Bonta

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs are five troubled children with unmet mental health needs who were, at the time this suit was filed, in the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (“DCFS”).

Defendants are Sandra Shewry, the current Director of the California Department of Health Services (“DHS”), and Dennis Boyle, the current Director of the California Department of Social Services (“DSS”) (collectively, the “State Defendants”).

Plaintiffs in their First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) allege that for foster children with “behavioral, emotional or psychiatric impairment[s],” FAC ¶ 37, adequate mental health services include, among other things, wraparound services and therapeutic foster care. Plaintiffs allege, and State Defendants agree, that virtually all foster children in California receive, or are eligible to receive, their health care services through Medi-Cal, which is California’s Medicaid program. Id. ¶ 3; Answer ¶ 3. This means, according to Plaintiffs, that virtually all foster children in California who have “behavioral, emotional or psychiatric impairments” are entitled to…