California Legislators Unite to Launch the California Legislative Children’s Caucus

• Daniel McGreevy
• Communications Coordinator
• (916) 319-2589
• [email protected]

Watch the Full Press Conference HERE.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.- Today, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Founding Chair of the California Children's Caucus, formally launched the bipartisan and bicameral caucus alongside child advocates and an inaugural class of 40 legislators.

"It's about time California focused on children. That's why we decided to found the California Legislative Children's Caucus. We are over 40 members strong across the Assembly and Senate including Democrats and Republicans. We are going to be focused on solutions - solutions that are child-centered," said Assemblymember Bonta. "Nearly one in every five children in California are living in poverty in the fourth largest economy in the world. We know that in California we can do better for our kids.

The California Children's Caucus represents more than 8 million children across the Golden State and will organize its work around key pillars, including: childcare access, foster youth, children's health, education, civic engagement, youth justice, housing security, environmental sustainability, economic security, financial literacy, and overall child welfare.

What Members Are Saying About Joining the Caucus:

"I am proud to join the California Children's Caucus to uplift and empower our youth. By putting California's children first, the Caucus will play a critical role in meeting our youth's most basic needs, including education, health care, and economic security. We must fully commit to supporting our next generation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that every child can thrive in California,"said Assemblymember Alex Lee.

"As leaders in the nation's most populous state, we have both the opportunity and the obligation to focus on child-friendly policy, not just for their benefit, but for the benefit of the entire state of California. As a life-long educator and champion for children, I am proud and honored to join my colleagues on this very important caucus to fight for our children who are both our most vulnerable population and our most valuable asset," said Assemblymember Robert Garcia.

"Supporting the health and futures of all California children needs to be a top priority. In the fifth largest economy in the world, we should not let our children go cold or hungry," said Assemblymember Liz Ortega.

During the launch Assemblymember Bonta announced two new pieces of legislation, AB 1969, the It Takes a Village Act of 2026 which establishes a three-year grant program to build and strengthen cradle-to-career networks across California, and AB 1996, the No More Child Poverty Act, which sets a goal to cut child poverty in half within ten years and establishes an 18 member council to hold the state accountable towards the goal of ending child poverty.

Assemblymember Bonta was joined by over a dozen new members of the California Legislative Children's Caucus, who shared their commitment to advancing the caucus's goals and their current legislative priorities to achieve them.

What Members Are Saying About Their Legislative Priorities:

"As the former CEO of Oakland Promise, I saw firsthand how these networks transform outcomes for young people. AB 1969 will spread these proven models statewide, reduce inequities, increase economic mobility for children and youth, and make our existing investments go further through place-based coordination," said Assemblymember Mia Bonta. "AB 1996, the No More Child Poverty Act will set a target for the fourth largest economy in the world around how we intend to end child poverty in the state of California. And we are going to make sure that the policies that we pass and that the budget priorities that we pass are benchmarks for whether or not we are moving toward the goal of ending child poverty."

"As a member of the California Children's Caucus, I am proud to champion AB 528 which safeguards vulnerable child victims from further trauma in our legal system. This bill ensures that child sexual abuse material remains securely contained, preventing its duplication or removal that could lead to unauthorized distribution and perpetuate the cycle of victimization for these innocent children, many from our most marginalized communities," said Assemblymember Juan Alanis.

"I'm grateful to be joining the Children's Caucus to tackle the challenges of child care accessibility and affordability for working families," said Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo."As a single mom, I know all too well how safe, reliable childcare is not a luxury, it is truly a necessity. Too often child care infrastructure is treated as an afterthought in local planning. That's why I'm introducing legislation requiring communities to include child care in their general plans. This change will help locals proactively plan on how to expand access and make sure child care is located in neighborhoods where families actually live and work. This bill helps communities plan smarter, partner with local providers, and ensure children are protected-not just day to day, but during emergencies and climate-related disasters as well."

"Every child in foster care deserves stability and a meaningful connection to family. By making clear that relatives should be considered for placement throughout a child's case, not just at the beginning, California strengthens its kin-first approach, supports family caregivers, reduces the trauma caused by delayed placements, and helps foster youth achieve better long-term outcomes," said Assemblymember Catharine Stefani

The formation of the caucus builds on Assemblymember Bonta's longstanding commitment to children and families, including her prior leadership in education-focused nonprofits and service on her local school board. In the Legislature, her past child-centered efforts have included:

• AB 298(2026): eliminating out-of-pocket health costs for youth.
• AB 1261(2025): supports young immigrants facing deportation.
• AB 51(2024): establishes the California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program.
• AB 1376(2025): limits youth probation terms and combats the school-to-prison pipeline.
• AB 1186(2024): remedies California's broken restitution system.

###

Assemblymember Mia Bontarepresents California's 18^thAssembly District encompassing the East Bay including Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville. She also chairs the Assembly Health Committee.

Courtesy photos can be found HERE.