Advocates for young children are applauding the state’s budget plans for next fiscal year, which include millions of dollars for programs that help low-income parents and kids.
The $200-billion spending plan, which Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign into law, increases funding for cash assistance to poor families, launches a statewide home visiting program for new parents on welfare, and makes available more than 13,000 new vouchers to help low-income families pay for child care.
Lawmakers are considering several bills this month aimed at stabilizing California’s health insurance marketplace, despite a state budget deal that effectively killed other, more expensive proposals. Several bills take aim at efforts by the Trump administration to weaken provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Immigrant women in California who are pursuing asylum after fleeing domestic violence in their homelands could face deportation in the wake of a ruling Monday by the Trump administration.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered immigration judges June 11 to stop granting asylum to the majority of people seeking the protection on grounds that they suffered domestic or gang violence in their home countries. The ruling could affect tens of thousands of domestic violence victims—mostly women—some of whom are detained in California while they await the outcome of their cases, advocates said.
Health advocates are decrying the budget deal reached between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders last week, calling it a missed opportunity to improve health care access for struggling Californians.
Women who experience sexual assault are more likely to need medical care for mental health and stress-related problems in the year following the attack, new research suggests.
The legislature is expected to vote this month on three bills that seek to safeguard and improve the health of Californian residents. The bills take aim at health disparities among people covered by the state’s low-income health program known as Medi-Cal and the improper discharge of homeless patients from the hospital.
As California struggles to meet children’s mental health needs, lawmakers are pressing for two bills that would take steps to address the problem.
The bills seek to strengthen mental health services for children and youth, either through targeted funding or by instituting new training requirements for people who regularly work with young people.
Public schools and childcare centers within public schools must already test their drinking water for lead under a state law that took effect this year. The new bill would extend this requirement to privately run childcare centers, mandating they take action to replace any water pipes and fixtures found to be leaching lead.
The expansion of the federal low-income health program to cover more people hasn’t benefited Latinos as much as other racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent report by UCLA researchers.
Children with special needs often languish for months waiting to get needed medical equipment and supplies through a state health care program designed to help them, according to a new report.