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The Valley of the Moon Children’s Home, an emergency shelter for children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, is poised for a major transition that would dramatically reduce the number of days youths could be housed there. The change will limit stays to 10 days and require the shelter to respond more quickly and appropriately to a child’s trauma, with an emphasis on promoting physical, psychological and emotional safety. Each one of the shelter’s 93-member staff, from cooks...

California continues to struggle with high poverty rates among its youngest children. Does child poverty look the same in the Bay Area as it does in the Central Valley? How can policy responses take into account the vast differences in economic hardships faced by poor families across the state? PPIC researcher Sarah Bohn will outline findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will talk about local factors that affect child poverty and consider promising policy interventions. DATE:...

California’s funding model for school districts is known as the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Under LCFF, school districts have flexibility—and an unprecedented opportunity—to spend district dollars on early childhood education. Researchers, economists, and educators all agree: early childhood programs set kids up for success in school and in life. Now is the time for district leaders to make sure that students in your community are getting off to a strong start. And you can help...

Behind a remarkable resolution passed by the Santa Rosa City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 2, behind the “Whereas” and the five “Resolved’s,” lies a story – a story unique to a single person whom I know and so respect, and at the same time a story that belongs to millions of Americans. It is “a” story. But really it is “The” story of America – the millions who risked so much to get to these shores, struggled to survive, then thrived, then gave back to their communities. Ernesto Olivares came to...

ACEs Connection Network is looking for a qualified person to work with communities, organizations and individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area to prevent, address and heal the trauma of ACEs and build resilience. This position will focus on working with existing efforts, avoiding duplication and re-enforcing cooperative, coordinated efforts to channel the diversity and richness of ACEs science and trauma work in the Bay Area. For the job posting and application instructions, see ACEs...

A new report finds that immigrants in Los Angeles County contributed $232.9 billion to the region’s economy, nearly 35.7 percent of the area’s economic output. The report, “New Americans in Los Angeles,” breaks down immigrant contributions to the city of L.A. and to the county, providing a “snapshot” on a range of demographic factors, from education and labor participation levels. Backed by the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, New American Economy – a bipartisan...

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” –Oprah Winfrey We think we can speak for all who attended the CA Department of Health Care Services Learning Series on January 17 th when we say we are immensely grateful to Dr. Felitti for sharing with us findings from the original CDC-Kaiser ACE study and inspiring us with his passion and heartfelt commitment to this body of work. Dr. Felitti, who turned 81 years old the next day on January 18 th , was the co-principal investigator on the...

Often times, a pediatrician or medical professional well-versed in the effects of ACEs or toxic stress can be the initial bridge to services, support, and building resilience for children, youth and families served by child welfare. It's exciting and encouraging to read about more and more pediatricians grounding their medical practice within ACEs framework. A toddler came into my examination room recently at Bayview Child Health Center in Bayview Hunters Point, an underserved, largely...

A seismic event that will pay dividends for children, their families and the future of Fresno took place last week. What was it? The Fresno Unified School District Board of Trustees’ decision Feb. 8 to open six new school-based health centers over the next two school years. We believe that the partnership forged by Fresno Unified, Clinica Sierra Vista and Valley Children’s Healthcare should inspire other community leaders and organizations to find new ways to team up for the good of...

Newly released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) statistics for the first six months of 2016 show California’s reported urban crime rate remained stable from 2010 through 2016, despite the implementation of large-scale criminal justice reforms during that period. The report finds that: Total urban crime fell 3 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. This decline was driven by a 4 percent reduction in property offenses and a 4 percent increase in reported...

Sweeping changes to federal immigration policy could have a disproportionate effect on California, where 50 percent of children have at least one immigrant parent, compared to 25 percent nationwide, according to the latest data available on Kidsdata. That translates to 4.5 million children in California alone. In congressional districts 17, 34 and 46, which represent parts of greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, more than 75 percent of children have at least one immigrant...

More of Los Angeles County’s women now have medical insurance, are employed, don’t smoke and are less likely to die of breast cancer or heart disease, according to a report released Wednesday. But an increased number also live in poverty, are homeless and have difficulty accessing health care. The concluding message behind the data compiled in a triennial report by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is that while many gains have been made for women in the last several years,...