Childhood cancer rates of diagnosis are higher among older youth. Similar to rates in the United States, 23 per 100,000 teens ages 15-19 were diagnosed with cancer in California from 2011 to 2015 compared with 16 per 100,000 children under age 15. Difference in cancer rates by age is consistent across race/ethnicity groups. Moreover, older and younger youth are diagnosed with different types of cancer.

Pediatric cancer care is highly specialized depending on the type of cancer. The patient’s age also plays a role in determining the best medical approach to provide each child with the highest chance of survival and full recovery. Palliative care, which provides supportive services for sustaining quality of life during and after treatments, also should be age-specific. Many of us can play a role in improving the quality of life for pediatric patients and their families as they face complex physical, emotional, and logistical challenges throughout diagnoses, hospital stays, and beyond.

Policies and programs are key to maximizing positive health outcome and quality of life for pediatric cancer patients.

Learn more about addressing pediatric cancer in policies & programs »

Additional Resources

Treating Cancers in Adolescents, from the American Cancer Society, describes the uniqueness of treating cancer among older youth.

The Innovation Pop-Up Space at Stanford’s Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program gives patients a place to create their own inventions while receiving treatment.

Spotlight on Hope Film Camp recognizes that cancer is fought on many fronts. Through creativity and film production, this camp offers a respite to youth who are fighting cancer.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Child Population, Ages 0 to 2: 2018

Kidsdata has expanded its demographic topic content with 22 new indicators and 14 updated indicators. New indicators include sexual orientation, transgender youth, and projected population to 2060. Updated indicators include births, child populations, and school enrollments. Use demographic data to understand the size and composition of the populations in your area and plan appropriate programs to meet your changing community needs.

California had nearly 1.5 million babies, ages 0-2, in 2018 – that is 1.5 million lives where we have an opportunity to ensure safe, nurturing, and healthful environments and supportive infrastructure from the start. Each child is more important to California than ever before. How many babies does your county have?

Learn more about the demographics of children in California »

Data in Action

The Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the CA Department of Social Services are using data to inform prevention strategies against child abuse. They debuted state and county-level dashboards, drawing from kidsdata.org and other sources.

Now Available: LGB Webinar Recording and Slides

Across many indicators of health and well being, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth reported troubling behaviors and consequences at about twice the rate of straight youth. Listen to our recent webinar on this topic and see the latest data on transgender youth.

Posted by kidsdata.org

A positive school climate is paramount to addressing disparities in health and well being among LGB youth in California. We were pleased to host Jenny Betz from WestEd to discuss the latest research on school climate and Hannah Herrick, a UC Berkeley student, to share her high school experience as part of the LGB community. For an overview of key health data, see our latest issue brief.

Issue Briefing Recording:

Issue Briefing Slides

Issue Briefing Q&A

New to Kidsdata: Data on Transgender Youth

See the latest data on transgender youth in California.

• by Gender and Grade Level
• by Level of School Connectedness
• by Parent Education Level
• by Race/Ethnicity
• by Sexual Orientation

Additional Resources

Below are some additional resources that we hope will be helpful in your work:

• GLSEN
• GSA Network
• Local LGBTQ Centers/CenterLink
• Gender Spectrum

Thanks to all who joined us for this enriching and thought-provoking issue briefing. Explore more data on school climate and LGB youth. We always appreciate feedback and are happy to share any additional resources that you may have on this topic. Please email info@kidsdata.org.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Projected Child Population Counts, by Race/Ethnicity: 2020 to 2060

New indicators on projected population point to stagnation of the child population from 2020 to 2060 across all racial/ethnic groups. With an unchanging child population and growing adult population, the importance of children becomes ever greater. Guest author, Beth Jarosz from the Population Reference Bureau, explores these new indicators and explains how they can help inform policies and programs that support children’s health and well being.

California’s total population is expected to grow by more than 10 million people (25 percent) to nearly 51 million between 2020 and 2060. However, the child population is expected to remain virtually unchanged, at just over 9 million, over this same period of time. This forecast, from the California Department of Finance, is based on the current population as well as projections about birth rates, death rates, and migration patterns. Low birth rates contribute to the stable child population forecast while long life expectancy and net in-migration result in projected population growth at older ages.

Population forecast information is valuable for many reasons. Forecasts provide decision makers and the public with valuable clues about the future size and characteristics of the population. At the most basic level, a forecast suggests whether a population is going to grow, shrink, or remain about the same. Many forecasts, including those presented here on Kidsdata.org, also provide predictions about the age and gender, racial/ethnic composition, and geographic location of the population in the future.

Forecast data are used to predict and plan for future needs such as schools and health care facilities. If a community is expected to grow, local officials would plan for additional school and health care facilities to meet the needs of the growing population. If a community is expected to shrink, officials would want to start planning for how to use any no-longer-needed space. Forecast data are also helpful in what-if analysis. For example, an analyst might ask, “If we could eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in child poverty, what would the effect be on the overall child poverty rate?” Forecast data help to answer those questions.

Learn more about the demographics of children in California »

Additional Resources

The New Importance of Children in America

A report from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health explores the economic impact of declining birth rates. Ensuring the health and well-being of children in the U.S. has never been more critical to the nation’s economic and political future. The shortage of children means each child—regardless of gender, ethnicity, geographic residence or economic background—is proportionately more important to our future than ever before.

Demographic Analyses and Enrollment Forecasts

See how San Francisco Unified School District is using forecasts to predict future needs.

Recently Released Data

Demographics

Births

• by Mother’s Race/Ethnicity

Births Outside of Marriage (California & U.S. Only)

• by Mother’s Race/Ethnicity

Child Population (Regions of 65,000 Residents or More)

• by City, School District and County (10,000 Residents or More)
• by Legislative District

Child Population, by Race/Ethnicity (Regions of 10,000 Residents or More) [NEW]

• by Legislative District [NEW]

Children in Rural and Urban Areas (California & U.S. Only)

Child Population, by County

• by Age Group and Gender
• by Race/Ethnicity

Total Population

Projected Child Population, by County [NEW]

• by Age Group and Gender [NEW]
• by Race/Ethnicity [NEW]

Projected Total Population [NEW]

Public School Enrollment

• by Race/Ethnicity

Highest Level of Parent Education, by Child’s Grade Level [NEW]

• by Child’s Gender and Grade Level [NEW]
• by Child’s Level of School Connectedness [NEW]
• by Child’s Race/Ethnicity [NEW]
• by Child’s Sexual Orientation [NEW]

Youth Sexual Orientation, by Grade Level [NEW]

• by Gender and Grade Level [NEW]
• by Level of School Connectedness [NEW]
• by Parent Education Level [NEW]
• by Race/Ethnicity [NEW]

Transgender Youth, by Grade Level [NEW]

• by Gender and Grade Level [NEW]
• by Level of School Connectedness [NEW]
• by Parent Education Level [NEW]
• by Race/Ethnicity [NEW]
• by Sexual Orientation [NEW]

Posted by kidsdata.org

We are looking for a part-time independent contractor to help our team prepare data for kidsdata.org. Preferred candidates will have experience working with data and impeccable attention to detail. See job description.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Webinar

Date: Friday, February 1
Time: 10:00-10:30 AM PST

A new issue brief from Kidsdata reports startling disparities among California youth based on sexual orientation. Across many indicators of health and well being, lesbian, gay and bisexual youth reported troubling behaviors and consequences at about twice the rate of straight youth. Learn about the latest research on school climate and its impact on health and well being of LGB youth. Also, hear a young person’s perspective on her high school experience as part of the LGB community. Audience Q&A is highly encouraged. Speakers will be available for questions immediately after the 30-minute briefing.

Attendees are encouraged to review Kidsdata Issue Brief: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth in California prior to the briefing.

Speakers

Jenny Betz
School Climate Specialist, WestEd

Jenny Betz is a School Climate Specialist in WestEd’s Health & Justice Program, where she engages with schools and districts to improve school climate and wellness. With more than 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector — local, regional, national, and international — Jenny has a passion for social justice and building the capacity of education stakeholders to ensure safe, affirming, and inclusive learning environments for all. Prior to joining WestEd, Jenny was the Director of Education & Youth Programs at GLSEN, leading national campaigns, programs, and resource development addressing LGBTQ issues in K-12 schools. A native of the Bay Area, Jenny earned a BA in English at St. Mary’s College and an MA in gender/cultural studies at Simmons College, and serves as a member of the International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA) Board of Directors.

Hannah Herrick
Student, University of California, Berkeley

Hannah Herrick is a sophomore at UC Berkeley with an intended major in Social Welfare and minor in LGBTQ studies. She identifies as bi/pansexual. Hannah is a youth services volunteer with the Pacific Center for Human Growth, the oldest LGBTQ center in the Bay Area. She leads discussions and provides peer support for LGBTQ youth at local middle schools. Hannah is also a member of Bear Closet, a community-based organization at UC Berkeley focused on making the LGBTQ community more accessible to questioning and closeted youth.

Youth in Schools Data

Youth in Schools Data Available on Kidsdata

Posted by kidsdata.org

The Kidsdata Issue Brief: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth in California highlights findings from our latest data release on youth in schools.

Disparities among youth based on sexual orientation are startling. Across many indicators of health and well being, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth in California reported negative behaviors and consequences at about twice the rate of straight youth. Alcohol and drug use were higher, feelings of depression were more common, and skipping school was more frequent among LGB youth.

Addressing these issues early through policies and programs that promote a positive school climate can help mitigate these behaviors and their effects. By maximizing public funding streams, providing enhanced health care services, and integrating systems of support, all students, including LGB students, can experience better long-term health and well being.

Read and share the issue brief »

Issue Briefing: School Climate and California LGB Youth

Date: Friday, February 1
Time: 10:00-10:30 AM PST

Register Now

Learn about the latest research on school climate and its impact on health and well being of LGB youth. Also, hear a young person’s perspective on her high school experience as part of the LGB community. Audience Q&A is highly encouraged. Speakers will be available for questions immediately after the 30-minute briefing.

Posted by kidsdata.org

A proposed rule change in immigration policy would harm children’s health and well being. Currently, federal officials assess how likely an immigrant is to receive certain public benefits as a part of visa applications and status adjustments, also known as the “public charge test.” The proposed change would expand the types of services that officials can use to inform decisions on immigration status. Immigrant families are eligible for these services, but fear of compromising their status may prevent them from utilizing much needed assistance. This could result in significant decreases in enrollment from Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other public aid programs critical to children’s health.

The Children’s Partnership, Population Reference Bureau and Kidsdata collaborated to assess the impact of this proposed immigration rule change on California’s children. Findings are summarized in the new issue brief, The Trump Administration’s Proposed Public Charge Rule Would Harm Children’s Health and Punish Families.

Estimates include:

• 269,000 to 628,000 children would lose coverage from Medicaid, CHIP, or other means-tested public health insurance
• the uninsured rate among all children statewide would rise from 3% to between 5% and 8%
• 113,000 to 311,000 children would lose access to SNAP

The analysis was modeled after the Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief, Potential Effects of Public Charge Changes on Health Coverage for Citizen Children, but expands the analysis to non-citizen children and narrows the focus to California counties. Based on this analysis, we can expect worsened chronic health conditions, increased food insecurity, and heightened anxiety among the undeniable results of not addressing medical and social needs when they arise.

Public comment in the federal registry is open until December 10. Provide comment at regulations.gov.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Resilience is a process of adapting positively to lasting adversity and is strengthened through safe, stable, and nurturing environments. For youth, it can reduce the effects of adverse experiences. Youth can build resilience by learning how to develop and strengthen socio-emotional skills when faced with a challenge. A key place to foster resilience is in schools where so much of a child’s academic and social learning takes place.

How well are California schools fostering resilience among youth? In 2013-2015, about 25% of school staff in elementary and middle schools reported that resilience is fostered a lot at school, compared with 21% of high school staff and 35% of staff in non-traditional schools. These percentages increase substantially when including the staff who reported that resilience is fostered “some” at school (e.g., 78% of elementary school staff report that resilience is fostered some or a lot at school), however fostering resilience at school some does a disservice to youth who may need support the most. Youth will benefit throughout their lives from a school environment where the skills to build resilience are fostered a lot.

This data release is a part of Kidsdata’s Youth in Schools series. In partnership with WestEd, we are featuring data from the California Department of Education’s California Healthy Kids Survey.

Data in Action

Data Briefing: New Data on Youth in Schools
Thursday, November 8 at 10 am PST

Join us for a 30-minute webinar on our newest suite of data. Learn how the largest statewide surveys of school climate, risk behaviors, and protective factors in the nation informs us of how children are faring in California. We will also provide an overview of how to access the data. Audience questions are highly encouraged. Register.

Start A Conversation in Your Community on Adverse Childhood Experiences
Ariane Marie-Mitchell, a professor from Loma Linda University in Claremont, CA, helped start a conversation on the lack of trauma-informed schools in her community. Using data on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from kidsdata.org, she highlighted the importance of building resilient schools to schools staff, parents, and school board members.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Webinar

Date: Thursday, November 8
Time: 10:00-10:30 AM PST

Kidsdata, in partnership with WestEd, recently released a comprehensive suite of data on youth in schools in more than a dozen topics, from bullying and cyberbullying to school climate, school safety and student support. These data come from the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and California School Staff Survey (CSSS). Learn about the largest statewide surveys of school climate, risk behaviors, and protective factors in the nation and how to access the data. Audience questions are highly encouraged. Speakers will be available for questions immediately after the 30-minute briefing.

Speakers

Lori Turk-Bicakci, PhD
Senior Manager, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

Lori Turk-Bicakci is a senior manager at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. She oversees kidsdata.org, a publicly-available data resource on children’s health in California. Dr. Turk-Bicakci ensures that the data and information are high-quality, relevant, and user-friendly, and she works with researchers and advocates across California to address key children’s health issues. Before becoming a researcher, Dr. Turk-Bicakci taught social studies in middle school. She holds a PhD in sociology from University of California, Riverside and a teaching credential from University of California, Davis.

Thomas L. Hanson, PhD
Program Director, Health & Justice Program, WestEd

Thomas L. Hanson, PhD, serves as Director of WestEd’s Health and Justice Program, which works to strengthen the capacity of institutions throughout the community to provide the supports, knowledge, and skills all people need to succeed – especially those in the most challenging circumstances. He directs the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Survey System (CalSCHLS) project. CalSCHLS – which consists of a suite of psychometrically sound student, staff, and parent surveys – was developed by the California Department of Education to assess all major domains of school climate and safety; learning engagement; youth strengths and needs; and developmental risk and protective factors at the local level.

About

Kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, is a public resource with wide-ranging data on children’s health in California.

WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency. WestEd aims to improve education and other important outcomes for children, youth and adults.

Youth in Schools Data

Youth in Schools Data Available on Kidsdata

Posted by kidsdata.org