Bill Text: CA ACR26 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Concurrent Resolution 26

Introduced

Bill Title: CASA Appreciation Day.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 48-7)

Status: (Engrossed) 2025-02-18 - In Senate. To Com. on RLS. [ACR26 Detail]

Download: California-2025-ACR26-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Concurrent Resolution

No. 26

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonta
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ahrens, Nguyen, and Ransom)

February 05, 2025

Relative to CASA Appreciation Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 26, as introduced, Bonta. CASA Appreciation Day.

This measure would declare February 6, 2025, as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, All children have the right to a home with loving people to care for them, but each year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of children are abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families. These children are removed from their homes, placed in foster care or institutions, and eventually may end up as wards of the court; and

WHEREAS, A judge has the power to decide the future for these children and whether they should remain in foster care, be reunited with parents, or adopted, but in many cases, the children become victims for a second time, lost in an overburdened child welfare system that cannot pay close attention to each child; and

WHEREAS, CASA Appreciation Day recognizes the important role played by Court Appointed Special Advocates for children (CASA) volunteers. These trained community volunteers are appointed by a judge as officers of the court to speak up for children in juvenile court and to help humanize for these children the often frightening and confusing child welfare and legal systems; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 67,229 of California’s children are living in foster care because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. In 2023, 8,012 CASA volunteers supported 11,261 foster children in California by contributing a total of 379,672 hours. These CASA volunteers play an important role in their lives by getting to know each child and letting the judge and others in the child welfare system understand the child’s perspective and needs; and

WHEREAS, The CASA mission is to ensure consistency and support for children in the foster care system through the use of volunteer advocates advancing the best interests of each child; and

WHEREAS, The CASA vision is one where every Californian child in need is appointed a CASA volunteer to champion that child without compromise, in court, in school, and in the community, putting them on the path to a safe and permanent home; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares that February 6, 2025, is recognized as CASA Appreciation Day in California; and be it further

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