Bill Text: CA ACR179 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Foster Care Month.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 48-23-1)

Status: (Passed) 2016-07-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 88, Statutes of 2016. [ACR179 Detail]

Download: California-2015-ACR179-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 179	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  88
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 11, 2016
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JUNE 30, 2016
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 19, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 19, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cooley
   (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)

                        MAY 3, 2016

   Relative to Foster Care Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 179, Cooley. Foster Care Month.
   This measure would declare the month of May 2016 as Foster Care
Month.



   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.