Children have a right to grow up in a family—in fact, it is a basic developmental need. Every child needs a family who can provide hands-on parenting through love, commitment, support, and structure. However, one in 10 children in California foster care is forced to live in institutional congregate care placement. For teenagers in foster care, one in three lives in institutional care and must navigate the difficult teenage years and transition to adulthood without the parenting and guidance desperately needed.

Research clearly demonstrates being cared for in a family is essential for children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Placement in institutional congregate care interferes with healthy child and adolescent development and exacerbates, rather than reduces, youths’ problem behavior. Youths in congregate care do not get the treatment they need and are vulnerable to issues such as overuse of psychotropic medications, sexual exploitation, exposure to the juvenile justice system, educational struggles, and challenges in adult life.

Children who deserve families need our help. We have the opportunity to pass A.B. 403, which would make sure California’s children are not unnecessarily placed in congregate care and that when children must be placed, that institutional care is an intervention that offers children the individualized treatment necessary to quickly return to families.

TakePart will pass your signature along to Youth Law Center, who will deliver this petition directly to legislators. Help us make a difference! Tell California legislators to vote yes for A.B. 403 to reform congregate care to ensure children’s right to grow up in families, not institutions.