OUR DEMANDS

Released to LA County Board of Supervisors on November 15, 2021

We are reimagining child safety, and our plan for sustainable, systemic change starts with demanding that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors take immediate action to prevent children and families from becoming involved with the system and end the practice of family separation by:

1. Ending law enforcement “partnerships” with social workers, including but not limited to placing a moratorium on Multi Agency Response Teams (MART) and enhancing proper protocols with emergency response social workers.  Law enforcement should halt the practice of referring children to DCFS because their parent or guardian has experienced domestic violence. (Learn More.)

2. Placing a moratorium on detentions related to:

   1. general neglect as defined by DCFS

   2. children whose parent or guardian has experienced domestic violence

   3. children or parents who test positive for drugs during pregnancy or at birth (Learn More.)

3. Providing counsel to parents at the beginning of any DCFS investigation. (Learn More.)

4. Granting parents the right to record all interviews and conversations to ensure accuracy and integrity of the information gathered and presented in their cases. (Learn More.)

5. Mandating that social workers advise parents of the above rights (demands #3 and 4) at first interaction with DCFS. Evidence taken in violation of these rights may not be used in court. (Learn More.)

6. Identifying all available services, and informing and connecting all parents, including veterans, incarcerated parents and others, to these services.  DCFS must pay for all court-ordered services. (Learn More.)

7. Prioritizing relative/kinship foster care placements and removing any and all barriers for family members who want to care for children who have been removed from their parents. This includes updating policies and legislative priorities related to denial of potential kinship caregivers with criminal backgrounds (including anyone who has been included in the gang database) or who do not meet rules about space requirements.  Utilize county funds or child specific placements to assist families who do not meet Resource Family Approval requirements. (Learn More.)

8. Eliminating drug testing by DCFS and by hospital staff for pregnant, laboring, and postnatal people, and infants in hospitals. (Learn More.)

9. Establishing an independent civilian oversight committee led by parents/people with lived experience.  The oversight committee shall have authority to allocate funding to community-based-and-run family preservation-oriented programs that support parents’ ability to best care for their own families and avoid involvement in the system (including raising awareness about Prevention and Aftercare Networks, connecting them to housing, legal aid, employment opportunities, and economic resources). (Learn More.)

10. Upholding the rights of incarcerated parents and their children in foster care by ensuring consistent communication and visitation; providing education and resources to parents on their rights; and addressing issues faced by incarcerated parents who miss key deadlines when they are transferred to new facilities. (Learn More.)

11. Guaranteeing basic income for all families. (Learn More.)