A foster care bill, making its way through the California legislature, guarantees foster kids, at any age, the right to secret abortions, contraception, and medical treatment for rape “without the knowledge or consent of any adult.” Dubbed the “foster care bill of rights,” AB 175 also mandates that foster kids get access to the Internet and privacy from nosy foster parents seeking to monitor phone calls, texting, and emails.
“Foster parents care deeply about their children, and desperately want to protect them from abuse. But how can they do this if the state keeps them in the dark, even if in cases of rape?” asked California Family Council President Jonathan Keller. “Surely Assemblyman Mike Gipson doesn’t expect these brave foster parents to merely provide room and board while kids run their own lives. No good mom or dad would neglect their kids this way.”
Here are some of the foster children rights included in AB 175. The quotes are from the bill language itself.
- Rights to confidential communication. “To make, send, and receive confidential telephone calls and other electronic communications, and to send and receive unopened mail unless prohibited by court order.”
- Rights to abortion and rape care. “At any age, to consent to or decline services regarding contraception, pregnancy care, and perinatal care, including, but not limited to, abortion services and health care services for sexual assault without the knowledge or consent of any adult.”
- Rights to room privacy. “To be free from unreasonable searches of personal belongings.”
- Rights to choose their own gender and make others approve. “To be placed in out-of-home care according to their gender identity, regardless of the gender or sex listed in their court, child welfare, medical, or vital records, to be referred to by the child’s preferred name and gender pronoun, and to maintain privacy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, unless the child permits the information to be disclosed, or disclosure is required to protect their health and safety, or disclosure is compelled by law or a court order.”
- Rights to foster parents who won’t threaten to call the police. “To have a placement that utilizes trauma-informed and evidence-based de-escalation and intervention techniques, to have law enforcement intervention requested only when there is an imminent threat to the life or safety of a child or another person or as a last resort after other diversion and de-escalation techniques have been utilized, and to not have law enforcement intervention used as a threat or in retaliation against the child.
- Rights to the Internet. “To participate in extracurricular, cultural, racial, ethnic, personal enrichment, and social activities, including, but not limited to, access to computer technology and the internet, consistent with the child’s age, maturity, developmental level, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression.”
Call to Action
AB 175 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee next Tuesday, July 9th. Please call the members of this committee and tell them this bill puts foster care kids at risk for further abuse.
Senate Judiciary Committee member:
- Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (Chair) – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4019
Santa Barbara District Office: (805) 965-0862
- Senator Andreas Borgeas (Vice Chair) – Rep
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4008
Fresno District Office: (559) 243-8580
- Senator Maria Elena Durazo – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4024
Los Angeles District Office: (213) 483-9300
- Senator Lena A. Gonzalez – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4033
Long Beach District Office: (562) 256-7921
- Senator Brian W. Jones – Rep
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4038
El Cajon District Office: (619) 596-3136
- Senator Bill Monning – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4017
San Luis Obispo District Office: (805) 549-3784
- Senator Henry I. Stern – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4027
Calabasas District Office: (818) 876-3352
- Senator Thomas J. Umberg – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4034
Garden Grove District Office: (714) 741-1034
- Senator Bob Wieckowski – Dem
Capitol Office: (916) 651-4010
Fremont District Office: (510) 794-3900
