Starting Blocks: How California Fails Its KidsStarting Blocks: How California Fails Its Kids

California likes to think of itself as “the nation’s coming attractions” or “the place where tomorrow is invented.” No question the Golden State does generate ideas, policies and technology that quickly spread across the country. But at the same time, for all California’s wealth, intellectual capital and economic firepower, the state often fails at providing for the basic needs of its children.

In our new series Starting Blocks, KQED examines the ways public policy often fails California’s youngest residents and their families, especially those living at or below the poverty line.

We look at traditional issues like paid parental leave, subsidized child care and maternal health, but also issues like housing, criminal justice, immigration policy and even natural disasters to see how children are adversely affected, often in ways that are unexpected or unintended.