Children, Young Adults, and Their Families Plank

General Preamble

California Democrats believe that children and young people deserve the chance to become thriving and productive members of society.  To do so, we will work to provide them with a healthy start, a solid education, and a safe community in which to thrive.

To help children and young adults reach their full potential, California Democrats will:

Statement of Principles

Provide, support, and expand all programs that safeguard the health of all children and families in California, including:

• pre-natal, peri-natal and well-baby care, as well as immunization efforts;
  
• workplace rights for women and men including flex time, pregnancy and family leave, and nursing/feeding time and space;
  
• nutritionally healthy school lunch and breakfast programs so that no child in California suffers from hunger;
  
• adequate, safe housing;
  
• the removal of toxic substances from all toys sold in California;
  

Support, provide and expand all programs that safeguard quality education for all children and families in California, including:

• access to high quality, reasonably priced child-care, preschool and early development centers and strong, community-based after-school programs;
  
• hands-on learning opportunities in enriching environments which engage parents, caregivers, and educators as partners in all relevant domains of early learning and development including language, math, social and emotional self-regulation;
  
• English-learner children, parents and caregivers;
  
• enriching experiences, educational television and other electronic programming and curricula for children; 
  
• parks and recreation services and mentoring centers for children and young people;
  
• vocational counseling, job training and apprenticeships;
  

Support, promote and improve all programs that guarantee the safety of all children and families in California, including:

• in inner-city and other neighborhoods blighted by poverty;
  
• policies and support agencies responsible for providing parenting skills, mental health services, domestic violence prevention, gang prevention, anti-bullying programs, substance abuse prevention and other social services that are critical to the health and well-being of children and families in need;
  
• agencies whose mission is to help lift at-risk families and working poor families out of poverty so that they can become independent and lead self sufficient lives;
  
• adequate resources for Child Protection Services and social workers to protect children and support foster youth;
  
• the foster care system and court proceedings to prevent child abuse and neglect so that they are accessible and swift, and can enforce aggressively child-support payment rulings; and
  
• prosecute those who commit crimes against children, particularly sex crimes against minors, and strictly enforce the penalties for such crimes.