The Kern County Board of Education decided on Tuesday night that it will not be adopting AB 495. Kern County serves approximately 5,000 migrant students. If a child is facing family separation because of military deployment, incarceration, or deportation, the bill aims to protect students by ensuring family preparedness plans are in full effect. AB 495 mandates schools to follow specific protocols and policies given by Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez introduced the bill to provide support for families regardless of legal status in California, to ensure they have family plans set in case of family separation. It is currently being reviewed, and a decision will be made on August 18th.
As the Trump administration continues to prioritize mass deportations, it has led to widespread uncertainty for many families across the country. Immigration policies have been reversed, arrests by ICE agents lack probable cause, and immigration efforts have targeted many immigrant-based communities. Schools, Hospitals, Places of Worship, and Courts are no longer considered sensitive places where Immigration Enforcement Agents cannot enter.
Trustee Lori Cisneros presented the resolution for AB 495 to the board and community members on the basis that it violates both parental and constitutional rights. Cisneros notes that she mirrored Chino Valley’s opposition to AB 495 and submitted the resolution to Trustee Little and Dr. Mindbero for further review.
AB 495, also known as the Family Preparedness Plan measure, provides several provisions already in place for families by implementing the plans. Under this measure, it recognizes that Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavits require schools and agencies to abide by these consistently. It will also provide clarity to parents who wish to have their parental rights protected and be involved in any decision-making regarding their children.
Two members in the audience supported opposing Ab 495 and the possibility of a resolution.
They expressed that this bill puts children at risk as it “allows for any adult” and perpetrators to have guardianship over a child.
In a statement released Friday, Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez emphasized that the Family
Preparedness Act “educates childcare providers to prepare for ICE raids and strengthen legal protections. Tools for families to make caregiving arrangements and remain unified after separation.”
The bill has since been met with public backlash as it will promote more harm than good to children, to whom Assemblywoman Rodriguez states that these are fear-mongering claims that are “distracting from the goal of protecting vulnerable children in times of crisis.”
