This week, 963 Children’s Movement organizations sent a letter to Governor Newsom urging him to prioritize funding for key supports for kids – across early childhood, health, K-12 education, and child welfare – in his upcoming May Revise budget proposal.

California kids are facing the devastating effects of this year-long pandemic, which include learning loss, isolation, mental health issues and lack of preventive health care. And the situation is disproportionately impacting Black and brown children, kids in poverty, students who are English Learners, youth in foster care and children who are in unsafe situations, all of whom face significant systemic barriers to accessing the services and support they need.

It’s critical that the State makes long overdue investments to improve outcomes for kids and youth, and that starts with making them our top priority.