California families are once again the target of a new bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom–the same man eager to take his failed policies, tyrannical overreach, and progressive ideologies to the White House.
The Family Preparedness Plan Act, known as AB 495, was signed into law on October 12, 2025. At first glance, it sounds wholesome. But dig a little deeper, and you'll see how it extends the state's reach even further into the family home–all under the guise of "protecting" immigrant children.
AB 495 was marketed as a safeguard for kids whose parents might face deportation. The emotional pitch was simple: if a parent is suddenly detained, a trusted adult should be able to step in so the child isn't placed in foster care.
Lawmakers didn't stop there. Instead of writing a narrow immigration-focused measure, they rewrote entire sections of California law, touching education, family, health, safety, and probate codes. This means the bill applies to everyone, not just immigrant families.
Here's what AB 495 does: it rewrites major sections of state law to expand government authority over families. It extends "safe zone" policies in schools and preschools, hands the Attorney General more control over local institutions, broadens the definition of who can act as a "relative" with parental-level decision-making power, forces child-care centers to adopt state-mandated policies, and even allows confidential joint guardianships to activate automatically when a parent becomes "unavailable."
Together, these changes create a framework that reaches far beyond immigration enforcement. In reality, it establishes a state-sanctioned system for transferring parental power–a system that can be activated by anyone claiming to "care" for the child.
Before AB 495, the Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit (CAA) was straightforward. It was designed for emergencies–situations where a parent couldn't be reached and someone needed temporary permission to take a child to the doctor or enroll them in school. It was a safety form, not a parental replacement plan.
Enter AB 495.
The bill stretched the definition of "relative" to include anyone related by blood, adoption, or even "affinity" within the fifth degree. That's not just immediate family–aunts, cousins, in-laws, step-relatives, and practically anyone who can draw a loose family connection.
Under this expanded reach, these so-called "relatives" can now enroll a child in school, authorize medical, dental, and even mental-health treatment–and do it all without a court order, notarization, or even notifying the parents.
Once that affidavit is signed, it carries the same weight as a guardian's consent. And to really drive the insanity home, any doctor, therapist, or school that relies on that affidavit is immune from liability if they act "in good faith." They don't have to verify the information, contact the parents, or check custody records.
So what does that mean in real life? It means a relative–or even a well-meaning acquaintance–can fill out a piece of paper and instantly gain parental authority. No judge. No oversight. No accountability.
This isn't family preparedness. It's a state-approved parental bypass.
Supporters of AB 495 claim that parents still have the final say. On paper, that's technically true–but only if you ignore the fine print.
The law states that a parent's decision supersedes a caregiver's authorization unless the parent's choice "jeopardizes the life, health, or safety of the minor."
That one line changes everything.
It sounds protective, but it's really a legal loophole for anyone who wants to override a parent. The phrase "health or safety" is intentionally vague–it can mean anything from physical harm to emotional distress or "mental well-being."
And in today's climate, that's a loaded phrase. If a parent refuses to "affirm" their child's perceived gender or questions putting them on puberty blockers, that decision can easily be framed as "jeopardizing the child's mental health." Under AB 495, that gives a non-parent caregiver–and a compliant provider–all the authority they need to move forward without the parent's consent. And they're protected by law for doing it.
We saw it with AB 957, the 2023 bill that would have required courts to consider whether parents "affirm" a child's gender identity when deciding custody.
We saw it again with SB 407, which forces foster parents to embrace the state's gender ideology or risk losing certification.
And now, AB 495 carries the same playbook into every household in California–only this time, it's disguised as an immigration-friendly "family preparedness" law.
This isn't a coincidence–it's a pattern. The state keeps using emotionally charged issues to chip away at the family unit, replacing parental authority with bureaucratic and ideological control.
Every parent in California needs to take this seriously. Review your child's school and daycare records, limit your emergency contacts to people you trust, and put your custody instructions in writing. Notify your child's doctor, school, and therapist–in writing–that no medical, mental-health, or educational decisions are valid without your explicit consent.
Because the same system claiming to "protect" children is quietly building the paperwork to replace you.
Soad Tabrizi is a licensed marriage and family therapist in eight states, with a private practice based in Orange County, CA (www.soadtabrizi.com). Soad is also the founder of www.ConservativeCounselors.com.
