By Lookout Staff

January 20, 2015--For the first time, every department in L.A. County government will have a clear policy statement on the treatment of children in the county’s care, thanks to a proposal by a Santa Monica-area supervisor approved last week.
 
First District Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s proposal, co-authored with Supervisor Hilda Solis, requires the county CEO to establish a mission statement “setting out the responsibilities of all county departments for the safety of children in the county,” Keuhl’s spokesman Joel Bellman said.

The mission statement would “clearly state the board’s and the county’s commitment for prioritizing and improving child protection across all involved county departments,” Bellman said.

The statement will underscore that the county’s commitment to “the safety, permanency and well-being of children.”

It also will call on all county departments and agencies to work together to create a “joint strategic plan to benefit children” by providing “both preventive and…long-term support.”

Last April, a final report presented to supervisors by the county’s Blue-Ribbon Commission on Child Protection called for the creation of such a mission statement “to clarify goals and motivate county departments to prioritize child safety,” said Kuehl, whose district includes Santa Monica.

A draft of the mission statement is expected to be ready within 30 days for public comment before adoption by the board, the release said.