All posts by admin

First Safe Surrender of 2013 Occurs at Van Nuys Hospital

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the first  time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on February 10, 2013 at a hospital in Van Nuys.

As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with families approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“After the horrifying news in December of a baby being found at a recycling center, I am relieved to hear that this newborn is safe and will be part of a loving family,”  said Supervisor Knabe. “I’m thankful that this mother decided to surrender her baby, rather than put her in a harmful situation. As word spreads about the Program, mothers in desperate situations can make the right choice for their babies and themselves, because of Safe Surrender.”

This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2013, and the 104th since the program began over eleven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Knabe to Call for More Regulation of “Maternity Hotels”

At the Tuesday, January 29th Board of Supervisors meeting, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will call for more rigorous zoning restrictions to combat the rise in maternity hotels in LA County, particularly in the San Gabriel Valley.

“Across the United States, the recent trend in “birthing tourism” has led to money- making schemes that put the health and safety of mothers and babies in jeopardy,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “We have had an increase in complaints from neighboring residents, concerned about the well-being of those in these homes, as well as concern about the quality-of-life in residential neighborhoods when these facilities are allowed to operate.”

In response to the January 14, 2013 Status Report on Knabe’s Board Motion Regarding Postpartum Recovery Homes, he will ask for the Board’s support to direct County Counsel to draft a proposed ordinance to regulate these boarding houses, while also calling for the CEO to lead multi-agency inspection teams.  He will also request funding to assist the inspectors with additional staff and Mandarin/Cantonese translators to communicate with occupants.

“These maternity hotels have grown beyond the scope of a zoning issue.  The conditions inside some of these houses are putting the lives of the mothers and babies at risk and we must do what we can to protect them and stop this illegal activity,” said Knabe.

Knabe Calls for Healthcare System Outreach Plan

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe  yesterday called for the County, its unions and partners to begin development of a marketing campaign to educate the public about the County’s health system in advance of the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in January 2014.

Since its passing, the County’s Health Services Department has been aggressively preparing for the ACA, including addressing operations and technology required under the new mandate.  The ACA is expected to make healthcare coverage available to up to half of the County’s roughly 1.8 million uninsured people.

“While the County will remain the safety net for hundreds of thousands of residents who will remain without insurance, we are now entering the new world of a competitive marketplace,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “We must begin to tell the story of the County healthcare system to those who will now face choice in selecting their healthcare provider.”

With unanimous approval, the Board directed the CEO, in conjunction with the County’s Health Services and Public Social Services departments, labor unions, USC and UCLA, and other partners to develop a comprehensive strategy to explain the County’s public-private health care system to residents and potential enrollees.

LA County has the second largest public health system in the country with a $3.5 billion annual budget.  Every year, the County sees 2.9 million outpatients.   Sixty-four percent of those who come to County facilities are uninsured.

“While the County may have been a system of last resort in many minds, the truth is we have some incredible facilities and staff,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “We need to start telling that story.”

Hope for the nameless

Last week, I received a call from Debi Faris, the woman I credit with creating the Safe Surrender program. She operates the Garden of Angels, a cemetery for abandoned newborns and was recently given the release of the baby girl that was found abandoned at the recycling plant in the City of Industry last month.

“Supervisor, will you bless this child with a name?” she asked.

Hearing those words, I became sick to my stomach. This child, thrown into a dumpster by her mother, was still nameless, awaiting her burial and I was going to name her as she was laid to rest. It was horrifying to think this mother could just throw her daughter away and was even worse to think this baby girl didn’t even have a name.

I decided to honor this precious baby girl with the name “Hope Angel.” She will be buried next week, surrounded by the only sense of family she has: a name.

Later today, a new public service announcement for the Safe Surrender program will launch state-wide.

This PSA is a powerful tool for conveying the message to mothers in desperate situations that they can make the right choice for their babies -and themselves- with the Safe Surrender program. The Safe Surrender program was created to give a mother, no matter what the situation, a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe hands and to protect a baby from abandonment: No shame, No blame, and No names. So far, in Los Angeles County, we have been able to save the lives of 103 infants. I am confident this PSA will help save the lives of many more.

What happened in December in the City of Industry is a reminder that we have a lot more work to do in spreading the word of the Safe Surrender program. We will continue our efforts for Hope Angel and all the other newborns who have lost their lives.

May Hope Angel rest in peace.

Knabe Announces 2013 Arts Education Partnership Program

Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce his 2013 Arts Education Partnership Program, as part of “Arts Education Week” in Los Angeles County.  In its 12th year, the program supports high quality arts education by providing matching funds to non-profit organizations, community organizations, government agencies and schools across the Fourth Supervisorial District.

The Arts Education Partnership Program is designed to increase and sustain well-rounded education in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts for K-12 students. All of the grant applications that are received will be judged by a panel of experts from the various arts disciplines.

The deadline for organizations to apply for the Arts Education Partnership Program is Thursday, February 28, 2013.  A workshop will take place at the Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 which will provide an opportunity to learn more about the program.  In addition, there will be information on Visual and Performing Arts Standards and best practices in lesson planning.

The 2013 Arts Education Partnership Program Application and program guidelines can be downloaded from Knabe.com. Completed applications must be emailed to the Arts Education Partnership Program at aepp@bos.lacounty.gov no later than 11:00pm on February 28, 2013.

Board of Supervisors Approves Knabe’s Call for Extension of Protest Period for Clean Water Measure

Following the conclusion of the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure Public Hearing and the testimony of hundreds of concerned stakeholders, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe to allow for more time for protesting the proposed parcel tax.

“We continued to hear complaints from residents, businesses, school districts, churches and non-profits that this process has not been open and transparent,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Even as the Board was hearing testimonies at the public hearing, my office was receiving emails and phone calls from residents asking where they could get a protest form and how they could protest the measure.”

Supervisor Knabe’s motion, the public hearing and protest process would be extended for an additional 60 days and address several key issues in the process including the feasibility of an online protest option and addressing the concern of double taxation for those that are already capturing and treating storm water.

“Many property owners and businesses are already doing the things the parcel fees is meant to achieve; this is a double tax for them,” said Knabe. “Renters should have a voice as an increase in parcel fees would likely be passed on to them.  Everyone wants clean water – put this to the voters so they can decide if this fee is how they want to try to achieve that.”

Supervisor Knabe’s motion also instructed the Department of Public Works to provide a process for placing the initiative on a general election ballot, define a specific list of clean water projects, determine a possible sunset date for the measure and develop a potential alternative method of funding storm water quality projects.

Why California must remain fiscally disciplined

Yesterday morning, Governor Jerry Brown released his 2013-2014 proposed state budget.  I applaud the Governor’s focus on fiscal discipline – the next two years will be a ‘make or break’ time for our State.  Sacramento must resist the urge to spend money we do not have, which would only put us right back in the budget shambles we have faced the past few years.

Governor Brown’s suggestion that he may reduce the $2 billion the State gives to counties to care for the uninsured is very premature.  We do not yet understand the full impact of the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but we do know that Los Angeles County will remain the safety net for hundreds of thousands of people who will remain uninsured.

Implementing the sweeping changes to our health care system that will come from the ACA is at the top of our urgent priorities.  While we diligently prepare our systems and operations for the influx of new patients, we are also entering the new world of a competitive marketplace.  We must begin to tell the story of the County healthcare system to those who will now face choice in selecting their healthcare provider.  That is why on Tuesday, I will be asking our CEO, in conjunction with our Heath Services and Public Social Services departments, our labor unions, USC and UCLA, and other partners to develop a comprehensive strategy to explain the County’s public-private health care system to our residents and potential enrollees.  I would ask that Sacramento do everything it can to support us in our efforts to prepare for the ACA, rather than cutting our funding prematurely.

Our County and this State face many challenges in the year ahead.  Though our economy is showing signs of improvement and we are not facing the massive deficits of the last few years, we must demonstrate fiscal discipline and, as the Governor stated, be absolutely committed to living within our means.

Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure: Not convenient, not transparent, not open

I have some big concerns regarding next week’s Public Hearing on the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Initiative. We are still being told countless times by the public that they never received a notice or that it was inadvertently thrown away. In 2013, it is astounding that we do not have an online or email protest option.  I asked several weeks ago and received validation just yesterday that it is actually a legal option for us to use during these proceedings.  We should provide an email response option immediately to the public so that they have a more convenient and reasonable way to protest. The ongoing Clean Water, Clean Beaches Initiative is the largest protest hearing process that Los Angeles County has ever undertaken.  We must be sure that we are doing everything we can to make the process as convenient, transparent and open as possible.  The public hearing is next week, and up to this point I do not believe that we have done that.  The County continues to receive significant correspondence from the public who do not understand the need for the fee, and are questioning the credibility of the way the process is being managed. We mailed a very important protest hearing notice that looks like junk mail to the public during the busiest mail season of the year.

If you have any questions on the specifics of the Measure itself, please call (800) 218-0018 or visit www.lacountycleanwater.org.

Lost your notice of public hearing? Download a new copy.

Locate your Assessor ID Number

SURVEY: Will you protest the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure?

Newborn Baby Boy Safely Surrendered on Christmas Eve

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the 13th time in 2012 with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent safe surrender occurred on Christmas Eve at a hospital in Valencia.

As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with families approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“Thanks to the Safe Surrender program, this baby has a second chance at life and hope for bright a future,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I’m thankful that this mother decided to surrender her baby, rather than put her in a harmful situation. As word spreads about the Program, mothers in desperate situations can make the right choice for their babies, because of Safe Surrender.”

This is the 13th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2012, and the 103rd since the program began over eleven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

2012: A year of new sights and opportunities

As we close the door on 2012, we take a moment to reflect on the past year, while looking ahead with anticipation to 2013.  At the national level, our country continues to face a sluggish economy, a looming “fiscal cliff,” and difficult times for many who are impacted by a stagnant job market.

Yet here in Los Angeles County, where we serve as the ultimate safety net, we are fortunate not to face many of the financial issues of other municipalities, which are forced to cut services just when they are needed most.  Thanks to the County’s ongoing fiscal responsibility, our credit rating was raised from AA- to AA, something virtually unheard of in government.  This allows us to meet the needs of our constituents and provide the quality-of-life services that our residents have come to expect.

The year 2012 was a year of new sights and opportunities for residents and visitors to Los Angeles County.  From the arrival of the 340-ton boulder known as the LACMA Rock, to the fly-over and transit of the space shuttle Endeavour, to the opening of downtown’s new Grand Park, LA County enjoyed plenty of new and exciting attractions. Here in the fourth district, we opened the new Diamond Bar Library and invested over $4 million in park upgrades and renovations.

New opportunities came to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center as they received two ReWalk exoskeleton units that allow paralyzed patients to walk unassisted, as well as some new Paramobile chairs which give some patients a first chance to stand up, play golf, or do physical therapy. One of Rancho’s graduate patients inspired hope in all of us, when she competed in the Paralympic games in London this summer. Katy Sullivan, the only runner competing on two carbon-fiber legs, set a new American record in the 100 meter race.

Of course it was not all good news – but we did work hard to address issues facing the most vulnerable in our community.  We launched a public awareness campaign to inform residents about a horrific crime happening in our own neighborhoods and communities, the sexual exploitation and trafficking of young girls. We opened a dedicated courtroom to deal specifically with juvenile girls who are arrested on prostitution charges, and trained over 1,600 county staff to better identify victims.  We hosted a national conference on Empowerment that was attended by victims – and those who are most at risk of being victimized. Our efforts have helped Los Angeles County become a national leader in the fight to stop child sex trafficking.

Finally, in 2012 we celebrated an incredible milestone: our 100th Safe Surrender. To celebrate the lives saved by this program, we had a candle lighting ceremony at Grand Park with former Safe Surrender babies and their families. Sadly, not more than two weeks after the celebration, we learned that a newborn was found deceased at a local trash facility. This was a heartbreaking and tragic realization that though 101 lives have been saved by the program, we still have much more work to do. We will continue to expand our efforts to spread the word about Safe Surrender as we move into 2013 so that any mother in a desperate situation knows that she has a better option for her baby … and for herself.

As I look ahead to 2013, I remain confident and optimistic about Los Angeles County.  We have many challenges ahead, most notably the January 2014 roll-out of the Affordable Care Act.  While we face many unknowns with this implementation, we are aggressively planning and preparing to ensure all of our residents receive the healthcare they need.

So a new year begins!  I pray that our men and women in the military are kept safe and are returned to us soon.  And I wish each of you and your families a safe and joyous new year!  See you in 2013!