By April Laissle
California is well behind almost every other state when it comes to caring for its kids, according to an annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and its Oakland-based partner, Children Now.
The report looks at four indicators of children's well-being: family stability, economic stability, health, and education. This year, California inched up one spot to 40th overall, but ranked 26th in the health category.
Some of that progress is due to the expansion of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, though advocates say there is still work to be done.
"We have increased the number of children now that are on Medi-Cal," said Jessica Mindnich, research director at Children Now. "But do these kids actually have access to doctors and to dentists? Are they able to get in in a timely manner?"