Early Childhood Education

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.

How to prepare if a parent or legal guardian is detained or deported

Experts say preparing a plan with your family is essential in the event of an emergency. Here’s how to coordinate childcare, find legal services and gather vital documents.

Child with light medium skin tone holding a sign that says, "STOP SEPARATING FAMILIES" in the backdrop of a protest with multiple adults.

Her husband was picked up by ICE at a car wash. Where is he now?

A family with four kids was getting ready to celebrate their middle schooler's graduation. Then federal authorities came.

A close-up of a woman holding an I-Phone with a photo on it. The photo is of a man with a medium-light skin tone and short hair standing behind a gray sedan. Behind him a sign reads "Exclusive Detailing." A woman with a medium-light skin tone holds the phone. You can't see her face, just her torso. She wears a blue shirt and a dark grey open sweater. Her nails are painted pink.

LA invested millions in preschools. Less than four years later, it's offloading most. What happened?

Parents loved Los Angeles' licensed childcare centers. Now they're calling the program a "total failure."

A woman with a medium skin tone and gray hair pulled into a pony tail wears a black short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. She has a baby on her chest with short black hair and a medium skin tone. the baby's head rests on her chest. Behind her is some green grass and pavement, and a chain-link fence. Beyond that, cars are parked on a residential street.

Transitional kindergarten comes of age in California

Even as TK is set to become a real grade, just like any other K-12 grade, there are myriad challenges looming on the horizon, from finding qualified teachers amid a dire staffing shortage to how to ensure quality instruction and suitable facilities.

Two children, one with light skin tone and one with medium skin tone, are sitting on a mat listening to a person out of frame. There are other children out of focus in the background.

LAUSD preschool enrollment is up after changes to toilet training requirements

For the first time, some early education centers have waitlists. But the district still has many empty seats

A 3-year-old boy puts blue and green blocks into a plastic bag. There are also purple, yellow, orange, green, red and blue dinosaurs on the table.

Ruth Beaglehole, early childhood pioneer in LAUSD, dies

The advocate for nonviolent parenting and educator to decades of Angelenos was 81.

An older woman with light skin tone sits in front of a full bookcase. She holds up a piece of paper to the camera. The paper has a handwritten note that says "Mama/Papa understands, it's hard to not see friends."

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