Under California Law Governor Jerry Brown has the ultimate responsibility to protect children from harm. It’s called the parens patriae doctrine. States cannot fulfill their responsibilities to children without improving family planning models, taking steps to screen for irresponsible parents, and to prevent child abuse rather than simply react to it. Having Kids was formed, in part, to show states how to do this. In January, on the heels of the gruesome Turpin case, we wrote to Brown. 

Brown has yet to respond, and multiple children and infants have been abused and neglected. This will continue to happen.

The recent case of Gabriel Fernandez, who was tortured and murdered with help of his mother, is a reminder that Brown should act.

Governor Brown, please promote Fair Start order legislation now. You are politically positioned to take action as your term winds down, and to support a family planning system designed to protect children (and in so doing protect the environment and promote equity), rather than randomly encourage people to have children in order to create economic growth.

It is your legal responsibility. Please take action now. 

Take action: Call Jerry Brown at (916) 445-2841 and remind him that he is obligated to do everything possible, including promote Fair Start orders, to stop the abuse.