As school begins, California launches universal Transitional Kindergarten, free meals for EVERY student and historic supports for kids

Mental health support for every child

In 2022, under Governor Newsom’s leadership, California took urgent action to confront this crisis of mental health among young people. While other states cut resources for children’s mental health, California launched the largest transformation of its mental health system in state history—investing in children and families, expanding school-based services, and strengthening the behavioral health workforce so young people can access care where and when they need it.

Actions taken by the Newsom administration include:

• Unveiling the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, backed by $4.7 billion in investments, to reimagine mental health and substance use services.

• Placing more than 4,000 trained professionals in schools and community organizations to provide wellness education, early intervention, support, and referrals.

• Adding 40,000 new mental health workers to strengthen California’s behavioral health workforce.

• Supporting the professional development of nearly 60,000 individuals along their behavioral health career paths from 2021 through July 2024.

• Supporting more than 500,000 children, youth, and families through free mental health services, including Soluna and BrightLife Kids.

• Increasing behavioral health services by 94% during the first two months of 2026 by expanding Medi-Cal reimbursements for services delivered on school and college campuses. More than 500 local educational agencies and higher education institutions now participate, expanding access to care where children and young people learn.

California students are making academic gains

These investments are helping create the conditions for students to succeed — and the latest results show continued progress. The trends leading into the statewide results being released this fall are positive across the board: gains have been seen across every tested subject and grade level, with particularly strong gains among Black and Latino students and continued improvement among socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

There is more work to do. But California is moving in the right direction — and continuing to invest in the students, educators and communities that make those gains possible.

Building strong readers and brighter futures

Governor Newsom’s commitment to literacy is deeply personal. Growing up with dyslexia, the Governor experienced firsthand the frustration of struggling to read the same way as many of his classmates. That experience continues to shape his commitment to ensuring every child—regardless of background, income, or learning differences—receives the early identification, individualized support, and high-quality instruction needed to become a strong reader and succeed in school and beyond.

For Governor Newsom, literacy can shape a child’s confidence, sense of possibility, and access to opportunity throughout life. In 2025, alongside students and educators in Compton, the Governor announced a comprehensive strategy to improve literacy and provide students with stronger, more personalized support:

• Establishing a statewide strategy: Governor Newsom announced the Golden State Literacy Plan, a comprehensive plan to improve literacy outcomes for students across California.

• Expanding literacy support statewide: California’s literacy efforts are reaching 2.6 million TK–5 students, with more than 800 high-need elementary schools now supported by literacy coaches and reading specialists.

• Identifying reading difficulties earlier: California invested more than $100 million to develop and implement universal screening for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, among K–2 students. Screening began during the 2025–26 school year, helping educators identify challenges sooner and connect students with the support they need for long-term success.

Helping every learner succeed

Governor Newsom’s commitment to educational success means ensuring every student has the resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. Building on California’s investments in early learning, community schools, nutritious meals, mental healthcare, literacy, and college and career pathways, the state is tailoring support to meet students’ different needs—particularly students with disabilities and young men and boys who continue to face disparities in educational attainment and well-being.

For students with disabilities, success begins with early identification, individualized instruction, high-quality services, and strong partnerships with families. For young men and boys, it means addressing barriers to achievement by strengthening mental health support, mentorship, belonging, classroom engagement, and pathways to good-paying careers. Together, these efforts advance California’s whole-child approach and help ensure that a student’s background, income, disability, or circumstances do not determine their future.

Actions taken under Governor Newsom’s leadership include:

• Increasing K–12 special education funding by $2.4 billion, representing a 43% increase and strengthening instruction and services for students with disabilities.

• Launching the Path and Purpose executive order focused on young men and boys to address mental health challenges and improve educational and employment outcomes through mentorship, community connection, and efforts to reduce social isolation.

• Expanding school-based behavioral health services and strengthening the statewide behavioral health workforce, helping students access care and support where they learn.

• Working to recruit more men into education careers, helping students see more diverse role models in their classrooms. Men account for only 23% of public school teachers nationwide, down from 33% in 1980.

• Highlighting financial support for aspiring educators through a statewide recruitment campaign, including:

  • Up to $10,000 in student-teaching stipends.

  • Up to $10,000 through Golden State Teacher Grants.

  • More than $20,000 in support through teacher residency programs.

• Investing $5 million in paid service opportunities, calling on 10,000 young men to serve as mentors, coaches, and tutors while developing leadership and career skills.

• Awarding nearly $47 million to 57 community-based and Tribal organizations to prevent youth substance use and expand mentorship, leadership, and civic engagement.

• Directing state agencies to address suicide and mental health disparities among young men, reduce stigma, and improve access to behavioral healthcare.

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