Early Childhood Education

Considering transitional kindergarten for your child? Take a peek inside one ideal scenario

This fall at least 200,000 California students are expected to enroll in transitional kindergarten, which serves as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten.

A teacher reads a picture book to two young girls in costumes inside a colorful classroom with animal tanks and educational posters.

Home-based child care providers reach tentative deal with the state

Family child care providers in the union will get $90 million in one-time payments to help stabilize the industry.

A 4-year-old boy with light brown skin plays with playdough at a children's table set up as part of a rally. People hold signs, chanting behind him.

Nearly 70% of child care workers report struggling to afford a basic need, survey finds

The survey, done every month since 2021, found that the number of child care providers struggling economically is rising.

An educator in a purple sweater and a patterned facemask sits on a white carpet reading a storybook to two young children, both wearing facemasks, one in a blue polka dot dress and the other in a red sweater with bright pink pants.

One way to help homeless families? Offer them child care services

A family shelter in Woodland Hills unveils a new Head Start center on site, one of only a few such shelters in the state.

A large indoor room with child-size furniture neatly arranged throughout.

Homelessness is down in the LA region — but not for children and families

The estimated number of unsheltered children and teens under 18 in the county went up this year, and data suggests larger families especially are struggling.

A homeless family with a two-year-old child on Towne Avenue in Los Angeles' Skid Row in April 2024. A new study tracks how housing insecurity affects children's health over time.

This LA preschool teacher closed her doors after almost 20 years. What does it say about the state of childcare?

Childcare providers face high costs, low pay and a changing landscape as California adopts universal transitional kindergarten.

A woman with a medium skin tone and a bright blue t-shirt stands in front of an open-air classroom smiling. She has short, curly dark brown hair. Behind her is an easel with a child's painting. Further back there are photos and a clock on a wall. To her right, a tangle of green leaves poke into the frame.

California adds a new grade for 4-year-olds this fall — but parents still don’t know about it

In 2021, California launched an ambitious plan to make transitional kindergarten available by the 2025-26 school year, creating a brand new grade level.

A preschool-aged child in a burgundy polo shirt with their curly hair in pigtails holds up a red hashtag-shaped block.

California increased paid family leave payments. Now more parents are taking advantage

Starting in January, the state offered more-generous leave benefits. Claims in the first two quarters this year were up about 16%, compared to the same time period last year.

Head Start changes prompt confusion and worry for child care providers

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that children without legal status cannot enroll in Head Start — effective immediately. But without implementation guidelines, providers say they're in a holding pattern.

Beck and her longtime assistant sneak lessons into all kinds of activities, including using Play-Doh to practice letter sounds.

Banning undocumented students from Head Start is illegal, ACLU argues in lawsuit

The ACLU and other groups have taken legal action to challenge the Trump administration's policy to bar children without legal status from Head Start programs.

An inspirational message decorates the wall of Beryl Davis’ Head Start classroom. She makes roughly $26 an hour and says turnover has been a persistent challenge.

More dads in California are taking family leave, but still behind mothers. Here's what the data show

Men made up 44% of claims for paid family leave to bond with a new child in fiscal year 2024, compared to only 18% in 2005.

A man holds a young child who is playing with a toy doll and bottle.

California faces a growing deficit, but child care providers say they can't wait for more pay

Child care providers and their union want the state to up the rates it pays them to care for children from low-income families.

A woman with a medium skin tone wears a blue short-sleeved polo shirt. She sits at a low table on a child's chair, and looks at a sheet of paper. Beneath it is a notebook, her phone and some pens. Behind her there's what looks like a classroom: piles of children's chairs, cubbies with papers, bookshelves with white binders, and a small globe.

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