Governor Newsom Signs a Bill Giving Foster Kids Rights to Secret Abortions, Rape Care, Phone Calls, Texts

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill yesterday giving foster kids the right to secret abortions and rape care, and the right to keep texting and phone call records away from the oversight of foster parents. AB 175 also violates the free speech rights of foster parents by compelling them to use a foster child’s pronoun of preference. 

“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. “It seems Governor Newsom expects 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.”

In case you think these claims are exaggerated, here is the actual text from AB 175 explaining these foster child rights: 

• “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.”
  
• “To make, send, and receive confidential telephone calls and other electronic communications, and to send and receive unopened mail, unless prohibited by court order.”
  
• “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.”

Regarding the issue of compelled the use of preferred pronouns, CFC’s Director of Capitol Engagement Greg Burt responded saying, “The First Amendment not only protects our freedom to speak words the government doesn’t like, but also prohibits the government from compelling us to say words or promote ideas we don’t believe.”

“It is wrong to teach foster kids they have a right to force another person to say words that a person doesn’t believe. In any other context this would be unthinkable,” Burt said. “When a child or even an adult tries to make another person say something that contradicts that person’s belief system, it’s rude and obnoxious. But when a government gets involved and tries to mandate the words that come out of a person’s mouth, it’s tyrannical.”