Jim Roberts

C.S. Lewis wrote the following in his book, Mere Christianity: It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.

How well I still remember one of the anthems of my generation: “For the times they are a changin’.” And how applicable these words continue to be, especially in our world of Child, Youth and Family Services.

There are parents, and then there are parents. There are plenty of folks who do an outstanding job of nurturing, protecting and guiding their children to become healthy, successful adults. For these people, excellent parenting is a high priority in their constellation of life-consuming activities.

Nelson Mandela said it simply and profoundly: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” In a country as wealthy, ingenious and resourceful as the United States, one would think that our care and treatment of children would be stellar, the very best.

In the summer of 2012, the State Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1013 which mandated that the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) launch a broad-based, stakeholder process to determine how to reform California’s foster care system.