Amended in Assembly May 19, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 179

Introduced by Assembly Member Cooley

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chu, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mayes, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, and Wood)

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May 3, 2016

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 179—Relative to Foster Care Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 179, as amended, Cooley. Foster Care Month.

This measure would declare the month of May 2016 as Foster Care Month.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, In California, there are approximately 66,250
children and youth in foster care who need and deserve safe,
permanent connections to loving adults, a stable home, and
adequate preparation for a secure future; and

WHEREAS, The needs of children and youth for belonging and
unconditional emotional commitment are best met in families; and

WHEREAS, Many California counties have successfully
supported permanent family connections for foster youth, provided
support for families at risk of entering the child welfare system,
and changed practices to fully engage youth, family, and
communities, thereby reducing the number of children in foster
care; and

WHEREAS, California recognizes the enduring and valuable
contribution of relatives and foster and adoptive parents who open
their hearts, families, and homes to vulnerable children and youth;
and

WHEREAS, California recognizes the numerous individuals
and public and private organizations that work to ensure that the
needs of children and youth living in, and leaving, foster care are
met, that help provide foster and former foster children and youth
with vital connections to their siblings, and that help launch young
people into successful adulthood; and

WHEREAS, The federal Fostering Connections to Success and
Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 offers opportunities to promote
permanent families for children in foster care, improve outcomes
for older youth in foster care, increase support for Native American
foster children, improve the quality of staff working with youth
in the child welfare system, expand our support of relative and
adoptive caregivers, and assist older youth in securing meaningful
supportive transitions from foster care; and

WHEREAS, This federal law affirms California’s leadership
and success in pioneering innovative child welfare approaches;
and

WHEREAS, California is engaged in continuum of care reform,
which is a comprehensive approach to improving the experience
and outcomes of children and youth in foster care by improving
assessments of children and families to make more informed and
appropriate initial placement decisions, emphasizing home-based
family care placements of children, appropriately supporting these
placements with available services, changing the goals for
congregate, also known as group home, care placements, and
increasing transparency and accountability for child outcomes;
and

WHEREAS, California is committed to working in partnership
with the federal government and local governments to improve
the lives and futures of all children and youth touched by the child
welfare system; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares the month of
May 2016 as Foster Care Month; and be it further resolved that

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