Immigration advocates, nonprofits push for statewide adoption of Childcare Safety Plan as enforcement continues nationwide

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Local immigration advocates and nonprofits are calling upon California Attorney General Rob Bonta to adopt the Childcare Safety Plan – a document for parents to designate a caregiver in case of a separation – into a new state law expected to go into effect in the new year. 

“There’s no knowing what can happen at any time, and it’s just so important that this is one little peace of mind that we can offer in this time of fear,” said local attorney Tanya Harmony Ridino, who created the plan. 

The Childcare Safety Plan (CSP), said Ridino, is a tool that can be used by any family, regardless of immigration status. It allows parents to have a voice in who they would want to care for their children in case of deportation, natural disasters or any unexpected emergency, especially for immigrant families who are at extreme risk, she said. 

As the Trump administration continues its aggressive immigration enforcement across the country – in Santa Cruz County, there have yet not been any large-scale operations – the safety plan helps empower families to ensure their children are in safe hands, said County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah. 

Assembly Bill 495, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, helps families plan for emergencies without disrupting a child’s care or education. The law also expands on caregiver authorization by allowing trusted non-relatives to enroll kids in school or child care through a caregiver’s affidavit. However, Ridino said she believes that adopting the CSP statewide will make these free tools more accessible to families that need them. 

“My goal is that every family and child statewide is protected,” she said. 

The legally binding document is easy and free for families to fill out, said Ridino, and needs the names of only the children, parents and designated caregivers. The document would also need to be signed by a witness or a notary, she added. The plan includes a caregiver affidavit – a document that allows a non-parent to authorize school and child care for a minor living with them, and does not affect a parent’s rights – and a power of attorney. 

Ridino said school districts and social services in Santa Cruz County are aware of this plan and will accept it. Additionally, the plan includes a “refrigerator sheet,” a document that includes the caregivers’ contacts, so local law enforcement officers can see that the family has established a child safety plan, Ridino said. 

The forms and additional help to fill them out are available in English, Spanish and Mixteco, said Sabbah. 

Nearly 850 local families have created a Childcare Safety Plan, serving over 1,400 children across the county, in the past two months, said Ridino. The goal is to get as many families signed up for the plan as possible, she said. 

However, not every family is ready to decide whom to trust with their children, and that’s OK, said Ridino. Most families aren’t ready to make a decision right away, sometimes taking multiple conversations with immigration advocates before even filling out the forms.

“That’s the hardest part of the work,” Ridino said. “Families don’t want to think about this.” 

Ridino told Lookout that it’s very important that families learn about the Childcare Safety Plan through “trusted messengers” – which can range from schools and clinics to churches and nonprofits – whom these families already trust with information and to help fill out the documents. At the education level, the County Office of Education is supporting local school districts to promote the plan for families to use, said Sabbah. 

At school events or conferences, outreach is being done to help destigmatize the idea of the plan because it is a scary conversation to have, he said, adding, “We want to make it something that people are comfortable thinking about, talking about, and completing the plan.” 

One of the tools Ridino and other immigration advocates have found the most effective when speaking with families is reminding them it’s better to be safe than sorry, she said. “The chances are very slim that you’re actually going to need this,” Ridino said. “But it’s so important just to get it done and have the conversation.” 

There will be two Día de Familias Preparadas (Day of Family Preparedness) events, one on Saturday at Pajaro Middle School in Pajaro from 9 a.m. to noon and the other next Thursday, Dec. 18, at Branciforte Small Schools in Santa Cruz from 4:30 to 8:15 p.m. 

For more information on which nonprofits can help with the Childcare Safety Plan, visit: https://communitybridges.org/es/csp/ 

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