2024 California Children’s Report Card from Children Now

Children Now – a non-profit research, advocacy, and public policy organization committed to children’s health, education, and wellness –  publishes a report card each year that surveys the well-being of California kids along with a roadmap for the future. While California received an “A-” for access to health insurance, the state received a “D+” for not providing adequate mental health services needed for all children to thrive.

According to the report, California ranked dead last (51st out of 50 states and the District of Columbia) for parents reporting they were not able to get mental health care for their child. Nearly half of parents (46%) reported it was “somewhat/very difficult or not possible to obtain care” for their child. Denials by health plans were cited as a major barrier to obtaining mental health care.

The report also stated that mental health issues are the #1 reason California kids are hospitalized. That number has jumped from 9% to 19% of all child hospitalizations between 2002 and 2022.

When it comes to self-harm and suicide, girls (ages 10-25) are nearly three times as likely as boys to be admitted to the emergency room for self-harm. But boys are three times more likely to die by suicide than girls, due in part to increased access and use of firearms.

You can read the report in its entirety here.