The Children’s Partnership, in collaboration with child health equity partners, submitted this letter on April 1st to Chair of the Early Childhood Policy Council, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, and members of the council, providing recommendations on how the council can support the health and wellbeing of children through its work.
Council members, which include TCP’s President Mayra E. Alvarez, will meet over the next several months and provide specific recommendations on all aspects of California’s early childhood system by October 2020. While Governor Newsom’s proposed investments build on the remarkable progress California has made for children, systemic inequities continue to persist and detrimentally impact the health of children from historically oppressed communities.
Across the state, marginalized children and their families have higher rates of uninsured children, low birthweight, asthma hospitalization, lack of access to public funded early care and education programs, low 3rd grade math and reading proficiency, and student homelessness and poverty. As a collaborative of state and local partners working to improve the health of every child and family in California, we are ready to support the development of the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care in order to help the Governor implement his early childhood agenda and put California on a path to supporting the healthy development of every child, beginning with those who face the highest barriers to living up to their full potential. Anyone who is interested in providing input on the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care may do so here.
Read the full letter here.
The Children’s Partnership
Advancement Project
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
California Food Policy Advocates
