The leading candidates competing for the fifth district seat of the Los Angeles County Board Supervisors will articulate their positions on children’s issues on May 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Pasadena City College.
The fifth district contenders will be asked pointed questions about improving the lives of children across Los Angeles County, which is home to the largest child-welfare and juvenile-justice systems in the nation.
Los Angeles County has a population greater than all but seven states in the country, and the Board of Supervisors oversees a budget of more than $28 billion. The county currently dedicates about a quarter of its budget, or $7.7 billion, to programs and spending that support children and families. To that end, the Board of Supervisors plays a critical role in making sure the county’s children are healthy, safe and able to thrive.
The fifth supervisorial district has long been an important part of the county’s efforts to help its most vulnerable children and found itself at the heart of controversy in 2013, when 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez died at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend in Antelope Valley. The incident spurred the creation of the county’s new Office of Child Protection (OCP).
At the same time, the county and local philanthropic institutions jointly established and funded the first-ever Center for Strategic Public-Private Partnerships, which will collaborate with the Board of Supervisors, other county agencies and community-based organizations focused on child welfare.
As the largest supervisorial district, the fifth district encompasses the San Gabriel Valley communities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Covina, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, Pasadena, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena and Temple City. It also includes the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, as well as some parts of the San Fernando Valley.
The forum is hosted by Fostering Media Connections – publisher of The Imprint – and sponsored by Southern California Grantmakers.