Why these California preschoolers are scoring above average

For many young Californians, preschool is a place to run around, sing songs and develop early social skills. But for those enrolled in one San Diego program, preschool can also mean talking to a mental health therapist, processing trauma and learning emotional regulation.

As CalMatters’ Adriana Heldiz explains in a visual essay, Mi Escuelita is a preschool dedicated to students who have experienced family traumaincluding domestic violence. last year, 28 parents of 84 students enrolled in Mi Escuelita reported being involved in multiple domestic violence relationships.

The school offers students on-site mental health services, such as one-on-one sessions with clinicians, as well as group therapy where students learn about feelings and how to regulate them. Therapists interact with students through play and watch for clues to deeper emotional issues emerging.

• Angelina Pufelisclinical supervisor at Mi Escuelita: “Usually there is a theme and some of the things that are common are protection, safety, empowerment or superhero; bad and evil. So as a therapist I look for that. It’s an ongoing theme and if there are changes in the home environment, that theme plays out in play therapy.”

Although Mi Escuelita’s operating costs are $1.3 million per year, students attend Mi Escuelita for free and courses are offered year-round. Founded in 2006, Mi Escuelita is considered a leader among therapeutic preschools, offering insight into the benefits of a trauma-informed learning environment. A recent report by the University of California, San Diego found that 82 percent of Mi Escuelita students scored above average on the Kindergarten Readiness Test—meaning these students do not have “major learning disabilities.”

Read more hereand if you don’t have time take a look at the main takeaways.

More on childhood trauma intervention: CalMatters’ Adriana and Adam Ashton also spoke with the executive director of First Five California, an organization that supports early learning services in the state, to develop a guide for families seeking help after trauma. Read it here.

After being diagnosed with a hernia that occurs through an opening in the diaphragm—a potentially fatal condition that requires surgery—Mary Kuhn began searching the web for a specialist who could treat her. But the discrepancies stemming from her health insurance’s “ghost web” underscore how Kuhn, and many patients like her, experience a delay in care that can be life-threateningwrites Kristen Huang of CalMatters.

So-called ghost networks refer to inaccurate or outdated lists published by insurance companies that include health care providers who are not actually in the network. As for Kuhn, her doctor referred her to a Walnut Creek cardiothoracic surgeon listed in Blue Shield of California’s online provider directory. But a month before her surgery was to take place, her insurer sent her a denial letter in December 2024, refusing to pay for the surgeon’s services, saying the doctor was not on her health plan.

• Kuhn: “I thought it was a mistake. Of course he’s on the net, I see him there.”

Although California passed a law in 2015 to make it easier for patients to find care online, patients still struggle with inaccurate directories. MP Cecilia Aguilar-Curry argues that the law is under-enforced and that health plans have “no incentive” to fix the problem. Although Davis, a Democrat, introduced a bill requiring the signs to be 95 percent accurate by 2029, she later withdrew it and said she planned to revive the measure next year.

Read more here.

Former Democratic Senator Richard Pan is running to unseat U.S. Rep. Kevin Kellya Republican who has recently found himself vulnerable if voters pass Proposition 50 in November, CalMatters’ Maya S. Miller writes.

Pan said he is running for Congress because he wants to make the government “work for the people” again. The Sacramento doctor successfully pushed for a 2015 state law requiring stronger immunization protections for children and faced massive pushback from anti-vaccine activists and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

• Panin an interview with CalMatters: “We’re seeing a federal government that seems to be deliberately attacking health care, whether it’s taking away people’s health insuranceundermining public health to allow disease to spread, cutting research into things like cancer cures.

As of 2023, Kylie represents California’s 3rd Congressional District. Kelly is an outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom and opposes Proposition 50. If the district were redistricted under the measure, Pan would previously represent about 70 percent of the voters who live in that new district, according to his campaign.

Read more here.

On Monday, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber addressed a growing conspiracy theory that a small hole in ballot return envelopes for November’s special election was designed to reveal an individual’s vote on Proposition 50, the only measure on the ballot.

Weber said the hole was for “visually impaired voters to navigate” when they sign the envelope. If voters have concerns about privacy, they can place their ballots inside the envelope in a way that doesn’t make their markings visible, or vote in person. Similar theories are circulating during Newsom’s 2021 recall election.