California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent ResolutionNo. 103


Introduced by Assembly Member McCarty

August 26, 2015


Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 103—Relative to adoption.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 103, as introduced, 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.

Fiscal committee: no.

P1    1WHEREAS, Consistent with its commitment to support practices
2and procedures that promote access to justice and improved case
3outcomes for California’s children and families, the Judicial
4Council has recognized November as Court Adoption and
5Permanency Month every year since 1999; and

6WHEREAS, Nearly half a million incidents of child abuse and
7neglect are reported each year in California, and about 23,400
8children enter child welfare-supervised foster care for the first
9time each year; and

10WHEREAS, Nearly 62,900 children in California live apart
11from their families in child welfare-supervised out-of-home care;
12and

13WHEREAS, Thirty-eight percent of the children in foster care
14in California have lived apart from their families for two or more
15years; and

P2    1WHEREAS, Twenty-four percent of the youth in care are
2transitional-age youth between 16 and 20 years of age, inclusive;
3and

4WHEREAS, Of the more than 26,000 California children who
5left foster care in 2014, approximately 57 percent were reunited
6with their families, 22 percent were adopted, and 6 percent exited
7foster care without reunifying or obtaining a permanent home by
8the time they reached the age of majority; and

9WHEREAS, Local courts and communities throughout
10California have created programs promoting permanency that have
11resulted in a reduction in the number of children waiting to live in
12safe, stable, and permanent homes; and

13WHEREAS, The Judicial Council has endeavored to support
14these programs by creating resources, including children’s activity
15books, orientation videos, and written materials for parents, to
16encourage parents and children in the dependency process; and

17WHEREAS, The Judicial Council remains committed to working
18with the Governor, the Legislature, and local courts and
19communities to ensure that every abused or neglected child finds
20a safe, stable, and permanent home with a loving family as quickly
21as possible; and

22WHEREAS, The Assembly and Senate are committed to
23working together to improve outcomes for children in the child
24welfare system; now, therefore, be it

25Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
26thereof concurring,
That the Legislature hereby designates
27November 2015 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month, during
28which the courts and their local communities are encouraged to
29join in activities to expedite permanency for children; and be it
30further

31Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
32of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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