Bill Text: CA ACR126 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Concurrent Resolution 126 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Court Adoption and Permanency Month.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-09-26 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 174, Statutes of 2019. [ACR126 Detail]

Download: California-2019-ACR126-Chaptered.html

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 126

CHAPTER 174

Relative to family law.

[ Filed with Secretary of State September 26, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 126, Maienschein. Court Adoption and Permanency Month.

This bill would declare November 2019 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month, and would encourage the courts and their communities to join in activities to promote permanency.

Fiscal Committee: NO

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, 490,000 incidents of child abuse and neglect are reported each year in California, compared with more than 430,000 reports 20 years ago. Approximately 21,000 children enter child welfare-supervised foster care for the first time, compared to 27,000 children 20 years ago; and

WHEREAS, The number of foster children in California living apart from their families in child welfare-supervised out-of-home care has decreased by 44 percent in the last 20 years. The number of children exiting foster care into a permanent home has increased by 10 percent in the same time period, including a 57-percent increase in the number of those being adopted; and

WHEREAS, Forty percent of the children in foster care in California still live apart from their families for two or more years; and

WHEREAS, 3,300 foster children are placed in congregate care rather than with relatives or in home-like settings; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of foster children over 10 years of age who exit foster care through adoption remains at only 25 percent; and

WHEREAS, While progress has been made, much work is still needed to improve the lives of children and families in the child welfare system; 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 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; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares November 2019 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month, and encourages the courts and their communities to join in activities to promote permanency; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.