A new state law cracks down on the liability of providers of parenting classes that are often ordered by courts in child abuse and neglect cases but are unregulated and fail to protect children from harm. There is.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3145 on Sunday. This bill creates the Justice in Foster Care with Meaningful Assistance for Parents Act and provides that parenting courses offered as part of “Family Preservation Services” must be provided to ensure that those services actually work. It is mandatory to prove that. The bill also requires the California Department of Human Services to issue an annual report on the data for the first time.
Earlier this year, a Times investigation found that states lack oversight of court-ordered parenting classes that judges routinely require as part of case planning when parents try to regain custody of their children after Child Protective Services intervenes. It turned out that it was.
National studies have shown that some parenting classes can help prevent child abuse and keep families together, but in California they have been overprescribed with no clear track record of success. It is often a bureaucratic remedy. Despite the lack of oversight and data, according to more than 20 child welfare experts interviewed by the Times, including social workers, lawyers, former judges, parents and health care providers, Despite the lack of monitoring and data, participation in custody decisions can potentially sway custody decisions.
“An alarming investigative report published by the Los Angeles Times concludes that the millions of dollars we spend on services that help families reunite with their children actually help those families. There is also no factual basis to conclude that it is predictably safe to return a child to the parent’s care if the parent successfully completes court-ordered services.” and the politically active Black Women’s Organization noted that children of color are disproportionately represented. in the foster care system, said in a statement supporting the bill.
In the case of 4-year-old Noah Quatro, who died in 2019, his parents took weeks of classes to help them become better parents before a judge took him back into custody.
His mother attended a “culturally relevant” class held at a community resource center in Palmdale that was ranked “not rated” by a state clearinghouse meant to recommend appropriate programs. I participated. His father attended a church class led by a pastor who is not listed at all on California’s program clearinghouse.
They were later charged with his murder. An autopsy revealed that the boy had died of asphyxiation and his small body had numerous injuries, including broken ribs, caused by “significant force.” It was a month before his fifth birthday.
Court-ordered parenting classes have also been used as part of family reunification plans in horrific cases in Los Angeles County, such as those of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, who died in 2013, and 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, who died in 2018. was. In both cases, the boys were known to Child Protective Services prior to the torture and killing, and their guardians were sent to prison.
The bill’s author, Rep. Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), was previously in the child welfare system and was placed in foster care as a baby.
“California courts rely on these services to determine whether families can be safely reunited. We believe they are effective and have a lasting positive impact on both parents and children.” “We need to be confident that we will give it,” he said on Monday.
