Suzanne Potter

As of 2023, Medi-Cal covered 22% of non-elderly adults in urban areas and 14% in rural areas. (Pcess609/Adobe Stock)

Eleven percent of seniors are covered by Kan-Care in metro areas, and almost 12% in small towns, according to a new report by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

The CAvsHate telephone hotline connects people with culturally-competent services in 200 languages. (CA Civil Rights Dept.)

The 2025 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being website includes an interactive tool to compare county-level data on 40 indicators. (Vasyl/Adobe Stock)

Pacience Edwards, a Direct Relief pharmacy specialist, delivers essential medications to the Pasadena Convention Center on Jan. 9. (Direct Relief)

Water districts in Los Angeles are working to reduce the region's reliance on water imported from Northern California by recycling more wastewater and encouraging greater conservation. (Craig Dietrick/Wikimedia Commons)

California school districts are working to reassure parents who may be scared to bring their kids to school - since the Trump administration made it clear that immigration authorities will no longer be discouraged from conducting raids in sensitive places such as schools, churches, and health-care facilities. Data show that one in ten children in California has an undocumented parent. Laura Fisher - the assistant superintendent of student support services with Desert Sands Unified School District, about 2 1/2 hours north of the border - said while the district does have to comply with a judicial subpoena, student safety comes first. ...

A new report shows what it calls a "dental divide" in the Los Angeles area - finding that only 20% to 25% of people on Medi-Cal actually use their dental benefits. Adult Medi-Cal recipients get one free exam and cleaning, plus covered dental services worth up to $1,800 a year - or more for medically-necessary care. Marlyn Pulido - senior research manager with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, known as C-PEHN - said the difference in usage varies a lot between populations. ...

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