Why School-Based Health Centers Matter

Physical and emotional well-being are essential for a child to succeed in school. Yet, many children come to school suffering from conditions that seriously affect their attendance, achievement, connectedness to school, and dropout rates. Left untreated, these conditions can have a devastating and long-term impact. California’s school-based health centers are located in schools serving some of the state’s most vulnerable children. This chapter of “student Supports: Getting the Most out of Your LCFF Investment,” details how school districts can establish or expand their own school-based health centers to support progress on the LCFF priorities.

Why Family Resource Centers Matter

Children need stability in their lives at home in order to do their best at school. Research has shown that academic resources alone cannot compensate when children have unmet basic needs or their families are in crisis. Low-income students are more likely to experience family instability, with accompanying emotional, mental, and physical health barriers to learning. When a school district partners with its local Family Resource Center, they can tap into an array of resources and supports for students and their families, addressing the root of students’ struggles to facilitate lasting personal and academic growth. This chapter of “Student Supports: Getting the Most out of Your LCFF Investment” details how schools can partner with their local Family Resource Centers to support progress on the LCFF priorities.

Why Family Engagement Matters

Research has demonstrated the importance of building authentic partnerships between teachers and families. But how do schools implement these practices and how can school districts leverage their LCFF dollars?

Co-authored by High Expectations Parental Service and the Partnership for Children & Youth, this first chapter of “Student Supports: Getting the Most out of Your LCFF Investment” dives into the most impactful practices for family engagement and how they can help support progress on the LCFF priorities.

Connecting Students to Mental Health Resources: Creative Collaborations, Funding, & Evidence-Based Practices

This toolkit – written in partnership with the California School-Based Health Alliance and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California – explores the ways in which seven California counties are working collaboratively to provide school-linked mental health services, share financial resources to pay for these services, and address local issues such as truancy or recidivism by increasing access to mental health services for students.

CCS Partnerships – Toolkit for Community Schools Partnerships

City and county officials are working with schools and others to create and sustain partnerships aimed at providing essential services and support to children and families. These community schools partnerships are transforming communities. The Cities Counties Schools (CCS) Partnership, a collaborative effort of the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties and the California School Boards Association, has developed an online toolkit for local officials and staff. The toolkit provides a way to learn more about strategies that connect the resources of cities, counties, schools and community-based organizations. It offers examples of successful partnerships in urban, suburban and rural communities along with best practices and resources from California and national organizations. Some of the partnerships highlighted in the toolkit focus on the joint use of facilities, providing direct services to children and families or aligning limited resources to accomplish joint goals. Every collaborative effort is unique, but each addresses specific needs with resources and assets within the community.