vital issues affecting California kids?👇

Join the CN Insider! You'll get updates on big policy wins for kids, insights from Children Now experts, stories about the power of advocacy, and highlights from the work we're doing to ensure every kid has what they need to reach their full potential. Become an Insider today! 👉 https://bit.ly/4j1lsSn

10/06/2026

🙋‍♀️ 🙋‍♂️ TODAY is the last day to call on the federal administration to end its plan to strip away Head Start's quality standards!👇

Head Start is one of the country's most effective programs for young children facing poverty, supporting over 70,000 California kids today. Yet right now, the federal administration has proposed stripping away most of the standards that keep Head Start programs effective, safe, comprehensive, and accountable to the families they serve. It would mean cutting classroom safety and staffing ratios, stripping protections for children with disabilities and dual language learners, and requiring English-only instruction. It would also hit rural communities especially hard, where Head Start is often the only affordable and available child care option.

These proposed changes won't take effect, though, until a final rule is made. Public comments to the Department of Health & Human Services are allowed through today, October 6. Join us in voicing support for Head Start and demanding its standards are kept in tact here 👉 https://bit.ly/4gV42GD. You can follow this How-to Guide for scripts and step-by-step instructions 👉 https://bit.ly/4j9q76H

10/01/2026

More California kids will now have access to hearing aids. 🙌👇

SB 331 mandates coverage of hearing aids in large group health plans to ensure kids receive timely access, helping many of the more than 8,000 deaf and hard of hearing kids in California that currently don’t have access to hearing aids through their health insurance. Thank you Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 331 into law and Senator Caroline Menjivar for your leadership in getting this bill across the finish line. 🫶

Learn more about how SB 331 supports California kids here 👉 childrennow.org/policy

Stay up to date on Children Now’s most impactful public policy bills and legislative actions and how they support kids across California.

10/01/2026

More foster families in California will now have access to child care. 🙌👇

SB 1051 expands the role of child care navigators to help connect families to child care more efficiently, ensuring foster families can access child care more quickly and reliably. Thank you Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 1051 into law and Senator Caroline Menjivar for your leadership in getting this bill across the finish line. 🫶

Learn more about how SB 1051 supports children in foster care, the families who care for them, and expectant and parenting youth here 👉 childrennow.org/policy

Stay up to date on Children Now’s most impactful public policy bills and legislative actions and how they support kids across California.

10/01/2026

California now has better pathways to become a teacher. 🙌👇

AB 1904 will help create teacher apprenticeship programs that provide mentorship and compensation while learning to become a teacher - building a stronger, more diverse teacher pipeline to better meet the needs of California's students. Thank you Governor Gavin Newsom for signing AB 1904 into law, and Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi for your leadership in getting this bill across the finish line. 🫶

Learn more about how AB 1904 supports California kids here 👉 childrennow.org/policy

Stay up to date on Children Now’s most impactful public policy bills and legislative actions and how they support kids across California.

10/01/2026

Protect Head Start by calling on the federal administration to end its plan to strip away Head Start's quality standards TODAY!👇

Head Start is one of the country's most effective programs for young children facing poverty, supporting over 70,000 California kids today. Yet right now, the federal administration has proposed stripping away most of the standards that keep Head Start programs effective, safe, comprehensive, and accountable to the families they serve. It would mean cutting classroom safety and staffing ratios, stripping protections for children with disabilities and dual language learners, and requiring English-only instruction. It would also hit rural communities especially hard, where Head Start is often the only affordable and available child care option.

These proposed changes won't take effect, though, until a final rule is made. Public comments to the Department of Health & Human Services are allowed from now through October 6. Join us in voicing support for Head Start and demanding its standards are kept in tact here 👉 https://bit.ly/4gV42GD. You can follow this How-to Guide for scripts and step-by-step instructions 👉 https://bit.ly/4j9q76H

10/01/2026

In June of 2024, The Children’s Movement came together to help preserve a life-saving support line for foster youth. 🙌👇

In the 2+ years since the Family Urgent Response System (FURS) was saved from being eliminated, FURS has continued answering the calls of foster youth and families, expanded its eligibility, and faced more threats of cuts. We invite you to read the latest blog from our Child Welfare and Children's Movement teams, detailing where FURS stands today and the work still needed to grow the program’s success, here 👉
https://bit.ly/4xxaNoi

September 8, 2026 By the Child Welfare and The Children’s Movement teams Cover photograph via iStock by Ridofranz On the first day of June in 2024, The Children’s Movement came together to help achieve one of its most impactful victories for California kids – preserving a life-saving support l...

09/28/2026

California parents will now know the ingredients used to make the diapers their kids wear every day. 🙌👇

Through The Children's Movement, 333 organizations collectively urged Governor Newsom to sign AB 1901 and require diaper manufacturers to list all intentionally-added ingredients. Today, AB 1901 was signed into law and California kids are now better protected from harmful chemicals in diapers! Thank you Governor Gavin Newsom for standing with California families and Assemblymember Marc Berman for your leadership in getting this bill across the finish line. 🫶

Learn more about the Children’s Movement campaign here 👉 https://www.childrennow.org/blog/330-organizations-unite-to-protect-babies-from-toxins-in-diapers/

09/28/2026

California kids will now have more help to fight cavities. 🙌👇

Fluoride varnish helps prevent cavities and AB 350 will allow more kids in commercial health plans under 21 in primary care settings and kids in Medi-Cal to get it at school and other settings by letting those working for or under contract with a Medi-Cal doctor or dentist to apply fluoride varnish and get reimbursed. Thank you, Governor Gavin Newsom for signing AB 350 into law and Asm. Mia Bonta for your leadership in getting this bill across the finish line. 🫶

Learn more about how AB 350 supports California kids here 👉 childrennow.org/policy

Stay up to date on Children Now’s most impactful public policy bills and legislative actions and how they support kids across California.