December 2024 Enews
In 2024, The Children’s Partnership built progress, connection and power in line with our strategic direction, all while navigating the rough waters of a very difficult budget year. In our 2024 Impact Report we share our budget and policy wins, our first-of-its-kind report on Medi-Cal call wait times, and how we’ve expanded our outreach and policy work to center community voices.
Now we’re gearing up for whatever 2025 will bring us, knowing that the challenges for children and families from marginalized communities in California will undoubtedly worsen in the coming years.
Between hateful rhetoric toward immigrant families, limits on health care access, attacks on queer children and parents, and more, we know there will be a lot of work ahead that we’ll need to do to ensure the health and well-being of all our children and youth.
This time around we are more equipped for the challenges, using lessons from the first Trump administration to prepare and grounding ourselves in the power of partnership.
- We’ve already begun a re-launch of the ALL IN for Safe Schools work we started during Trump’s first term, using that foundation to include the needs of babies, toddlers and early learning spaces, and align with the work we need to do to support the safety of our LGBTQ youth.
- We continue to be an active partner in the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition and the Children Thrive Action Network, making sure immigrant communities know their rights and that their experiences inform future policy changes.
- We’ll continue listening to parents, youth, community health workers, educators, providers and others from our communities to point us in the right directions in our advocacy.
Our strength comes from our diverse partners, community and staff. We are grateful for the many coalitions that align us with strong, impactful partners to center racial justice in our shared work – from early childhood development to health coverage to housing justice and so much more. We have been and will continue to be successful because we are united in the advancement of children’s health equity.
As we reflect on 2024 and look to 2025, we know that we will face and overcome any challenges ahead. Your support and partnership makes that a reality. This holiday season, we’re asking you to contribute to TCP’s Annual Giving Campaign so we can make California the best place to have, raise and be a child.
Join Us on Bluesky
We’re excited to extend our advocacy for child health equity to the rapidly growing platform of Bluesky. We believe that the superior data transparency, ultra-detailed ways to control and cultivate the feed, and community guidelines that better align with our own ethics make Bluesky an obvious home for us and our partners to further our work.
Bluesky’s growth has exploded to more than 25 million users. Among them are a number of important California legislators and policy makers, including Senator Angelique Ashby, Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan, Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson. You can instantly connect with these elected officials and more by following this California Leg starter kit.
Find us at @Kidspartnership.bsky.social. Say hi, and let us know if you’d like to be added to the California Child Health Equity starter kit that we’re building to give advocates and partners a quick list of great organizations to follow!
The Power of Culture for Child Well-Being: New TCP Brief on Protective Factors Now Available
The Children’s Partnership is excited to announce the release of a new policy brief, “Uplifting the Power of Culture: Protective Factors for the Health of California’s Children.” This brief highlights how culturally grounded protective factors in early childhood can create equitable pathways to health and success for BIPOC children. Grounded in research and real-world examples, the brief:
- Highlights key protective factors for children of color, including multilingualism, connection to culture, peer and community connectedness, familismo, and cultural-based healing
- Explores how California’s early care and education programs can integrate these protective factors to strengthen child, family and community well-being
- Provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and advocates to build equitable systems of care that reflect the unique strengths of BIPOC communities
- Underscores the critical role of culturally responsive early care programs in promoting resilience and mitigating the impacts of systemic inequities
As policymakers and advocates work to create inclusive and supportive systems, we invite you to explore this resource and share it with your networks to amplify the conversation around protective factors and their vital role in equitable early care for children.
New ‘A Child is a Child’ Fact Sheet: Children Ages 0-3 and Their Families
In collaboration with the Whole Child Equity Partnership, we shine a spotlight on the health challenges of the more than 1.7 million children ages 0-3 in California. Recognizing the importance of development during these first years of life, we hope this fact sheet will be a resource for your advocacy.
Our A Child is a Child fact sheet emphasizes health disparities rooted in historical injustices. By focusing on issues such as health care, economic security, early learning access, system navigation, and prenatal, postnatal and parenting support, we aim to empower advocates and allies to dismantle systemic barriers.
AB 665 Fact Sheet: Connect Youth to Mental Health Services
TCP has created a fact sheet to help youth 12 and older better understand their new right, established through AB 665, which allows them to consent to outpatient mental health services and bill their existing Medi-Cal insurance.
AB 665 was a bill created by youth and for youth to bridge a gap between Medi-Cal and privately insured youth in accessing minor consent mental health services. Prior to AB 665, there was a fundamentally unfair double standard that meant low-income youth were required to wait until they were experiencing a mental health crisis before they could receive confidential, Medi-Cal-covered care. Now minors have the ability to consent to and use their existing Medi-Cal insurance to cover outpatient mental health services without needing their parents’ authorization, just like privately insured youth.
This fact sheet provides:
- Guidance on accessing and navigating mental health services for youth on Medi-Cal
- A simple and easy-to-read explanation of AB 665: Mental Health Consent Parity for Medi-Cal Recipients
- Medi-Cal assistance
- Information on what youth can do if they are denied services
If you’re a youth-serving organization or provider, help us get the word out to youth about AB 665 by sharing this fact sheet widely on social media, in your newsletter or with your networks!
DACA Recipients Now Eligible for Covered CA, Special Enrollment Period Happening Now
A recent federal rule change now allows recipients of DACA to sign up for an ACA health plan through Covered California through December 31, 2024. Eligible DACA recipients can receive financial help if they qualify.
After the election results and recent court rulings, some DACA recipients may wonder if they should still enroll in ACA coverage.TCP and our partners, including the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), encourage all eligible DACA recipients to apply.
On December 16, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay of the preliminary injunction in Kansas v. United States of America. As a result of this stay, DACA recipients are once again permitted to sign up for ACA health coverage in all states. California was not one of the 19 states originally affected by the preliminary injunction issued by the US District Court.
Access to affordable, comprehensive health care under the ACA, including mental health, is more essential than ever. It is important that we do not let fear or anxiety deter us from accessing the hard-fought health care we fought for. If you have concerns, see this NILC resource: Know Your Rights: Is It Safe to Apply for Health Insurance or Seek Health Care?
DACA ACA eligibility fact sheets: English and Spanish.
Read more on the Covered California website.
Starting January 1: Mandatory Enrollment of Foster Children and Youth in Single Plan Counties
Beginning January 1, 2025, DHCS will mandatorily enroll current and former foster care children and youth in Single Plan Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, and Imperial) who are currently in Fee-For-Service (FFS) Medi-Cal (Regular Medi-Cal) into a Medi-Cal health plan. FFS Medi-Cal will not be available in Single Plan Counties starting January 1, 2025. This will align policies in all Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan models where there is a Single Plan operating in the county, per Assembly Bill (AB) 118.
DHCS will mail member notices to current and former foster youth Medi-Cal members in Single Plan Counties 60 days and 30 days before January 1, 2025. All notices will include a web link and quick response code for members which includes more information about the transition to managed care and what it means for current and former foster children and youth in single plan counties.
Additional information and resources can be found at the Mandatory Enrollment for Foster Children and Youth in Single Plan Counties 2025 webpage.
California Children’s Services Due Process Toolkit
California Children’s Services (CCS) is a state program for children and youth with special health care needs. CCS can be a complex program to understand because the rules often depend on how the beneficiary gets CCS services and the county that the CCS beneficiary lives in. This CCS due process toolkit is intended to help CCS beneficiaries and their families navigate CCS program grievances and appeals. The toolkit provides guidance and best practices on the grievance and appeals process so that readers can understand how to get care through the CCS program. The guide includes the applicable laws, regulations, and policy guidance and flowcharts to help explain the process, as well as an index of acronyms referenced in the guide in Addendum A.
This toolkit was developed by the National Health Law Program in partnership with Disability Rights California.
Keep Americans Covered: Tax Credit Comparison Calculator
More than 20 million Americans rely on the individual health insurance marketplace for affordable health care. But enhanced premium tax credits for people who get their health coverage through the marketplace are set to expire at the end of 2025.
If Congress doesn’t act, these tax credits will be taken away, and Americans who purchase coverage on their own will see a significant increase in health care premiums.
The Keep Americans Covered coalition has created a tool to calculate how much your costs for health coverage could increase if Congress doesn’t take action. Use the information to encourage your elected representatives to keep health coverage affordable!
TCP Facilitates Workshop on Health and Housing at Housing Now! Retreat
Maddie Ribble, TCP advocacy director for social drivers of health and interim vice president of advocacy, participated in the Housing Now! Coalition’s annual retreat, joining more than 65 organizations representing every region of California – from tenants’ rights groups to policy advocates and community organizers. Ribble facilitated a workshop titled “Health and Housing: Action and Messaging Opportunities,” together with allies from Human Impact Partners (HIP) and Strategic Actions for a Justice Economy (SAJE), discussing opportunities to mobilize together with health equity allies to advance a shared housing justice policy agenda
In addition to learning and community-building opportunities, the retreat focused on developing the coalition’s policy agenda for 2025. TCP looks forward to continuing our work to organize allies through the Housing Justice as Health Equity Collaborative in solidarity with grassroots and BIPOC-led housing justice leaders in 2025.
TCP Attends Alliance for Boys and Men of Color Policy Summit
From December 3-4, TCP Advocacy Associate Jen Ford attended the 2024 Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC) Policy Summit in San Diego. This summit brought together over 200 advocacy organizations to advance race and gender justice by transforming systems that are failing boys and men of color, their families, and communities.
The summit was a mix of passionate advocates and community organizations working to dismantle unjust systems and build community-based infrastructures that support racial and gender justice. Ford said the summit reinforced TCP’s commitment to child health equity and finding alternative solutions to keep youth out of the justice system, as well as provided new insights into how we can further support these efforts.
“Engaging with individuals who have been advocating for police-free schools for years was incredibly impactful, aligning with my ongoing research on the impact of police presence on students of color,” Ford said. “The youth presentations stood out to me in particular. Hearing the voices of formerly incarcerated youth and those recently released from parole was both powerful and inspiring.”
TCP Provides Community Resources at Head Start California’s Health Institute
On November 14, TCP attended the Head Start California’s Health Institute in Newport Beach, to provide community-friendly resources to conference attendees. The Health Institute provides opportunities to learn best practices, existing and new state and federal guidance, and recommended tools to provide effective and safe services to children and families. Ebony Durham, community engagement senior associate, and Oscar Sandoval, community engagement manager, offered the attendees, who were mostly Head Start managers, consultants, and coordinators specializing in mental health, nutrition and general health, TCP’s latest community education resources, including our queer and transgender immigrant health brochure, health coverage fact sheet, immigrant health fact sheet, public charge roadmap, and our infant and early childhood mental health fact sheet.
People’s March and Rally to Stop Mass Deportations & Protect Immigrant Californians
On December 2, the ICE Out California and Dignity Not Detention coalitions led hundreds of Californians as they marched, sang, danced and chanted around the capitol building in Sacramento. A powerful demonstration of solidarity and resistance, the rally and march was more than just a one-day event. It was a call to action that participants hoped would spark a fire across the country, inspiring others to stand up boldly against xenophobia, hate, racism and injustice.
With half of California’s 9 million children having at least one immigrant parent, TCP was proud to be in attendance to support the dignity, health and well-being of immigrant communities!
Marchers specifically called on Gov. Newsom and the state legislature to:
Ensure that California does not sell or lease any land or facilities that can be used for mass detention, including private prisons
Pardon immigrant and refugee community members with deep roots in California who have served their time and earned their release from prison or jails, so they do not face the double punishment of detention and deportation
Ensure that California tax dollars are not used to fund mass deportations and family separation
2025 Insure the Uninsured Project’s Annual Conference
Join the Insure the Uninsured Project from February 3-4, 2025, for their 29th annual conference, Advancing Equity: Sustaining the Movement from Coverage to Access. The in-person conference will focus on California’s progress toward health equity, spotlighting groundbreaking strategies to bridge the gap between health coverage and quality access to care.
Faith Colburn, TCP’s advocacy director for health care, will be part of a panel discussion titled, “Ensuring Health Coverage for California’s Most Vulnerable Communities.”
Nonprofits & Businesses: Know Your Rights! Interactions with Immigration Enforcement (ICE)
Join us on Thursday, January 16th, 2025 from 11:00 – 12:30 pm on Zoom for a webinar on the rights of nonprofit and business owners when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Nonprofits and small businesses must understand their rights and responsibilities in the event of an ICE visit to their office, business, or facility. Leadership must also help empower staff with knowledge on how to navigate ICE enforcement.
This free webinar will help you understand:
How you can implement your policy to give guidance to staff if ICE shows up in person.
your rights when interacting with ICE
Why you should have a written policy regarding ICE interactions
What the policy should consider and say
TCP President Quotes in Several Media Outlets on Impacts of Trump Policy Changes, Budget Cuts on Social Safety Net
TCP President Mayra E. Alvarez participated in an Ethnic Media Services briefing on the possible impacts of Trump administration policy changes and budget cuts on the social safety net, which generated at least 13 stories in four languages, including in La Opinión, Public News Service, Buenas Tardes con Celina/KZSF 1370 AM La Kaliente, and World Journal. “It’s these public programs that are core to helping families meet the day-to-day needs of raising healthy kids,” Alvarez said during the briefing. “These have been bipartisan programs that have helped our families thrive.”
Capitol Morning Report Covers Alvarez Election as Chair of MHSOAC
Capitol Morning Report, a daily listing of upcoming events and news for subscription members of California’s capitol community, reported that TCP President Mayra E. Alvarez was elected as chair of the California Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission, effective January 1, 2025. Alvarez, who is currently serving her third consecutive term as vice chair, is the longest-serving Latina vice chair in the 20-year history of the commission. Read MHSOAC’s announcement on the TCP website.
