Governments are paying out billions to settle thousands of claims. There is no substitute for justice, but keeping the abuse from happening in the first place would be far more cost-effective.
A bill that would have allowed prosecutors to sue social media companies for addicting their children to their online platforms died on Thursday, Aug. 11, just ahead of the Technology and Policy Summit.
Counties regularly take the Social Security benefits of foster youth who are disabled or whose parents have died. Advocates say it amounts to children paying for their own foster care.
The state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency could operate without oversight from a federal judge for the first time in 20 years if one bill becomes law. But the legislation is stalled without a committee hearing date.
Despite a series of federal measures requiring greater efforts to preserve family unity, many policies make life harder for people swept up in the system.
The House approved a bill that will speed up juvenile arraignments, extend hold times for youths and allow GPS monitoring for repeat offenders. But some worry the tough-on-crime approach is ineffective.
The state pours $100 million annually into the system, with a proposed increase of $250 million this year, and yet it remains unable to keep staff and place troubled youths in the right places quickly.
Thousands of low-income families are only eligible for part of their child support because they also receive public assistance. A new plan would improve the system, but still wouldn’t allow families to have full access to their funds.
After the 2021 Childcare Census Survey found that 58 percent of respondents were not able to access center-based, family-based or school-based child-care programs. The mayor’s new office will be a one-stop shop for child-care services.
The governor’s budget and a bill by a Democratic lawmaker would stop the state from charging more than 500,000 Californians a monthly premium for their Medi-Cal health coverage.
With 44 percent of state residents living in a child-care desert, there aren’t enough options. Child care for two children uses 27 percent of a family’s income. The Tri-Share program aims to reduce those obstacles.
In Connecticut, a survey found 69 percent of respondents with children not current on rental payments reported being likely to face eviction in the next two months, compared to 10 percent of respondents without children.
Health officials are warning of the significant, negative impacts that online life has had on youth mental health, but AI-based trainings and online therapy could ensure that health services are reachable wherever the child is.
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