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Proposition 49, which voters passed in 2002, guaranteed more than a three-fold increase in state funding for after school programs, although rollout was dependent on the state budget meeting specific conditions. In 2006-07, the budget met those conditions and the legislation implementing the proposition was passed. Subsequently, an additional $550 million per year began to flow into new and expanded after school programs that were funded through the After School Education and Safety Program. This unprecedented expansion of programs over a few months presented many challenges. Primary among them was the ability to hire new staff, which has strained the state's after school infrastructure at all levels, from administration by the California Department of Education to program staffing at local schools. This policy brief covers the state's challenges in meeting staffing needs for its publicly-funded after school programs and recommends guidelines that may help after school programs reach larger applicant pools, achieve improved candidate diversity and lessen the stress associated with starting up new programs. (Contains 1 footnote.) [Additional funding for this report was provided by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.]

The California Report Card provides a clear, complete and concise picture of the state of the state's children along with recommendations for how we can better support our children through new and improved public policies. It assigns letter grades to such key indicators as health insurance, oral health, asthma, mental health, infant health, adolescent health, early care and education, K-12 education, after-school programs, obesity, child safety, and integrated services. (Contains 165 endnotes.) [Additional funding for this report was provided by the Atlas Family Foundation, Friedman Family Foundation, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Hurlbut-Johnson Fund, and the Robert Stephens and Julie Packard Nonendowed Donor Advised Fund.]

American companies currently spend $15 billion a year on marketing and advertising to children under the age of 12. Annually, children influence $500 billion in spending on fast food, junk food, toys and other advertised products, and the average child sees thousands of ads on television alone. From video games and the Internet to cell phones and iPods, new and emerging media are changing the ways in which advertisers reach consumers. On July 20, 2006, Children Now hosted a conference in Washington, D.C., that brought together the nation's leading children's media executives, policymakers, academics and advocates. The full-day conference explored how new advertising and marketing methods are being used to reach children. It also examined what is on the horizon and possible steps to better ensure children's well-being in a rapidly evolving media environment, including potential policy and voluntary industry solutions. The report includes highlights from addresses by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Sam Brownback, and comments from FCC Commissioners Michael J. Copps, Deborah Taylor Tate, and Jonathan Adelstein. Two panel discussions are summarized: (1) Surveying the Landscape: Advertising and Marketing to Kids in the Digital Age; and (2) Strategies to Address Advertising and Marketing Concerns. Following the conference, Children Now charted a five-year agenda, including research and policy goals, and ways to work together with media, advertising, food and other industries to achieve voluntary change. (Contains 3 endnotes.) [Additional support provided by the Otto Haas Charitable Trust.] ["The Future of Children's Media: Advertising" is the first in a series of national Children Now conferences that will proactively address pressing issues in the media environment that can have both positive and negative implications for children. The conference structure is based on the belief that, in order to create a healthy and diverse media environment, children must both be provided with content that supports their healthy development and protected from potential harm.]

The "California Report Card" provides a comprehensive overview of child and family well-being in California, focusing particularly on children's health and educational status, and on the policies and programs that affect them. Based on policy progress and children's outcomes, each focus area is assigned a grade. The "Report Card" provides a concise and complete assessment of how children are doing in California, along with policy recommendations for improving their well-being and in doing so, improving California for everyone. (Contains 132 endnotes.) [This document was prepared by Children Now in consultation with their Advisory Committee. For the 2005 Report Card, see ED491172.]

Tens of thousands of California's 4-year-olds are not enrolled in preschool, ranking California 37th in the nation in preschool enrollment. Pioneering communities throughout the state are working to meet the demand for preschool in their neighborhoods. The achievements of these innovative local efforts indicate the future success of a statewide quality preschool system. Without a statewide system in place, families face numerous barriers to enrolling their children in preschool. Quality preschool gives children a head start by fostering reading skills, helping close the achievement gap and reducing the need for remedial education. This report profiles ten innovative, local preschool efforts. These efforts serve as models for developing a much-needed statewide system. Furthermore, they demonstrate the demand for more high-quality preschool opportunities throughout the state. The preschools profiled show how they are: (1) ensuring parents have a variety of options (Los Angeles Universal Preschool); (2) providing a full-day option for working families (Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries Family & Community Partners Preschool); (3) expanding access to more families (Moorpark/Simi Valley Neighborhood for Learning Preschool/Infant Scholarship Program); (4) increasing the quality of the preschool workforce (Preschool for All San Mateo County); (5) fostering development of the whole child (Kidango); (6) encouraging parent involvement (Merced City School District); (7) supporting children with special needs (San Francisco Preschool for All); (8) helping children who are learning English (Roosevelt Child Development Center); (9) ensuring a smooth transition from preschool to kindergarten (Elk Grove Unified School District); and (10) improving the quality of the classroom environment (Portola Family Connections). (Contains 30 endnotes and a list of sources.)

A high-quality preschool for all systems in California must be designed to meet the needs of the state's ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse child population. Of the estimated 1.1 million children who are 3- to 5-years-old and not yet in kindergarten, about 39 percent would most likely be designated as English language learners (ELLs). This issue brief aims to inform discussions related to building a preschool for all system in California, with specific regard to how such a system can meet the needs of ELLs, and help them to thrive in learning and in life. Focusing on family engagement, this review of current research confirms that children, families, and programs benefit when parents are involved in their child's preschool learning both inside the classroom and at home. This report outlines research findings that highlight some of the challenges in and effective strategies for engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families in their young children's educations. (Includes 139 endnotes.)

This document focuses on children in immigrant families to help Californians better understand the lives of almost half of California's children and families, about whom stereotypes often prevail. The report's data--obtained from sources such as the 2000 Census, the 2001 California Health Interview Survey and the 1999 and 2002 National Survey of America's Families--show that: (1) Most immigrant families in California have full-time workers: 84 percent of all children in immigrant families have at least one parent who works full-time; (2) Among California children in low-income families, those in immigrant families are much more likely to have a parent working full-time (74 percent) than those in native families (44 percent); (3) Children in immigrant families are more likely to be poor and live in crowded housing; (4) Poor children in immigrant families are less likely to receive food stamps than poor children in native families; (5) Children in immigrant families are less likely to have health insurance coverage from their parents' employers and, though public programs help, they are more likely to be uninsured than children of nonimmigrants; and (6)Children in immigrant families are less likely than children in native families to attend preschool and less likely to participate in after school enrichment activities once in school. (Contains 13 figures.)

The Federal Communications Commission is currently considering modifying or eliminating existing media ownership rules. Children's advocates are concerned that any changes to these rules could negatively affect the already limited amount and types of programming available for children. Children Now conducted the first study to examine the availability and diversity of children programming in an increasingly consolidated media marketplace. Los Angeles was selected as a case study for this research because it is the second largest media market in the country, and two duopolies now exist among its television stations. The study compared the children's programming schedules from 1998, when the market's seven major commercial broadcast television stations were owned by seven different companies, to 2003, after consolidation reduced the number to five. The findings suggest that changes to the current ownership policies will have a serious impact on the availability and diversity of children's programming. Overall, the research shows there are fewer children's series, fewer broadcast hours, and an increase in repurposed (aired on more than one channel) programs in Los Angeles today compared to 5 years ago. (Author)

In an effort to provide uninsured children with health care, California and states across the nation have focused on locating uninsured children and enrolling them in Medicaid and their state children's health insurance program. This report provides a comprehensive examination of California's efforts and offers strategies for keeping children covered in the state's insurance programs, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. Various sources of information about health insurance retention were consulted: community groups and health plans throughout California that assist families in enrolling and staying in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, and other states' insurance program policies and experiences. Following an executive summary of the report, the report begins with an overview of Medi-Cal and Healthy Families enrollment and renewal processes. This part reviews and analyzes data available on retention in these programs to surmise the extent to which children are losing coverage. Based on interviews and a literature review, the report then identifies elements or target areas that affect children's continued enrollment: (1) coordinating among insurance programs; (2) simplifying the renewal process; (3) making premiums easier to pay; (4) communicating effectively with families; and (5) encouraging the use of services once insured. For each target area, the report highlights key findings and recommendations for policymakers to consider promising strategies to keep eligible children covered over time. The report also suggests elements for building a foundation for retention strategies--demonstration pilots, tracking, and research--to quantify and identify best practices for keeping children covered. The report's five appendices include 91 endnotes, a description of the study methodology, flowcharts of programs' processes for continuing coverage, and acknowledgments. (KB)

Television is an integral part of American culture, and has the ability to play a major role in shaping belief systems, particularly for the youngest and most impressionable viewers. This study is the third annual study of diversity of characters in prime time television programming. The study examined the first two episodes of each prime time entertainment series airing on the six broadcast networks. The findings indicate that despite ongoing emphasis, encouragement, and pressure on the part of media advocates, civil rights groups, government officials, and even some entertainment industry leaders, the networks have yet to produce a prime time season that is representative of the diversity that young people experience and will undoubtedly continue to experience as maturing adults. Among the major findings are the following: (1) family structures are more obvious for white youth than for youth of color; (2) a majority of white youth were shown interacting with their parents but only a fourth of Latino youth were shown doing the same; (3) African American families served exclusively as the focus of situation comedies; (4) marital and parental status was more easily identifiable for women than men; (5) gay and lesbian characters are increasingly visible, with white males playing the majority roles; (6) disabled characters are increasingly visible, also with white males playing the majority of roles; (7) positions such as service workers, unskilled laborers, and criminals were played only by persons of color; and (8) whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders were portrayed more often as professionals; African American and Latino characters were more often portrayed as law enforcement; and Native Americans were typecast as spiritual advisors. (HTH)

Acknowledging the connection between children's well-being in their early years and their later academic success, this report card documents the well-being of young children in California with regard to their early care and education, health, family economic resources, and child safety. The report identifies state improvements and areas where improvement is still needed, compares California to other states, and offers strategies for improving young children's chances to thrive. The report's introduction highlights important findings of the report related to the proportion of children living in poverty, the significant racial disparities, and the numbers of children experiencing food insecurity or lacking health insurance. Following the introduction, the report discusses young children's well-being in the following areas: (1) education, including the cost of quality early care and education programs, preschool enrollment, per pupil expenditures for K-12, and academic achievement; (2) health, including health insurance coverage, infant health, and oral health; (3) family economics, including children in low-income or poor families, housing, before- and after-school programs, and food programs; (4) child safety, including domestic violence, child abuse, foster care, and child mortality. Throughout the sections of the report are descriptions of promising or successful programs to meet young children's needs. The final section of the report presents a vision for each area and offers recommendations for state policy changes to improve young children's overall well-being as well as recommendations for community action. The report concludes with a list of members of the California Report Card advisory committee and the Children Now board of directors. (Contains 62 endnotes.) (KB)

Children Now is an independent children's advocacy group that promotes solutions to problems facing American children, with particular attention to the needs of those who are poor or at risk. The group provides policy expertise and up-to-date information on the status of children. Children Now's Children and the Media Program works to improve the quality of news and entertainment media both for children and about children's issues, paying particular attention to media images of race, class, and gender. The Media Program commissioned this report, recognizing the local news media's vital influence on social and political progress regarding children. The report analyzes how local news broadcasts across the country cover children and children's issues. A month of locally produced evening news programs on the three major networks in six cities--Atlanta, Boston, Des Moines, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle--constitutes the data. Data are analyzed in three sections concerning children in the news: frequency and story style; content; and convergence of race and ethnicity. Findings indicate that children receive scant attention in local news stories, accounting for only 10 percent of all news stories. When children are covered, crime receives the most coverage--almost half of the total, followed by health, lifestyle issues, education, and politics and economics. Few stories focus on public policy issues. Children in these news stories are most likely to be depicted as victims. Youth of color account for slightly more than one third of news stories about children; most of these involve African American children. Latino and African American children are somewhat more likely to be placed in the context of explicit violence. The report recommends greater breadth and balance in news media's coverage of children and children's issues in order to improve children's self images and assist policymakers, community members, and the public making informed decisions for children's well-being. (JPB)

Based on the view that the level of market penetration of video games combined with the high levels of realism portrayed in these games make it important to investigate the messages video games send children, this report details a study of the 10 top-selling video games for each of 6 game systems available in the United States and for personal computers. The report identifies some of the unhealthy social messages such games may be sending to young players about violence, gender, and race and contains ideas for improving games for children. The report also answers frequently asked questions about video violence. Findings of the study of 70 games revealed that video games often glorified violence, ignored women and people of color, and reinforced racial and gender stereotypes. Video games were overwhelmingly violent, with nearly every game containing some violent content and too often without consequence to the perpetrator or the victim. Comparisons across game systems revealed considerable variation. A list of the video games examined completes the report. (Contains 25 endnotes.) (KB)

Children understand that media grant recognition and respect to racial groups that are positively portrayed. Approximately half of the programs in the 1999-2000 broadcast prime time entertainment programming exhibited some diversity in their opening credits casts. This study examined the nature of the portrayals of diversity. The study examined 10 "mixed" programs (character set included a mix of racial and ethnic characters) and 10 "only one" programs (all characters but one in program character set belong to the same racial group). Two additional programs with predominantly African American casts were selected for comparison. The first three episodes were recorded for each program and coded. Among the major findings are the following: (1) African American characters overall were more likely to be integral to primary storylines in situation comedies than in dramas; (2) Asian Pacific American characters were seen the least frequently; (3) the few Latino characters were more often integral to secondary dramatic storylines than to primary ones; (4) characters of different races frequently interacted professionally, sometimes socially, rarely romantically; (5) many shows adopted a colorblind approach to interracial interactions, with the exception to colorblind portrayals being racial humor and stereotyping by characters of one race toward characters of another; (6) much of the racial humor and stereotyping targeted Asian Pacific Americans and Latinos; (7) characters of color tended to be shown at work/school or home, whereas white characters were shown in both environments; (8) nonwhite characters, particularly African Americans, were likely to be portrayed as successful, good, and competent, whereas white characters were more likely than nonwhite to be shown as unsuccessful, bad, or incompetent; and (9) programs featured many African American characters that could be positive role models for viewers. (KB)

Sports programming plays a significant role in the media messages that American boys receive today. To explore the messages that sports programming presents to its audience, this report relates the findings of a study that analyzed a representative selection of sports programs and their accompanying commercials; also presented are findings from a national poll of 1,200 children ages 10-17 and 2 focus groups of boys. Part 1 of the report, "Analyzing Sports Programming," discusses aggression, violence, and injuries as well as sports, race, and gender. Key findings include: (1) aggression and violence among men is depicted as exciting and rewarding behavior; (2) athletes who play with pain are often portrayed as heroes; (3) games are often promoted by creating or inflating conflict between two star athletes; (4) white males dominate the world of sports commentary; (5) while there were few overtly racist images or comments, sports programs occasionally reinforce racial stereotypes; and (6) women are largely absent from the sports programs that boys watch, and when they do appear, they are portrayed in stereotypical ways. Part 2 of the report, "Analyzing Commercials in Sports Programming," discusses products and commercial sponsorships and tie-ins. Key findings include: (1) the primary products advertised are automobiles, shows on the same network, and snacks or fast food; (2) while male athletes of color play prominent roles in sports programming, people of color in general are underrepresented in the commercials; (3) women often appear in stereotypical or background roles in commercials; and (4) traditionally masculine images of speed, danger, and aggression are often used in the sports programming commercials. (LPP)

Boys are especially active users of media, and researchers have suggested that the cumulative impact of media, such as television, movies, and music videos, may make them some of the most influential forces in boys' lives. This report presents the findings of a national poll of 1,200 young people (ages 10 to 17) and focus groups in which boys offered their own insights into the media. Sections include: (1) "Media That Boys Consume"; (2) "Sex and Violence"; (3) "Attributes of Male Characters"; (4) "Emotions, Sensitivity, and Vulnerability"; (5) "Problems and Solutions"; and (7) "Real Life Men vs. TV Portrayals." The report lists key findings from the poll, including the following: (1) children see men on television as leaders and problem solvers, funny, successful, confident, athletic, and focused on the opposite sex; (2) male characters in the media rarely cry; (3) one in five male characters employs some form of physical aggression to solve problems; (4) over one-third of children say that they never see television males performing domestic chores such as cooking and cleaning; (5) male characters of color are more likely to focus on solving problems involving family, personal, romantic, or friendship issues, while white male characters are consistently motivated by succeeding in work, preventing and managing disaster, and pleasing nonromantic others; and (6) across race and gender, the majority of children believe that the boys and men they see on television are different from themselves, boys that they know, their fathers, and other adult male relatives. (LPP)

News media hold significant power and responsibility in focusing public attention on child-related issues. This document summarizes a study of news coverage of children in national media in 1994 and reports on the follow-up conducted in 1998. The follow-up study was based on a sample of national news coverage collected throughout November 1998 from five major newspapers and three broadcast networks. Part 1 of the followup study replicated and updated the 1994 study. Part 2 added an additional month over-sample to determine whether the coverage contained a primary focus on minority children. The findings of the 1994 study led to the conclusion that although news coverage of children was substantial, it was not balanced. Among the key findings of the follow-up study were the following: (1) child-related newspaper stories increased 37 percent over 5 years while television coverage remained unchanged; (2) the proportion of child-related news stories involving crime/violence dropped considerably, the proportion involving cultural/health issues increased considerably, and family/economic issues continued to account for the smallest number of stories; (3) children's voices were twice as common on television news as in newspapers; (4) both media provided very little practical information for parents in child-related news stories; (6) about 20 percent of stories addressed public policy concerns, down slightly from 1993; (7) children of color received little coverage, with African-Americans receiving more coverage than all others combined; and (8) stories about children of color focused on education more than crime/violence. (KB)

This pamphlet presents the results of a series of focus groups comprised of Native American children and adolescents regarding their perceptions of race and class in the media. The results indicated that although some youth were concerned most about the absence of their group in the media, others were primarily concerned about stereotyped portrayals. Many Native youth spoke first about problems apart form race, such as sex, violence, values, and the portrayal of youth in general. However, common themes relating to the minority experience appeared consistently in all the focus groups. First, on the rare occasions when Native youth saw their culture and race in the media, the portrayal was often an unflattering picture. Many youth stated that they do not necessarily look to the news for role models or reinforcement of their identity. Second, youth suggested more differences in news media treatment based on socioeconomic class rather than race as a definite divider. Third, Native youth often stated a preference for programming that would appeal to everyone, have a diverse racial cast, and reflect the realities of their lives. The report concludes that Native youth are concerned about media portrayals of race and class, note the absence of groups other than whites and African Americans, and believe that media can influence opinions and relationships. However, Native youth provided a unique perspective, and their critique covered issues such as fairness, violence, and opportunity as often as race or class. (KB)

Because increasing numbers of children receive their health care through managed care organizations, and parents often turn to health care providers for information, these organizations have a unique opportunity to affect children's development. This document comprises two publications, a full report and a brief; it discusses the role of the health care industry in investing in early childhood development services. The report compiles 13 strategies to help health plans achieve 2 critical goals: (1) create an early childhood development infrastructure; and (2) provide a seamless system of early childhood development services. Following an introduction discussing key factors in children's development, part 1 of the report identifies strategies to achieve Goal 1, including incorporating developmental specialists into pediatric primary care settings, including family advocates in the well-child care team, offering group well-child visits, using questionnaires prior to a child's visit to identify parenting concerns, providing temperament assessment and follow-up services, and providing telephone access to child development support. Part 2 presents Goal 2 strategies, including beginning parenting education in the prenatal period, linking community and social supports to pediatric primary care, and coordinating with state and community health services. Brief case studies and program model descriptions are provided as examples for individual strategies. Part 3 proposes a process for assessing and building early childhood systems, emphasizing the inclusion of health plan members in decision-making. The report concludes that managed care organizations can support and enhance families' ability to nurture their young children's development. Contains approximately 75 references. The "In Brief" summarizes the report. (KB)

Although America is engaged in a national dialogue about race, children's voices have yet to be heard on the matter. This study used a series of focus groups and a national poll of 10- to 17-year-olds to examine their views about race and the role of the media in shaping understanding. Participating in the polls were 1,200 children, 300 in each group of Asian, African, Latino, and White Americans. Among the key findings of the study are the following: (1) children of all races watch a great deal of television; (2) African-Americans strongly felt that entertainment media represent their race more fairly than the news media, while Asian-Americans slightly favored the news media; (3) children of color primarily chose African-Americans as those they admire and White children primarily chose White television figures as favorites; (4) children agreed that it is important for youth to see people of their own race on television, although children of color had stronger feelings than White children; (5) children thought that White characters on entertainment television were most likely to be shown in a positive way while Latino characters were most likely to be negatively portrayed; (6) children across all races associated positive characteristics more with the White characters on television and negative characteristics more with the minority characters; (7) all children agreed that there were racial differences in the types of role portrayed on television; and (8) White children were more likely to say that money rather than race divides people in America, while other groups were split in their opinion. (KB)

An examination of the way welfare reform is presented in the national news media can provide insight into which aspects of the reform news consumers consider important. This study used a content analysis to examine all stories about welfare reform in the national press from: (1) June through August 1996, during which time the federal legislation was debated and enacted; and (2) June through August 1997, during which time legislation was being implemented at the state level. Content of 680 stories was examined for: the welfare issues addressed; main focus; discussion of impact of the reform and how it affects children; length; and photo content. Findings indicated that the most frequent story focus was on the potential and actual impact of the reform, with politics also a frequent focus. Children were the primary focus of 6 percent of articles and received a limited discussion in 38 percent. The Los Angeles Times contained more welfare reform stories that other sources, although The New York Times featured the most articles focusing on children. A greater percentage of editorials addressed children's issues than any other article type. Impact of welfare reform was most frequently discussed in terms of government budgets. The impact of reform on children's lives was discussed most frequently in general terms. Based on the findings, it was concluded that framing the welfare reform issue primarily as one that affects public budgets can have consequences on how news consumers perceive the issue, and vote or act upon it. (KB)

After 10 years of development, the California Statewide Automated Child Support System, run by the Department of Social Services (DSS), has been scrapped and the state has begun developing a new child support collection computer. This report evaluates the performance of publicly-funded child support collection programs in California, examining the history of the state collection program and describing the leadership needed for an effective child support system. Also provided are data to assess the current capacity of the state collection program. The report concludes that although there has been much improvement in child support collection, California still ranks among the worst-performing states in child support performance. Further, the report maintains that although DSS has statutory authority over the program, the department has never received enough support from the governor to effectively manage it. The report focuses on gross errors in the measurement of child support collections as a percentage of total support owed and the measurement of whether families are able to leave welfare and receive child support. The report concludes with recommendations for strong commitments by the California Governor, Attorney General, Legislature, DSS, every state district attorney, and the Judiciary to reform the child support program and build accountability into the system. A data supplement document presents tables enabling county comparisons within California and state comparisons with the rest of the United States with regard to child support enforcement. (KB)

This conference focuses on how females are portrayed in a range of current media and whether these messages influence girls. The report is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Getting the Message," maintains that girls are aggressive consumers of the popular media and they understand the messages conveyed there. Although current media contain many powerful role models, they also contain stereotypical messages about appearance, relationships, and careers. Part 2, "Delivering the Message," examines the myth that there are enough positive female role models and considers the economic and creative factors driving industry decisions. Part 3, "Accepting the Challenge," presents recommendations developed at the conference. The action agenda recommendations were: (1) develop a national public health campaign; (2) mobilize a coalition of powerful advertisers and broadcasters; (3) promote success stories to dispel conventional wisdom; (4) stage a national broadcast event to focus attention; and (5) dedicate the 1998 conference to examining race. Recommendations regarding defining positive role models were to create female characters we would want our own daughters to emulate, who are similar to "real" girls, and who are leaders. Also included in the report are brief summaries of presentations by keynote speakers--psychologist Mary Pipher; Donna Shalala, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; and actor Geena Davis--and opinions of representative teenagers attending the conference. The report concludes with the conference schedule. (KB)

Although California lags behind other states in insuring children of low-income working families, the state could provide assistance by building on existing public health programs. This report provides a primer on the problems of low-income uninsured children and explores the public policy building blocks needed to adequately and affordably insure them. Chapter 1 discusses the problems that arise when working parents are unable to afford health insurance, including trends in insurance coverage that work against working families and the lack of enrollment of eligible children in the Medi-Cal program. Chapter 2 deals with the impact of lack of health insurance on children and presents findings relating lack of insurance to limited access to a broad range of health services, lack of medical care, and lowered likelihood of having a known health care provider to follow the child's development. Chapter 3 documents gaps in the public health system leaving uninsured children without basic health care. Chapter 4 presents a potential solution to the problem, including increasing enrollment for Medi-Cal eligible children and working with the federal government to expand coverage for uninsured children. Incorporated into the report are vignettes detailing common child and adolescent health problems and difficulties in obtaining health care. Nine appendices include lists of pivotal policy decision points, the California government roster, and descriptions of public health care programs for children in California. Contains 67 references. (KB)

With regard to sexual content, an argument is often made that sexual jokes, innuendoes, and behavior on television "go over kids' heads." To address this issue, focus groups were conducted with children between the ages of 8 and 13. Children viewed a tape of a selection of clips containing sexual content from programs aired in 1996 during the family hour. The children were separated by gender and age groups. In some instances, parents watched their child's focus group and participated in a focus group of their own. Results showed that: (1) children generally understood sexual content in the show excerpts; (2) they understood and said they liked best the shows that communicated clear, prosocial messages about sexual issues; (3) shows with mixed messages about sexual issues often left the children with confused messages themselves; (4) children took away messages about sex even from shows which were not purposely projecting messages about sexual behaviors, but which included sexual references or depictions; (5) children bring different understandings and attitudes about sexual issues to their viewing which may cause different interpretations; (6) most of the children, especially the younger ones, were made most obviously uncomfortable with the visual portrayals of sexual scenes; (7) some parents were unaware of how much sexual content there was on television their children watched, and how much their children understood; (8) parents expressed concern about some of the sexual messages on television (9) some parents say television helps them broach important issues, like sex, with their children; and (10) parents say they realize that they need to find out more about what their children are watching, and make sure they are talking with them about what they see on television. (EV)

In the midst of a growing national debate about the role of television as a de facto "sex educator" for young people today, this survey asked parents nationwide in the fall of 1996 about their views on kids and television. A random sample of 853 parents and children ages 6 to 15 were surveyed by telephone (the data reported here focus on a subsample of 421 parents with children ages 8 to 12). Parents were asked about how well they are able to monitor their children's television viewing; the amount of sexual content on television, particularly during programming in the early evening; and the influence they think television is having, if any, on their children. Results showed that 43 percent worry a "great deal" about the amount of sexual content their children are exposed to, and 28 percent are at least "somewhat" concerned. One out of five say they have seen an effect on how their child talks, acts, or dresses. Parents are divided over how well they think TV presents sexual issues, with 30 percent thinking sexual content is generally presented in an "informative or socially responsible way" and another 31 percent saying this is "hardly ever" or never the case. More than two-thirds say they are able to watch TV with their child at most only half the time; 85 percent have rules about which shows their child can watch. Nearly half say their child has at some point asked a question about sex, AIDS, or some other issue because of something they saw on TV. Finally, three-quarters agree with the concept of the family hour, and 72 percent say there are not enough shows on television appropriate for their child. (Presents each survey question and its results.) (EV)