L.A. Adopts Bill of Rights for Children

A wide-ranging policy intended to improve and coordinate services for children was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council in a move intended to ensure that city bureaucrats consider the needs of children.

The policy sets broad goals and calls for development of a long-range plan to address children’s needs and establishes a 10-point bill of rights declaring that children are entitled to shelter, education, food and other basics.

The measure was sponsored by Councilman Richard Alatorre, who said that historically the city has not considered the needs of children when adopting laws and policies. Alatorre said he wants to make Los Angeles “a better city for children.”

The policy, called “A Better L.A. for Kids,” would apply to the estimated 830,000 city residents under the age of 18, 25% of the population. Many of the children are from immigrant families and more than a third live in poverty.

One goal of the policy is to coordinate children’s services and programs, which now are scattered among a number of departments. A report accompanying the policy statement said the city spends only about $133 million of its annual $2.5 billion budget on children.

Under the new policy goals, each city department must identify and address the needs of children when preparing annual budgets, and city officials must consider the needs of children when creating and amending city policies and laws.