L.A. County Board of Supervisors Assembles Transition Team to Oversee Child Welfare Reforms

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has assembled the transition team which will provide guidance and prioritize policy changes until the county’s new Office of Child Protection is formed.

The formation of an independent Office of Child Protection to oversee child protective services across the county was among the chief recommendations issued by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection in April. Though initially cool to the recommendations, the Board of Supervisors voted for the massive overhaul earlier this month, approving the new office as well as a “child protection czar” who will be directly accountable to the Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors voted to establish the transition team in the interim to prioritize implementation of the commission’s recommendations and provide the board with insight on child welfare issues as they consider candidates for the new czar. According to Supervisor Gloria Molina, the group will help the county “break down silos, foster collaboration among county departments, [and] work in unison in the best interest of the most vulnerable children.” 

The team consists of nine members, including one representative for each of the county’s five supervisors. The four remaining members were each appointed by either the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection, the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court, the Chief Executive Office, or the Commission for Children and Families.

Former Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley is among the members, having been appointed to the position by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

“With his vast experience as a prosecutor, Steve brings leadership and good judgment and his legal background will be a positive asset in addressing the role of the courts in the child welfare system,” Antonovich said Thursday.

The eight other members include Dr. Andrea L. Rich; Dr. Mitchell Katz; Leslie Gilbert-Lurie; Janet Teague; Dr. David Sanders; Judge Margaret Henry; Antonia Jiménez; and Patricia Curry.