California is ranked 47th out of 50 for the standard of living for children. This is unacceptable for the world’s 6th largest economy. While our state is making important strides to support working families, I will lead the push for a package of legislation aimed at promoting the health and safety of California kids. We need to transform our system of early childhood services at the state and local levels to be more child-centered. California’s child-services system is fractured and diffuse, both in terms of how it is funded and the quality of care it provides to the millions of California children it serves. I believe we should have one single, affordable, accessible, high-quality, and integrated system of early learning and care. We also need to support families by enacting the most comprehensive paid leave policy in the country – a full 12-weeks paid leave for the birth of a new child or to care for a sick loved one. As women are increasingly the breadwinners for their families, and still the primary caregivers, the pressures they face are real. To ensure a level playing field for women and their families, I will fight for universal childcare, close the gender pay gap, and ensure all Californians have access to quality reproductive healthcare.