ACR 103, McCarty. Court Adoption and Permanency Month.
This measure would designate November 2015 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month and would encourage the courts and their local communities to join in activities to expedite permanency for children.
WHEREAS, Consistent with its commitment to support practices and procedures that promote access to justice and improved case outcomes for California’s children and families, the Judicial Council has recognized November as Court Adoption and Permanency Month every year since 1999; and
WHEREAS, Nearly half a million incidents of child abuse and neglect are reported each year in California, and about 23,400 children enter child welfare-supervised foster care for the first time each year; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 62,900 children in California live apart from their families in child welfare-supervised out-of-home care; and
WHEREAS, Thirty-eight percent of the children in foster care in California have lived apart from their families for two or more years; and
WHEREAS, Twenty-four percent of the youth in care are transitional-age youth between 16 and 20 years of age, inclusive; and
WHEREAS, Of the more than 26,000 California children who left foster care in 2014, approximately 57 percent were reunited with their families, 22 percent were adopted, and 6 percent exited foster care without reunifying or obtaining a permanent home by the time they reached the age of majority; and
WHEREAS, Local courts and communities throughout California have created programs promoting permanency that have resulted in a reduction in the number of children waiting to live in safe, stable, and permanent homes; and
WHEREAS, The Judicial Council has endeavored to support these programs by creating resources, including children’s activity books, orientation videos, and written materials for parents, to encourage parents and children in the dependency process; and
WHEREAS, The Judicial Council remains committed to working with the Governor, the Legislature, and local courts and communities to ensure that every abused or neglected child finds a safe, stable, and permanent home with a loving family as quickly as possible; and
WHEREAS, The Assembly and Senate are committed to working together to improve outcomes for children in the child welfare system; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates November 2015 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month, during which the courts and their local communities are encouraged to join in activities to expedite permanency for children; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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