“Our students deserve and need to have more support and we’re grateful to have resources we can use to help them. We recognize it will take time to build out many of these resources. That’s why we’ve embarked on such a big number,” California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond said at an event last Thursday announcing the new program.
"One in 300 California youth have lost a parent or direct caregiver to COVID-19. That's higher in California than nationally," Bintliff said."So, we're a state that's full of grieving children. And schools don't necessarily have the resources at hand to work through all of that without having quality counselors."
Students enrolled in a professional preparation program leading to a teaching credential or pupil personnel services credential on or after Jan. 1, 2020 are eligible for a grant. School counselor, social worker and psychologist candidates are eligible to apply.