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*--- Forwarded Message from Children Now <children@dnai.com> ---*

New Report Card Spells Trouble For California Teens

State Ranks in the Bottom of the Class in Critical Areas for Children

SACRAMENTO/LOS ANGELES/OAKLAND:  California Report Card '95 on California's
children, released today by Children Now, a nonpartisan policy and advocacy
organization for children, shows startling trends for California's 8.9
million children, with the poverty rate escalating more rapidly than in the
rest of the nation.  While the group measured key indicators for children
in a number of areas, one of the most grave was the picture painted for
California teens.  Among the most alarming trends for teens are:

*       In 1993, California had the highest teenage unemployment rate in
the nation at 26.2%.

*       Each year, 100,000 California high school graduates do not go on to
college and have little guidance in their transition to work.

*       In 1993, 857 California children, the equivalent of more than 25
classrooms, were victims of homicide.  The rate of homicides perpetrated
against children in California is 59% higher than the rest of the nation.

*       In 1992, over 70,000 babies were born to teenage girls in
California.  California's teenage birth rate is the 43rd worst in the
nation.

"The state might be coming out of the recession, but its children have been
left in the dust," stated James P. Steyer, president of Children Now.
"These problems have been brewing over the past decade and we must make a
commitment to our young people before it's too late.  Young people need
opportunities for work experience, a good education, and a safe and
supportive community to help them transition to productive adults.  This
report card sends a dramatic message that we are failing millions of kids."

The new data is included in Children Now's "California Report Card '95"
and a supplement report entitled, "California: The State Of Our Children
'95," which provides a comprehensive picture of California's children by
measuring state performance on 26 benchmarks and analyzing trends.

There have been some improvements for children, such as an increase in the
number of babies born to mothers who received prenatal care and a decrease
in the percentage of young people dropping out of high school.   However,
overall Children Now's findings show disturbing trends in other critical
areas for children:

*       FAMILY ECONOMICS:  California's child poverty rate of 28.6%
surpasses the national rate of 23.5%.  This is the highest recorded rate
since the state began tracking child poverty in 1976.

*       SAFETY:  Reports of child abuse against California children have
doubled since 1985, numbering over 660,000 in 1993.  Related to the rise in
child abuse is the increasing number of children in foster care, which in
the last three years has risen by 14% to over 94,000 placed out of home in
January 1995.

*       EDUCATION:  California 4th graders ranked 40th out of 41 in reading
scores in 1992.  California spends about $1,000 less per student than the
national average and has the most crowded classrooms in the nation.

"When California ranks in the bottom of the class for kids, we not only
fail our children, but we undermine the future economic vitality of our
state," stated Lois Salisbury, executive director of Children Now.

As one solution to the continual decline in conditions for children, the
group called for "The Children's Accountability Act", challenging state
lawmakers and administrators as well as public and private agencies to hold
themselves accountable for children's outcomes.  The Children's
Accountability Act calls for:

*       A Children's Impact Statement (CIS) as a nonpartisan analysis of
the probable impact of designated legislative and budget proposals on all
children.  With a better understanding of a measure's consequences for
kids, state lawmakers could demonstrate through their votes that children
are a priority.

*       A system to hold public agencies accountable for results achieved
for children.

"At a time when reform efforts are sweeping the nation, we must be smart
about the effect of those changes on our most valuable and most vulnerable
assets--our children.  The Children's Accountability Act would give
lawmakers a useful tool to make informed decisions on measures affecting
children. This could begin to reverse the intolerable trends outlined in
this '95 Report Card," concluded Ms. Salisbury.

Children Now will present the California Report Card '95 at the first
meeting of a newly convened California State Assembly Select Committee on
California's Children, following the press conference at the State Capitol.
The group will be joined by youth and families to discuss the implications
of the findings in this report and to identify solutions to improve the
lives of California's children.
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The California Report Card '95 and the Supplemental Report can be found at
the Children Now Web Site:

        <http://www.dnai.children>

To order a copy, you can e-mail Children Now at:

        children@dnai.com

Please indicate whether you would prefer to receive the document via
snail-mail or in text-format via e-mail.
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Children Now
Suite 530
1212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 763-2444;  E-Mail: Children Now <children@dnai.com>

*--- End of Forwarded Message ---*