Petition: Protect Children and Keep Families Together!

Child Protective Services (CPS) has become an industry that often separates families by keeping children from being cared for and adopted by their blood relatives, particularly grandparents, and with prioritizing of money, bureaucracy and privatized screening companies above family continuity. 

Sign today to support children and ohana above bureaucracy and profit! Join in calling for;

1. Legislative inclusion of grandparents as a direct family with prioritized adoption rights over strangers.
2. Policy to make it possible and easier for children to find their way back to the family before permanent outside adoption.
3. Funding to help stabilize families before and after a crisis to help keep them housed, supported and together.
4. Oversight and regulatory review of private adoption screening and placing agencies to ensure standards, accuracy, and fairness.
5. Increased pay and support for social workers to fully do their crucial jobs with families while not distracted with monetary bonuses.

6. Require regular CPS, screener and adoption agency communication and disclosure with families trying to keep together.
7. Limit legal and disciplinary immunity for improper, incomplete or unfair practices by agents and agencies.
8. Stop overcrowding and overwhelming of foster caregivers and homes by limiting numbers and increasing support.

9. Open the doors to the family court and film each session. 

It is past time to reform and improve this system which is charged with the best care for children who will otherwise be impacted and affected for the rest of their lives. Family— including grandparents— is the crucial first unit of care and support for children. 

Quality foster care for longer terms is necessary to keep a window open for many children to be reunited with direct family. And there should be no bias or profit motive that interferes with keeping families safe, housed, supported, healthy and able to properly care for their children.

Thank you for your awareness and support for our families and children to get what they need and deserve from CPS, support services, foster care, and adoption. We will use this petition as a starting point to create a network for active progress in all these areas. Together we can all be better for the children! Mahalo