AB 1688 would require county welfare agencies to notify a parent's dependency-court attorney when abuse or neglect is reported involving their child in foster placement.
Assembly Bill 1688 would require county welfare agencies to notify the attorney representing a parent or legal guardian in dependency court whenever the agency receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect involving that parent's child while the child is in an out-of-home foster placement. The notice would not disclose the substance of the report, and the requirement would not apply once a parent's rights have already been terminated.
The American Council supports AB 1688 because parents whose children are in the foster system do not lose their right to be informed about matters affecting their own child. Keeping parents — through their counsel — in the loop when abuse or neglect is suspected protects the parent-child relationship and strengthens due process for families navigating the dependency system.
AB 1688 passed the Assembly and, after being amended and returned to second reading in the Senate on August 13, 2026, was read a second time again and ordered to a third reading on August 17, 2026 — putting it on track for a Senate floor vote in the near future. We will continue to track its progress toward passage.
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