Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for More Information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • CT Designation and Seal
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Exam Schedule
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Getting It Right
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Seminars and Workshops
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Webinar Series
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA64
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • Press Room
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions
      • Chapters, Affiliates, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Shop the ATA Store
    • Already a Member?
      • Log Into Your Member Center
      • Connect with Members
      • Create Your Directory Listing
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Member Discounts
    • Member Buttons
      • Join ATA
         
      • Member Login
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Press Room
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • American Foundation for
        Translation and Interpretation
      • Contact Us
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
January 12, 2022

Los Angeles County Foster Care System to Increase Services in Indigenous Languages

Industry News

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion directing the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to develop a plan to improve its language services for Indigenous families and to strengthen its Asian Pacific and Native American programs.

Under the motion, DCFS would be required to increase interpreting services, particularly for Indigenous languages, and to provide training so workers can better identify Indigenous families. The motion also recommends that the department study the feasibility of increasing bilingual pay for its workers and provide recommendations to reduce language and cultural barriers.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for the motion after reviewing the results of an initial investigation conducted by the Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection regarding the circumstances of a four-year-old boy who was allegedly tortured and beaten by his foster mother, leaving the boy in a coma. Those results suggested that language or cultural barriers may have played a role in social workers’ decision to place the boy in foster care.

The boy’s birth mother is a Guatemalan immigrant who primarily speaks Akateko, a Mayan language. Her family claimed that she wasn’t provided with an interpreter and that social workers failed to effectively communicate with her before taking Andres and his two-year-old brother away from her.

The four-year-old, Andres F., was hospitalized October 28 with life-threatening injuries. His foster mother, Gabriela Casarez, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of child abuse and one count of assault leading to coma or paralysis.

The Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection will conduct an additional investigation this month into Andres’ case. The investigation will focus on the handling of the case by DCFS and other county agencies, including the experience level of social workers and how they addressed language and cultural barriers.

Advocates say that other Indigenous children have been placed into foster care because of miscommunications and discrimination within the child welfare system.

According to data collected by the Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), a nonprofit organization that works jointly with Indigenous communities residing in Los Angeles, the county is home to more than 30 Indigenous groups from Mexico and Central America who speak at least 17 languages.

“CIELO knows first-hand that vital services are too often denied because of language barriers and the inability to recognize the unique needs of these communities,” said Odilia Romero, co-founder and executive director of CIELO, who worked with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on the motion.

“These are communities integral to the fabric of our county, but they often endure unacceptable language barriers that make it hard to navigate systems,” said Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, the members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who coauthored the motion. “One of the greatest challenges the Indigenous communities face is demographic invisibility, given how often they are simply labeled as ‘Latino/Mexican,’ which makes justifying language services even harder. This extends to our child welfare system.”

Read Full Article from Los Angeles Times (CA) (01/12/22)
Author: Cosgrove, Jaclyn

 

News summaries © copyright 2020 SmithBucklin

Share this

Posts navigation

← Pennsylvania Court Rules Out License Suspensions for DUI Test Refusals if Police Don’t Solve Language Barriers First
Despite Opposition, Plan Moves Forward for Students in the U.K. to Learn 1,700 Words for General Certificate Language Exams →

Latest Posts

  • 8 COVID-Era Online Language Practice Sites January 25, 2023
  • ATA Supports Colorado Legislation to Use ATA-Certified Translators January 24, 2023
  • Newsbriefs: January 17, 2023 January 17, 2023
  • Translator Profile: ATA Past President Ted Wozniak January 11, 2023
  • 5 Steps for Translating Official Documents January 11, 2023

Topics

  • Advocacy & Outreach
  • Annual Conference
  • Book Reviews
  • Business Strategies
  • Certification Exam
  • Certification Program
  • Client Assistance
  • Educators and Trainers
  • Growing Your Career
  • Industry News
  • Interpreting
  • Member News
  • Mentoring
  • Networking
  • Public Outreach
  • Publications
  • Resources
  • School Outreach
  • Specializations
  • Starting Your Career
  • Student Resources
  • Tools and Technology
  • Translation
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-683-6122

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2023 - American Translators Association

Website by Yoko Co

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top