BILL NUMBER:  AB 2031
  VETOED	DATE: 09/29/2006




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 2031, which is similar to a measure I
vetoed last year (AB 880, Cohn), without my signature, as current law
already requires counties to identify and locate family members when
making foster care placements.

Working together, my Administration and the Legislature have taken
action to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children
in California through the fundamental restructuring of Child Welfare
Services. We secured a first of its kind federal waiver to provide
counties flexibility to use federal funds on preventive services for
families in crisis to keep children in safe and stable homes, and to
reduce the need for foster care placement. With broad bipartisan
support, we made a histor ic investment of $255 million in the budget
to promote successful transitions of former foster youth to
adulthood, increase adoptions, and support the restructuring of the
child welfare system and the provision of services to children and
families that is linked to outcome improvements. Because supporting
connections between children and youth in foster care and their
relatives is an important goal, I signed legislation to expand the
Kin-GAP program to enhance the ability of relatives to care f or
foster children, and supported requirements to promote and maintain
supportive relationships between youth and their mentors, relatives
and extended family members.

Counties have made significant progress in more effectively
identifying and locating relatives of children and youth in foster
care. The recent expansion of the KinGAP program and focus on
improved outcomes will support continued improvements. These efforts
will be monitored and supported by the California Child Welfare
Council established by AB 2216 which I have signed into law. Given
efforts to date, the soon to be created Child Welfare Council,
California's national leadership in identifying  relatives of
children in foster care, and existing authority for the Department of
Social Services to develop guidelines administratively, this bill is
unnecessary.

For these reasons, I cannot support this bill.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger