Kamlager-Dove legislation supports kinship care and foster youth permanency
U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Culver City, View Park-Windsor Hills, parts of South LA) and Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Foster Youth Caucus reintroduced a legislative package on Friday to strengthen kinship care and promote permanency for foster youth.
The package includes the Promoting Permanency Through Kinship Families Act and a resolution designating September as National Kinship Care Month.
Research shows that kinship care placements improve behavioral and mental health outcomes, counter adverse child and adult outcomes, and promote a sense of belonging and connection, including to siblings and grandparents.Together, these bills recognize and support the more than 300,000 children in foster care and over two million kinship caregivers.
Additionally, the Promoting Permanency Through Kinship Act would help keep families and communities together by encouraging kinship guardianship as a safe and permanent alternative for foster care children.
“As Co-Chair of the Foster Youth Caucus, I know that foster children thrive best when cared for by relatives or trusted family friends in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment,” said Kamlager-Dove. “That’s why I’m proud to champion this legislative package to honor kinship care and support lasting, permanent homes for foster youth. By breaking down the barriers to kinship guardianship, we can help young people stay connected to their roots while giving them the strong foundation they need to grow, succeed, and build bright futures.”
The Promoting Permanency Through Kinship Families Act fact sheet is available here.
Horvath begins process to make OEM a dedicated department
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath (D-Western and San Fernando Valley areas including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Universal City, Sherman Oaks) announced a motion on Friday to restructure the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) into an independent, fully resourced department.
The motion follows the release of the After-Action Report (AAR) on the January 2025 fires, which identified both strengths and urgent areas for improvement in the County’s emergency alerts, warnings, and evacuations.
“Change moves at the speed we choose. When it comes to emergency preparedness, we are not waiting. We are implementing the proposed recommendations now because our communities deserve action,” said Horvath. “The After-Action Report makes clear where our systems need fixing, and we are committed to doing that work.
“Restructuring the Office of Emergency Management into a fully resourced department is the first critical step toward meeting the needs of a County of ten million people. Our focus is strengthening coordination, improving communication, and building a system residents can trust in moments of crisis.”
Horvath’s motion directs the Chief Executive Office to report back within 60 days on the feasibility of establishing a new OEM department and to outline a timeline for transition. The report will:
- Evaluate OEM’s staffing, funding, and surge capacity needs.
- Assess whether OEM’s current structure aligns with best practices in emergency management.
- Provide a high-level schedule for creating a new department, including program transitions, funding, and critical milestones.
Calabasas City Council explores sales tax increase
The City of Calabasas City Council is exploring a possible sales tax increase as it is facing a projected year-end deficit in the FY 2024-25 budget, announced Calabasas Mayor Peter Kraut in his weekly letter to the community.
The exploration comes as Calabasas has long maintained balanced General Fund budgets, with only a few exceptions during the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To address this [projected budget deficit], the Council has already taken steps such as reducing expenses, delaying capital projects and implementing a cost allocation plan. Even so, the General Fund remains unbalanced. To find longer-term solutions, the Council asked staff to review potential cost reductions and explore revenue-generating options,” wrote Kraut.
“At our recent City Council meeting, one option discussed was a local sales tax. Calabasas currently has a 9.75% sales tax rate, but the City receives only 1% of that. The remainder goes to the State and Los Angeles County. Notably, about 57% of sales tax in Calabasas comes from visitors rather than residents, making this a potential way to strengthen revenues with limited impact on our community.
The City Council is holding a special study session on Monday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. to explore this and other options further. Kraut and the City Council encourages residents to attend, learn more and share your input as the governing body seeks a sustainable solution.
Cities of La Verne & Pomona explore regional fire service options
The City Councils of La Verne and Pomona this month each approved moving forward with discussions by establishing an ad hoc committee to review the feasibility of a regional fire and emergency medical services district.
La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn and Council Member Wendy Lau will represent La Verne on the committee, which includes both city councils and Pomona’s consultant, Emergency Services Advisors (ESA). The group will explore regional options, share information, and discuss topics such as finances, operations, and service delivery.
The feasibility of a regional fire and emergency medical services district comes comes after the City of Pomona received a termination notice from Los Angeles County Fire due to rising contract costs in April 2025. Since then Pomona has been reviewing fire service options.
The City and La Verne Fire Department were contacted by the City of Pomona regarding potential regional collaboration to ensure efficient and effective service delivery given LVFDs modern deployment model which emphasizes reduced response time regarding emergency medical services. As a neighboring city with automatic aid responsibilities, La Verne has a vested interest in Pomona’s decision to ensure our residents continue to receive equitable and reliable service.
This action does not represent a final decision on service changes. The purpose of the two City Council’s vote this month was solely to continue discussions and information sharing. Any future proposals will be presented at a City Council meeting, where the public will be able to provide input and where updates will be shared openly with the community.
To learn more, please review the City Council Agenda Report from the September 15 City Council Meeting.
