How Do California Parents Say Their Kids Are Faring?
See Data from New Statewide Survey

Results from a wide-ranging survey that asked California parents how they view their children's health and well being provide a wealth of current data that can inform and support the work of organizations across California that serve kids. Some data from this survey now are available on kidsdata.org, and more will be added to the site in the coming months.

The survey, commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, addresses a broad spectrum of issues, from health care and depression to neighborhood safety and the effects of media. While most parents reported that their child’s well being is generally positive, the responses serve as a reminder about areas in which disparities persist, particularly for children of color and those from low-income and single-parent families.

Examples of What California Parents Reported:

Family Income: About a quarter of children (26 percent) live in households with incomes inadequate to meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, according to parents.

Neighborhood Safety: Approximately 12 percent of children are unsafe in their neighborhood or surroundings, according to their parents; among these, Latino/Hispanic children, those with household incomes below $25,000, and children of foreign-born parents are most likely to have parents who are concerned about their safety.

Child Care: Approximately 16 percent of children do not have access to affordable child care options, according to the survey.

Homework: About 15 percent of children have too much homework, according to parents. The majority of parents are satisfied with the amount of homework their children receive (71 percent).

Influence of Media: About 25 percent of children have parents who think that media (television, movies, music) have a negative impact on their children, while 57 percent have parents who believe media have a positive influence.

Family Time: 71 percent of children have parents who are satisfied with the amount of family time they have together.

Parental Depression: 26 percent of children live with parents who say they needed help with depression since becoming a parent.

Reading to Kids: More than two-thirds (69 percent) of children ages 0-5 read or look at books with family members at least 5-6 times per week, according to parents.

Special Health Care Needs: The survey found that about one-third of children with special health care needs are in very poor, poor, or fair overall emotional health, compared to 7 percent of other children.

Visits to Doctor: Children of U.S.-born parents are more likely to have visited the doctor in the past year (85 percent) than children of foreign-born parents (72 percent), according to the survey.

More Results >>

About the Survey:

The 2010 California Parent Survey queried 1,685 parents about their child’s well being. The study was conducted by Berkeley Policy Associates and the Henne Group in spring 2010, in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese or Vietnamese, depending on the respondents’ preference. The study includes a representative sample of all children in California.

Topics Covered: More than 70 questions related to a child’s physical, emotional, and behavioral health, school-related issues, family activities, and societal influences

Available Breakdowns in Data Tables: Region (Bay Area, Los Angeles County, California), child’s age and race/ethnicity, parent’s country of birth (U.S. vs. foreign-born), family structure, primary home language, household income, and more.

More about the methodology>>

Also Available from Kidsdata.org:

Kidsdata.org is a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, which uses data to promote the health and well being of children.