When I came to Next Generation a year ago, I was excited by its unique niche: policy thinking and communications on issues that affect California’s children and families. This was a place that understood that issues affecting parents and children are inextricably linked, and that smart policy-making can’t be successful without the ability to make it heard and understood.

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that only 36% of kids are on track with cognitive skills by third grade. Data on hunger, poverty, and child care indicate that American kids need more support.

The first numbers out of the gate were big: California’s marketplace, Covered California, got over 1.5 million hits in the first two weeks of implementation, more than any other state marketplace except New York. But there's more to the story.

As the ACA unfolds, we will be watching, and writing about what this transition will mean for the millions of people in California who need health insurance and will soon be able to get it.

News that matters to the Next Generation.