Here is a quick look at some headlines from this week impacting the lives of kids 0-5 and their families. The purpose of these stories is simply to inform, and they do not necessarily reflect First 5 Kern's areas of support or efforts towards these issues.

Follow First 5 Kern on social media for more kid-centric information.

Now for the headlines........
THE NEW CALIFORNIA BUDGET...

New California Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled his much-anticipated new budget, which contains some interesting new spending initiatives. The Associated Press has a thorough summary of the budget, while other articles you may want to check out are from the Californian or the LA Times. According to the AP article, it includes a significant investment in Early Childcare and Education, including over a billion dollars on increasing childcare infrastructure and expanding kindergarten programs.

The proposed budget still needs to be approved, but it certainly appears that the ECE landscape in California could see many changes in the coming years.

... AND THE NEW PAID LEAVE PROPOSAL

This article comes from the New York Times and refers to Newsom's proposed 6-month paid parental leave for Californians, which would be the longest in the nation. This topic is often discussed, and widely supported by Americans, but attempts for legislation at the national level have faltered.

Some states (such as Wisconsin, Hawaii, Minnesota and Washington, among others) have started addressing the issue on their own, with varying levels of leave available.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND TEACHING KIDS HOW TO READ

This article is a must for parents working on reading with their kiddos at home. NPR has published an interesting story about the science behind learning how to read . The article addresses possible flaws in how it is being taught now, and the lack of instruction that teachers receive about it while preparing for their careers as instructors.

In a related article, this Penn State study boosts what we already know: waiting until your child is in school to start introducing reading is far too late, anyway.
SAN MATEO KIDS GET BIG LIFT WITH AMAZING RESULTS

For two decades First 5 agencies have focused on early childcare and education (ECE) for California's kids. One preschool program, funded in part by First 5 San Mateo, was recently lauded in a study by the RAND Corporation for providing the basis for success in kindergarten, and found that the program had a "positive impact on reading levels that persisted into first grade."
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF (THE LACK OF) CHILDCARE

Across the nation, the theme is the same: quality childcare is hard to find and even harder to afford. Our own Rep. Kevin McCarthy helped get a daycare facility for U.S. House staff members, and echos the concerns within the federal government.

This article out of Terra Haute, Indiana may as well be ripped from a newspaper in California. And this op-ed out from the other side of the country rallies around investment in pre-K programs and their impact on Maine's economy.

You may think that Washington, D.C., Indiana, Maine and California couldn't be more different, but the stats bear a striking resemblance to ours, and the stories are all asking a similar question: can communities - literally - afford to ignore the problem of the lack of quality, affordable child care?
A NEW, SAFE, PRENATAL GENETIC TEST IS GAINING POPULARITY
Traditionally, genetic testing was reserved for older mom's-to-be, but a new "cell-free DNA" blood screen is gaining popularity in younger moms, which analyzes the genetic information that passes from the mother's placenta.

Supporters claim there is little risk involved, and more insurance companies are approving the test, which can detect Down syndrome or other chromosomal anomalies, as well as reveal the child's gender, as early as 10 weeks in.
...about First 5 Kern
First 5 Kern was established in 1998 when California voters passed Proposition 10, which levied a 50-cent tax on tobacco products. Revenues generated from the tobacco tax are used to fund local programs in the areas of health and wellness, early childcare and education, and parent education and support services that promote early childhood development for children ages zero to five.

For more information on First 5 Kern and the agencies we support, please visit www.First5Kern.org   and follow us on social media.