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Council committee endorses making Youth Ombudsperson permanent; bill and companion resolution advanced
Summary
After testimony from local families, advocates and an ombud from Los Angeles, the committee voted to approve an amendment and to report Bill 251,098 and Resolution 251,108 (charter change to enshrine the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson) favorably out of committee; sponsors and DHS said permanence would strengthen oversight and investigative authority.
Philadelphia City Council’s Law & Government committee advanced legislation on Feb. 12 to make the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson permanent, following more than two hours of testimony from national and local advocates, city officials and affected families.
Council member Jamie Gaudier, the bill sponsor, framed the measure as a charter change to enshrine an independent office that promotes the health, safety and welfare of youth placed in juvenile justice, child welfare or behavioral‑health residential settings. Michelle Lucarelli Beltran, Los Angeles County’s Youth Ombudsperson, joined remotely to describe how a locally based ombud office provides independent, confidential investigation and policy recommendations and urged sufficient staffing and funding; she estimated an office budget on the order of…
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