Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 25-000836
MEETING DATE:	12/16/25
legal entity taking action:	Board of Supervisors
board of supervisors district(s):	All Districts
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	Social Services Agency (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	An Tran 714-541-7708
	James Cho 714-541-7711

Subject: The 31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County

ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

Concur

N/A

Consent Calendar

3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: N/A

Current Year Cost: N/A

Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact:

# of Positions:

Sole Source: N/A

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: N/A	County Audit in last 3 years: No
Levine Act Review Completed: N/A

Prior Board Action: 12/3/2024 #7, 12/5/2023 #3, 12/6/2022 #26

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Receive and file the 31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County 2025.

SUMMARY:

Acceptance of the 31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County provides a unified voice that champions health, education, safety, and economic stability to meet the needs of all children and families in Orange County.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

On December 3, 2024, the Board of Supervisors (Board) received and filed the 30th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County. On December 5, 2023, the Board received and filed the 29th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County. On December 6, 2022, the Board received and filed the 28th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County.

The Social Services Agency (SSA), through the Children and Families Commission of Orange County (CFCOC), sponsored the production and distribution of the 31st edition of the Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County.

The purpose of the Annual Report is to provide a comprehensive picture of the conditions of children in Orange County, to assess progress, and to identify potential problem areas that can be focused on for improvement. SSA in partnership with CFCOC oversees the gathering and distribution of information on children in Orange County. The information gathered for the Annual Report identifies gaps in the service system for high-risk children and their families and informs collaborative programs how to better serve this population. The Annual Report is also a valuable tool for SSA and other County agencies to track trends in children’s issues in the County.

The 31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County studies four interdependent focus areas: good health, educational achievement, economic well-being, and safe homes and communities.

Good Health

Orange County is making progress in children's health. More pregnant people are getting early prenatal care and most young children in childcare are getting vaccinated, helping protect them from serious illnesses. More young people are receiving psychological and emotional counseling, indicating better access and less stigma around mental health care. Even with improvements, some health challenges remain. Many children still face delays or obstacles when trying to get medical care. Increasingly, babies are born early or with low birth weight. Teen birth rates are still low overall, but they have gone up slightly since 2021.

Educational Achievement

More students from socioeconomically disadvantaged families are meeting reading standards in third grade and their math scores continue to improve. Orange County students are doing better than the state average on reading and math achievement. More high school graduates are ready for college and fewer students are missing school since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While most areas of kindergarten readiness improved, emotional maturity recently declined. Also, the high school dropout rate is rising again, nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels.

Economic Well-being

Access to childcare is improving, with more licensed spaces available for young children. Local support for families is strong and investments in childcare are helping. However, the cost of care especially for infants is still very high and rising faster than inflation. More students are qualifying for the National School Free and Reduced-Price Lunch program, showing that financial need is growing. After years of decline, more children are now receiving food and financial assistance through CalFresh and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids.

Safe Homes and Communities

Housing insecurity is also increasing, with more students living in unstable or crowded housing situations. More long-term foster youth in Orange County are finding permanent homes, often through reunification with their families. Juvenile arrest rates are still lower than the state average and fewer cases are leading to serious legal outcomes. Most child and teen deaths are happening among older teens. While injury deaths have gone down overall, accidental deaths like car crashes and poisonings, which include drug overdoses, have increased. Child abuse remains a serious concern, with Orange County’s rate of confirmed cases still higher than the state average.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

N/A

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A – 31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County 2025