Parents and young people facing an emotional crisis now have a place to turn anytime, day or night - the National Parent and Youth Helpline. The program used to run 12 hours a day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. .
California s children are doing well - the vast majority have health insurance and access to transitional kindergarten - but the state is far behind in many other metrics. The nonprofit Children Now analyzed the data, and gave the Golden State a C-minus or below in 15 out of 33 categories. Kelly Hardy is senior managing director at Children Now. .
A partnership launching next year in Utah has the goal to expand child-care access and affordability for families who live and work in Park City. Park City Municipal and nationwide child-care network Upwards announced the needs-based scholarship program that will offer qualified families assistance in covering the cost of child care. Jessa Santangelo, vice president for business development and community impact with Upwards, said the program came to life after numerous working families in Park City shared the barriers they were facing relating to accessing affordable and available child care - which Santangelo said impacts families overall economic mobility. .
A Mississippi home-visiting program is helping families build a strong, positive, nurturing relationship with their children. The program equips parents in rural areas with skills to support their children s early learning and development. Shenika King, early childhood lead associate for Save the Children in Mississippi, meets rural families where they are by helping them build a strong foundation for their children to thrive as learners in life. .
Studies show that 90% of a child s brain develops by age six - so Save the Children s home-visiting program helps families build a strong, positive, nurturing relationship with their kids. The program equips parents in rural areas with skills to support their children s early learning and development, and fosters parent-school connections. Victoria Rodriguez is the lead associate for the nonprofit s kindergarten readiness program in the Central Valley. .