MOTION WOULD AUTOMATE INFORMATION SHARING BETWEEN AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

 

 

       

 

PRESS RELEASE	Contact:  Tony Bell, Communications Deputy Office:      (213) 974-5555   Cell: (213) 215-5176 E-mail:     tbell@bos.lacounty.gov
June 26, 2009	For Immediate Release
ANTONOVICH MOTION WILL AUTOMATE INFORMATION SHARING BETWEEN AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT CHILD ABUSE
LOS ANGELES COUNTY –  To identify and prevent child abuse and neglect, Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Zev Yaroslavsky have introduced a motion directing County departments to immediately implement an automated information sharing system using data about clients simultaneously served by public agencies.    Pursuant to recommendations stemming from a June 24, 2008 Board directive, the system will include expansion of the County's under-utilized Family and Children Index (FCI) and provide the training necessary for participating agencies to increase and maximize their FCI utilization.    “Child welfare is the shared responsibility of all County departments, non-County agencies and community-based partners serving the family,” said Antonovich.  “Time is of the essence and this automated system will significantly improve the County's ability to identify, prevent and treat incidents of child abuse and neglect.”   “Protecting kids from harm and neglect must be our top priority,” Yaroslavsky said, “and our ability to do that absolutely depends on full participation by all our departments to ensure that decision-makers can always access the most accurate information available.”   The proposal also seeks legislative remedies to address state prohibitions against a data-sharing system and directs the CEO to report back to the Board within 30 days with progress updates and any recommendations for further implementation.
###