I’m fortunate to have a big, extended family with many loving relatives who can step in and care for my child if urgently needed.

Like many people, I also have close friends who are like family. If my family and close friends are not able, then I may ask the parents of my kid’s closest friends to help. These are the kinds of relationships parents have to fall back on when they need someone they trust to take over in an emergency.

In today’s unpredictable world, emergencies can strike any family — whether due to illness, accidents, or sudden absence of a parent or guardian. Recognizing this, California lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill 495, known as the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025, to give families the tools they need to ensure their children are protected, safe and cared for during unexpected disruptions.

At its core, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025 helps parents and guardians create legally sound plans for short-term caregiving.

These plans protect parental choice and allow parents to decide who cares for their children when they are unable, to ensure that children continue to receive necessary care — emotional, educational and medical — even when their primary caregiver is temporarily unavailable.

Given that the purpose of this bill is to protect kids and families, it’s disappointing that some are misrepresenting the bill and using it as yet another political ploy to divide our community with lies about what the........

© Santa Clarita Valley Signal