Amid Some Bright Spots, Report Shows Toll Of Pandemic On California Youth

By Carolyn Jones, EdSource

January 26, 2023

Lagging math scores, rising rates of depression and teacher shortages have all contributed to grim conditions for millions of children in California, although some signs of hope shine though the data, a new report from Children Now found.

“Overall, things are worse because of the pandemic, especially for kids of color and those living in poverty,” Ted Lempert, president of Children Now said. “It took a once-a-century pandemic, but the state has responded a lot in recent years and we’re starting to see some progress.”

The report examines 40 measurements of children’s well-being, including health, education, welfare and early childhood, broken down by county, race and over time. Among the most concerning findings are:

But the report also identified some promising data and policies that have been effective. The statewide graduation rate was 87% in 2022, a significant jump from 2017 that reflects increases among all groups of students. Prenatal care also increased among all groups, with 86% of pregnant people getting prenatal care in the first trimester.

Healthy birth weights also remained steady, at 93%. And 97% of children had health insurance, a big jump from a decade ago.

Lempert pointed to a number of state initiatives that have made a dent in conditions for California’s children in recent years. The state’s investment in transitional kindergarten, while it doesn’t solve the child care shortage, goes a long way to ensuring millions of 4-year-olds are ready for school. The community school initiative and Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health are also expected to have a positive impact, as well as improvements in data collection.

Children Now, an Oakland-based research and advocacy organization, issues annual reports on the state of California’s youth. The group gathers information from schools, the census, the state and other sources and lobbies policy-makers to improve the lives of children in California.

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EdSource works to engage Californians on key education challenges with the goal of enhancing learning success. It does so by providing timely, useful and accurate information to key education stakeholders and the larger public; advancing awareness of major education initiatives being implemented in California and nationally; and highlighting effective models and strategies intended to improve student outcomes, as well as identifying areas that are in need of repair or reform