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Committee backs bill to place domestic-violence consultants in child-welfare offices
Summary
AB 779 would expand a pilot that places domestic-violence consultants inside child welfare offices; supporters said the model reduces inappropriate neglect findings against survivors and helps keep families together safely. The committee passed the bill as amended.
Assemblymember Lackey presented AB 779, a bill to authorize and scale a model that places domestic-violence consultants in Department of Child and Family Services offices to assist social workers in real time.
Supporters described the Antelope Valley pilot — a collaboration between the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services and Desert Oasis — as trauma-informed and effective at keeping families together safely. “For decades, unfortunately, survivors have not had positive experiences with the child welfare system,” said Magali Zagal of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. She described AB 779 as a step toward closer collaboration between domestic violence service providers and child welfare and asked for an aye vote.
Nut graf: AB 779 would scale a pilot that integrates domestic-violence expertise into child-welfare decision-making. Supporters told the committee the approach helps social workers better understand family dynamics and connect families to resources while avoiding unnecessary child removals.
Procedure: The author accepted committee amendments and moved the bill; the committee voted the measure out as amended with a recorded favorable recommendation (final tally recorded as 6–0).
Ending: AB 779 advances to the next committee(s). Supporters emphasized the bill’s preventive, trauma-informed approach and urged committee members to support statewide implementation of the consultant model.
