Issues

First Safe Surrender of 2016 Occurs at Los Angeles Hospital

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success this week with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Monday, March 7 at a hospital in Los Angeles.

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

“Following the abandonment of a baby in West Covina, and the discovery of a deceased baby in Long Beach, I am thrilled that this mother made the better choice and safely surrendered her baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Thanks to this mother’s courage, a baby girl now has a second chance at life and the opportunity to grow up in a loving family. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 143 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers, who find themselves in a desperate situation, to get their baby into safe hands-at any fire station or hospital, any time-and protect them from abandonment-No Shame. No Blame. No Names.”

This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2016, and the 143rd since the program began 15 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

February Declared “LeadersUp Month” in L.A. County

In celebration of innovative solutions to help break the cycle of poverty that can lead to homelessness and lifelong economic disparities for young adults, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe declared the month of February 2016 as “LeadersUp Month.”

Established by Starbucks and some of its leading US suppliers, LeadersUp is committed to closing the opportunity-divide that separates over 200,000 Angelenos ages 16-24 from viable career opportunities. To help make a scalable impact on the youth employment challenge, LeadersUp is joining Starbucks and the coalition of employers and community based organizations supporting the launch of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative Opportunity Fair and Forum in Los Angeles County.

“Creating on ramps to career opportunities for our young adults is essential to alleviating the barriers to economic mobility that keep many families in poverty,” shared LeadersUp President, Jeffery Wallace. “It is an honor for February to be recognized as LeadersUp month and to work in solidarity with the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative and the countless organizations and businesses committed to solving this challenge.”

Supervisor Knabe presented scrolls to Blair Taylor, Chief Community Officer at Starbucks and President of the Starbucks Foundation, and Jeffrey Wallace, President of LeadersUp and his team.

“An opportunity is all these kids need—a chance to show their skills and to work hard,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Los Angeles County is proud to continue investing in our youth, because we know the positive impact they will make in their community and the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Thank you to all businesses and organizations across the region for giving our kids a chance to prove themselves and start their paths to a successful career.”

The 100,000 Opportunities Youth Job Fair and Forum will take place on Thursday, February 11 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To learn more about the initiative, please visit 100Kopportunities.org.

Knabe Statement on Successful Anti-Child Sex Trafficking Operation

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe released the following statement regarding Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, which resulted in the arrest of nearly 200 people and the rescue of 12 juvenile victims of child sex trafficking:

“I want to congratulate the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and our federal partners on the tremendous success of Operation Reclaim and Rebuild. Thanks to the work of our law enforcement heroes, 12 children who were brutally forced into a life of exploitation and abuse are now on the path to a better life, and nearly 200 suspects and pimps are off the streets. There’s no such thing as a child prostitute. They are victims—manipulated emotionally and physically into a hellish life. Now free from the clutches of evil, these children will be connected with the lifesaving programs and services they need to escape their nightmare and get on the road to recovery.”

L.A. County Launches “Homes for Heroes”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to allocate $5 million to launch the “Homes for Heroes” program, to better connect homeless veterans with housing.  On a motion from Supervisor Don Knabe and Board Chair Hilda L. Solis, the Board approved funding and an 18-month plan to serve at least 1,000 homeless veterans.

Late last year, the Board allocated $5 million and requested a specific implementation plan for housing veterans.  Today, the Board approved a program with seven specific strategies, including Bridge Housing Strategy, which will work with existing housing providers to serve an estimated 80 vets at any given time with shelter beds while they secure permanent housing; the “Rent to a Veteran” Landlord Incentive Program, which provides landlords with incentives to commit to renting units to homeless vets; and the Move-In Cost Grant Program, which will provide approximately 500 veterans with grants to cover move-in costs, such as security deposits, utility turn-on fees and moving costs.

“One of the challenges in housing our homeless vets has been identifying housing for them, even when they had a voucher in hand,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “It was taking vets 90 days or longer to find an apartment.  With these new programs, I am hoping that we can shorten that timeframe and get those who deserve our help the most into a safe place to get their lives back on track.”

“Our veterans, both men and women, have sacrificed so much for our country. They put their lives on the line to protect our country and our freedom that we all cherish so much,” Chair Hilda L. Solis said. “Now, it’s our turn to help them by ensuring they receive the attention they deserve so that they do not end up homeless and forgotten. I am proud to co-author this motion. In addition to funding an advocacy program, we will be helping support veterans who struggle to pay rent or who need assistance with moving, move-in costs or paying for utilities.”

With the implementation of these programs, about $1.2 million of the $5 million earmarked for veterans will remain and will be a part of the package of recommended strategies from the Homeless Initiative to be submitted for Board consideration in February 2016.

Newborn Baby Boys Safely Surrendered in Whittier and Santa Monica

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success twice last week with the report of two safely surrendered newborn baby boys. These most recent Safe Surrenders both occurred on Tuesday, December 8. A baby boy was safely surrendered at a hospital in Whittier and another baby boy was safely surrendered at a hospital in Santa Monica.

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

“I am thrilled to hear that both of these mothers made the right choice by safely surrendering their babies,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Safe Surrender, an idea born from tragedy, has grown into a truly life-saving, and life-giving program. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 142 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers, who find themselves in a desperate situation, to get their baby into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and protect them from abandonment—No Shame. No Blame. No Names.”

These are the 17th and 18th Safe Surrenders in Los Angeles County in 2015, and the 141st and 142nd since the program began 14 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

Baby Boy Safely Surrendered at Hospital in Whittier

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the 17th time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Tuesday, December 8 at a hospital in Whittier, and comes two weeks after a baby girl was found buried alive in Compton.
As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“With the nearly tragic abandonment in Compton still fresh on our minds, I am thrilled to hear that a mother made the right choice by safely surrendering her baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Safe Surrender, an idea born from tragedy, has grown into a truly life-saving, and life-giving program. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 141 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers, who find themselves in a desperate situation, to get their baby into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and protect them from abandonment. Thank you to our partners in the media for reminding the public that there is ALWAYS a better choice.”

This is the 17th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2015, and the 141st since the program began 14 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org

2016 Arts Education Partnership Program Application is Open

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce his 2016 Arts Education Partnership Program (AEPP), which will support high quality arts education programs by providing matching funds to nonprofit organizations, community organizations, government agencies and schools across the Fourth Supervisorial District.

Supervisor Knabe’s announcement reaffirms his support of arts education for all students in L.A. County schools and concurs with the US Congress that arts education is “an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students”.

The Arts Education Partnership Program will increase and sustain well-rounded education in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts for K-12 students. A panel of experts from various art disciplines will review and evaluate all received grant applications.

Application deadline: December 9, 2015 at 11:00 p.m.

Applications can be accessed via the online grants system at http://lacounty.culturegrants.org/


Workshop

A two part application workshop will take place at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission on Thursday, November 17, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The first half will provide applicants with an overview of the program, the online application and best practices, while the second half will provide an introduction to developing a strong curriculum sample by integrating Visual and Performing Arts Standards and Arts Education best pratices.

Click here to register for the Technical Assistance Workshop: RSVP

Awards will be announced in early summer of 2016.

Guidelines and Instructions

Walk-Through Instructions

Sixteenth Newborn of 2015 Safely Surrendered

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the third time this month and the 16th time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on October 17 at hospital in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, a baby boy was safely surrendered at a fire station in Long Beach and a baby girl was handed-over at a Los Angeles area hospital.

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

“It’s incredible to know that in the span of less than a month, three newborns were blessed with a second chance at life because of Safe Surrender,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This year has been the most successful year for the Safe Surrender program because mothers, who found themselves in a desperate situation, ultimately made the better choice for them and for their babies.”

This is the 16th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2015, and the 140th since the program began 14 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

Two Newborns Safely Surrendered Two Days Apart

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the second time this week and the 15th time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Tuesday, October 6 at hospital in Los Angeles. Two days earlier, on October 4, a baby boy was handed-over at a fire station in Long Beach.

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

“It’s incredible to know that in the span of two days, two newborns were blessed with a second chance at life because of Safe Surrender,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This year has been the most successful year for the Safe Surrender program because mothers, who found themselves in a desperate situation, ultimately made the better choice for them and their babies.”

This is the 15th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2015, and the 139th since the program began 14 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

 

Two Newborns Safely Surrendered Five Days Apart

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the second time in less than a week and the 14th time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Sunday, October 4 at a fire station in Long Beach. A baby girl was also safely surrendered on September 29 at a hospital in Montebello.

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

“I am thrilled to hear that, in less than a week, two babies have been given a second chance at life and the opportunity to grow up in a loving family thanks to the Safe Surrender program,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Safe Surrender, an idea born from tragedy, has grown into a truly life-saving, and life-giving program. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 138 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers, who find themselves in a desperate situation, to get their baby into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and protect them from abandonment.”

This is the 14th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2015, and the 138th since the program began 14 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.