California legislator gets ‘Millstone Award’ for writing bill that would let nonrelatives make decisions for kids

A California legislator is sponsoring a bill that would let non-relatives make crucial decisions for children in their parents’ absence.

For her role in pushing this dangerous legislation, Celeste Rodriguez, California State Assembly District 43, gets the September 2025 Millstone Award from United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE).

This is a Trojan horse that could easily be invoked to usurp parents’ rights. Bills like this are why USPIE is continuing to restore parental authority over children’s education. With this bill, anyone could make a major life-altering decision for any child.

USPIE gives a monthly Millstone Award to “the person involved in government schools who has committed the most egregious acts against children. These individuals have taken steps to funnel wokeness and other harmful pedagogies into America’s classrooms.”

The Family Preparedness Plan Act (AB 495) “is billed as a way to ensure that children are cared for if their parents are suddenly detained or deported,” Fox News reports.

“Critics warn that the measure goes too far by letting non-family adults step in as caregivers with limited oversight — a change they argue could create dangerous workarounds.”

The bill specifies that the measure “does not affect the rights of the minor’s parents or legal guardian regarding the care, custody, and control of the minor, and does not mean that the caregiver has legal custody of the minor.”

However, “it would authorize caregivers to handle school enrollment as well as authorize medical, mental health and dental care, given that the child lives inside that caregiver's home,” Fox News said.

“The bill also states that caregiver eligibility is limited to ‘nonrelative extended family members,’ defined as adults with an established familial or mentoring relationship with the child, including teachers, clergy, neighbors or family friends.”

It takes no imagination to foresee how this could be abused. Although it is geared toward illegal alien families, it is not limited to them. It’s all part of the left’s agenda to replace parental authority with that of anyone else, especially government school officials.

An authorization affidavit mentioned in the bill includes a section where caregivers must declare whether parents were notified regarding the caregiver’s intent to authorize medical care and more.

One option reads, “I am unable to contact the parent(s) or other person(s) having legal custody of the minor at this time, to notify them of my intended authorization.”

You could drive a truck through that option. What’s to keep non-parents from making that claim? Parents need to be aware of legal excuses to reduce their authority over their own children.

To hear more from USPIE’s Founder and President, Sheri Few, tune in to the latest episode of USPIE’s podcast, “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few”  today, Sept. 2, with special guest Mirey Elias (alias “Susan”) — a seasoned educator and private tutor who is going to give listeners a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what’s really happening in today’s government-run schools. Few and Susan will dive into the testing culture, screen time, internet exposure and even teacher hiring practices in government-run schools. USPIE’s “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” is a weekly podcast that exposes the dangers of education shaped by government bureaucrats and social engineers, while exploring practical ways to protect children and preserve America’s freedom. Listen to “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and X.

United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) is a nonprofit, nationwide coalition that is fighting to return education to its proper local roots and restore parental authority over their children’s education by helping parents and local communities to escape federal and other national influences. It is the vision of USPIE to create a culture where parents, empowered with the authority to choose what and how their children learn, are the undisputed primary educators of their children, where local schools operate in support of families, and where education is unencumbered by federal mandates.

USPIE’s powerful documentary, “Truth & Lies in American Education,” addresses some of the most glaring issues in the American education system and equips parents to make a change in their local school district for the betterment of their children. The film follows Few’s daughter-in-law, April, as she seeks to learn more about the system she was planning on exposing to her own children and learns the shocking truth. “Truth & Lies in American Education” is available for streaming on SalemNOW, as well available on DVD.