Children Now

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011

Signed

Nov 15, 2012

Return Version

2011v1.2

Gross Receipts

$6,729,737

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

EducationChildren Now's education program aims to ensure every child has access to high-quality early learning and development opportunities, a rigorous K-12 education, and quality afterschool, summer and other expanded learning programs. Through research and analysis, policy development, education and outreach campaigns, coalition-building, and state level advocacy, we have achieved the following: we played a central role in the development and implementation of California's educational data system--planning for its use, governance, linkages to other data systems, and inclusion of essential data elements such as attendance data--to improve education quality and guide decision making; we helped to secure federal funding for and have vigorously promoted an early care data system; we helped develop and are supporting implementation of a state kindergarten readiness assessment tool; we worked with partners to develop a comprehensive statewide infant/toddler agenda to help inform the field; we helped ensure summer programs could operate a full day to combat summer learning loss; and we continue to lead efforts to improve early learning, afterschool and summer program quality. We also disseminate research, write briefs and host conferences to draw attention to critical topics in education. For example, we hosted a major policy forum highlighting Chronic Absence as an early indicator of school drop out and academic distress.

Activity 3

Research and data collectionChildren Now produces comprehensive reports, fact sheets and policy briefs on topics related to each of our program areas. We produce two marquee publications: 1) the California Report Card, which provides up-to-date data on the status of California's children, addresses recent policy developments, and delivers recommendations for improving children's well-being and 2) the California County Scorecard of Children's Well Being, which provides policymakers, advocates and community leaders with a much-needed means of measuring and analyzing children's well-being at the county level over time, by race and ethnicity, and relative to other counties. This online advocacy and data tool includes easy-to-read graphics depicting counties' unique strengths and vulnerabilities in meeting children's needs. Both of these publications are widely distributed to state and local policy makers, the media, service providers, civic organizations and concerned California residents. Outreach efforts and briefings around these publications as well as the widespread media coverage generated by their release motivate policymakers and key stakeholders to make children's concerns a priority.

Filer

EIN

94-3059243