Assemblyman urges state to work with Fresno County to address children’s living conditions
A local Assemblymember on Wednesday said the living conditions of some children under Fresno County’s custody “cannot be allowed to continue” and urged state officials to work with county leaders to “immediately” address the problem.
Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, issued a statement about the office living conditions that children under the care of Fresno County find themselves in. His reaction came in the wake of social workers raising concerns about the issue, and others, in a Fresno Bee story Wednesday.
Social workers spoke to The Bee about children staying at the CWS Office — where social workers report to work — while they await for a permanent placement or after having “blown” their current placements. Social workers, represented by the SEIU 521 labor union, will hold a news conference on Thursday at noon at the CWS Office.
“Kids in Fresno County and across the state have been caught in this bureaucratic nightmare,” Patterson said in his statement. “State and Federal laws that were passed to make children safe have put kids with the highest needs in situations where they are sleeping on the floor of county offices for days.”
Patterson said he has reached out to Fresno County and several state agencies overseeing the health and safety of foster youth in California.
“My understanding is both entities along with the social workers have been aware of this problem for some time,” the statement reads. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”
Patterson on Wednesday sent a letter to several top state officials urging them to work with Fresno County “to immediately address this issue.”
“It was extremely saddening and frustrating to learn that numerous children here in Fresno County, after being removed from a dangerous situation with family, are brought to the Fresno County Child Protective Services office where they stay for sometimes days on end while they await placement,” he wrote in his letter.
“Please take immediate action to work with Fresno County leaders to ensure they have the resources and flexibility needed to ensure these children don’t spend another night on the floor of county offices” the letter says.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
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