Jonathan Adams
California Families Win, Two ‘Books Not Bars’ Bills Signed
A great victory for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, its partner organizations and for all California families, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Family Communications Act (SB 1250) authored by Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco and the Keeping Families Whole Act (AB 2070) authored by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), both sponsored by Books Not Bars, that will help families stay in touch with their loved ones inside youth prisons, a critical part of helping youth succeed once they’re released.
Both Yee and Bass have previously received recognition by the Applied Research Center on the Facing Race California Legislative Report Cards on Racial Equity.
As a new law, the Family Communication Act will:
* Require that social workers document, and that courts consider, the barriers that imprisoned parents or parents in residential drug treatment face in accessing services and maintaining contact with their children;
* Require that the court take into account any good faith efforts that parents make to maintain contact with their children;
* Allow the possibility of a 6-month extension of reunification services where specified criteria are met, especially when it's in the best interest of the child;
* Allow for an exception to the strict requirement that proceedings for termination of parental rights be initiated if a child has been in foster care for 15 out of the previous 22 months, in cases of parental incarceration or institutionalization;
* Require the court to consider the parent's criminal history only when it substantially relates to his or her parental ability.
The Keeping Families Whole Act will:
* Require that social workers document, and that courts consider, the barriers that imprisoned parents or parents in residential drug treatment face in accessing services and maintaining contact with their children;
* Require that the court take into account any good faith efforts that parents make to maintain contact with their children;
* Allow the possibility of a 6-month extension of reunification services where specified criteria are met, especially when it's in the best interest of the child;
* Allow for an exception to the strict requirement that proceedings for termination of parental rights be initiated if a child has been in foster care for 15 out of the previous 22 months, in cases of parental incarceration or institutionalization;
* Require the court to consider the parent's criminal history only when it substantially relates to his or her parental ability.
Posted at 10:58 AM, Sep 30, 2008 in Politics | Permalink | View Comments
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