For Immediate Release

OAKLAND — The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised 2026-27 state budget proposal, released today, for its inclusion of $30 million in one-time funding dedicated to identifying and supporting California’s K-12 students experiencing homelessness. This is a critical investment, championed by NCYL and Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, that will provide meaningful support for some of the state’s most vulnerable youth.

As California lawmakers finalize the state budget, NCYL calls on the Legislature to maintain this essential funding in its version of the budget, which must be passed by June 15.

“The inclusion of this funding in the revised budget is a powerful acknowledgment that students experiencing homelessness deserve meaningful support,” said Paige Clark, a Senior Program Manager at NCYL. “This investment will help schools better identify students facing housing instability and connect them to the educational protections and services they need to remain in school and thrive. Every student deserves access to a quality education, regardless of their living situation.”

More than 290,000 California K-12 students experience homelessness each year, yet California remains without dedicated statewide funding to ensure schools can effectively identify, enroll, and support these students. Homelessness creates profound and unique barriers to educational stability, attendance, academic achievement, and long-term opportunity. This proposed investment represents an important step toward addressing systemic gaps that have left too many students without the resources they need to succeed.

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The National Center for Youth Law centers youth through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.