On October 2nd, Family Resource Centers and the family strengthening field as a whole reached a critical victory, when Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 436 into law. SB436 built on the findings of the 2017 monograph Family Resource Centers: Vehicles for Change, Volume II, the Evolving Field, as well as a recent study commissioned by the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, to establish in statute an inclusive and clear definition for Family Resource Centers. SB436 represents incredible progress for the field, from a time when legislators and administrators at the Capitol didn’t know what a Family Resource Center is, to legal recognition that can open doors for more resources and supports to families in the state.
This achievement has been the result of over a year of collaboration and good will among many partners. In particular, we want to recognize:
- State Senator Melissa Hurtado and her staff
- The Office of Child Abuse Prevention
- The County Welfare Directors Association
- First 5 Association of California
- SH Cowell Foundation
- The California Endowment
- The David & Lucille Packard Foundation
- Judi Sherman and Yvonne McQuaid, co-authors of Vehicles for Change, Volume II
- The CFRA Policy Committee, led by Katie Albright from Safe & Sound San Francisco
- CFRA/CAP Center Legislative Advocate Dawn Koepke
- CFRA members and their partners across the state
Along the way to this milestone, all of these partners built not only the foundation of an infrastructure of support for California families; we also created and deepened partnerships that will bear fruit for years to come.
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