REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 27, 2026
FROM
DAWN ROWE, Chair and Third District Supervisor, Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
Establish Child Welfare Ad Hoc Committee
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Establish a Child Welfare Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Vice Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. and Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez to address various issues concerning child welfare and family services and make policy recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and Children and Family Services Department.
(Presenter: Dawn Rowe, Chair and Third District Supervisor, 387-4855)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as it is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2025 San Bernardino County’s Children and Family Services Department (CFS) received 24,852 referrals and carried cases with 7,115 children (excluding non-minor dependents and service only guardianship), with 5,445 of those children and youth in an active foster care placement. While CFS has worked tirelessly to provide comprehensive services to this population, the County is committed to improving prevention, child protection, and intervention policies and protocols to protect children in need to the maximum extent possible.
The Chair of the Board of Supervisors (Board) recommends that a Child Welfare Ad Hoc Committee (Committee) consisting of two Supervisors be established to discuss, review, and provide recommendations, as needed, to the Board and CFS to address various issues concerning child welfare and family services in the County. The Committee will assess the state of the County’s child welfare system to identify organizational, policy, legal, and practice barriers to child safety, timely case processing, and permanency.
The Chair recommends the appointment of Vice Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. and Second District Supervisor Armendarez to the Committee. The Committee will work with County staff to make recommendations to improve the well-being of the children the County serves and ensure that child welfare procedures and protocols improve the well-being and case outcomes for children and families in their care.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 21, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Penelope Chang, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-4886) on January 21, 2026.