California imposes new standards on court-ordered parenting classes under law aimed at addressing lack of regulation of services often mandated for people suspected of child abuse or neglect there is a possibility.
of lawThe bill, authored by Rep. Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), requires that parenting classes ordered by judges in child welfare cases be evidence-based, “culturally appropriate,” and conducted by qualified professionals. will request that it be provided.
In a detailed study of the bill, Bryan cited a Times investigation published last month that found that court-ordered parenting classes are largely unregulated in California and that counties have no control over when assigning programming. It made it clear that there was no need to use evidence-based services or meet any standards. .
While national studies have shown that some parenting classes can help prevent child abuse and keep families together, the Times investigation found that in California they are overused, with no clear track record of success. It has become clear that these are often equivalent to bureaucratic remedies prescribed to
“fact [quality] Just making sure parents get it done, it's not measured, it's not evaluated, it's not considered…I think we're doing a disservice,” Bryan told the Times this week, adding that in January He said the research was “enlightening”.
Court-ordered classes have been a factor in cases in which children are returned to their parents' custody and then brutally tortured and killed. Lack of oversight could put some of California's most vulnerable children at risk of further abuse, including those whose parents are fighting for custody while being investigated by protective services. This was revealed in a Times investigation. Based on interviews with more than 20 child welfare professionals, including social services. Workers, lawyers, retired judges, parents, health care providers.
In the case of Noah Cuatro, a 4-year-old from Palmdale who died in 2019, his parents, Ursula Juarez and Jose Cuatro, took parenting classes in 2017 to regain custody of him after previous allegations of abuse. was ordered to take the course.
Their completion of these classes was a factor taken into consideration when the Los Angeles County Superior Court Chief Justice ruled in 2018 that it was safe for Noah to return to their care. Juarez and Cuatro were later charged with Noah's torture and murder.
Records show Quatro was attending church classes taught by a pastor rather than a licensed therapist. Juarez attended classes at the community resource center. Neither program received high praise. State-funded database It is intended to serve as an important tool that local authorities can rely on when selecting services to ensure the safety of children.
Bryan, who grew up in foster care and is the author of previous child welfare reform bills, said the state has failed to provide “meaningful” family reunification services, leaving children of color and people living in poverty vulnerable. said it was unfairly harming the
He said the state is unable to do so amid a “lack of information” about its quality and effectiveness, whether it means protecting children from harm or potentially “permanently separating children from their parents.” He said people should not rely on parenting classes.
In addition to new evidence-based standards, Bryan's Law, if approved by the Legislature and the Governor, would establish a tracking system to measure the success of parenting classroom services and require counties to provide detailed data on success rates and service providers. It turns out.
A Times investigation found that the state does not ensure that parent education programs meet any standards, and that parents facing abuse allegations receive classes that experts have judged to be of poor quality. It turns out that the state does not require counties to use the services database it launched several years ago. .
There is no cost estimate yet for the bill, and with the state facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, lawmakers will likely be cautious about approving any new spending.
