Bill Text: CA AR75 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to Court Adoption and Permanency Month.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 50-17-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-09-07 - Read. Adopted. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 2854.). [AR75 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AR75-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 75
| Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson |
September 02, 2021 |
Relative to Court Adoption and Permanency Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 75, as introduced, Patterson.
Digest Key
Bill Text
WHEREAS, Consistent with its commitment to support practices and procedures that promote access to justice and improved case outcomes for California’s children and families, the Judicial Council has recognized November as Court Adoption and Permanency Month every year since 1999; and
WHEREAS, 434,645 incidents of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2019–20 fiscal year and 20,111 children entered child welfare-supervised foster care for the first time in California, a 10-percent reduction in entries compared to 10 years ago; and
WHEREAS, Some 60,000 children in California continue to live apart from their families in child welfare-supervised out-of-home care, and over 40 percent of the children in foster care in California still live apart from their families for two or more years; and
WHEREAS, Despite the disruptions to court operations and safety emergencies created by the COVID-19 pandemic, California courts still achieved permanency for over 20,000 children via reunification, adoption, and dismissal of jurisdiction to guardianships during the 2019–20 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, The percentage of foster children who exit foster care through adoption is 23 percent, and over 5,600 adoptions from foster care were finalized in 2020 despite the pandemic disruptions; and
WHEREAS, Over 2,460 foster children were in group homes or shelters in July 2020 rather than with relatives or in home-like settings, a decrease of 35 percent compared to July 2010; and
WHEREAS, While progress has been made, much work still needs to be done to improve the lives of children and families in the child welfare system; and
WHEREAS, Local courts and communities throughout California have created programs promoting permanency that have resulted in a reduction in the number of children waiting to live in safe, stable, and permanent homes; and
WHEREAS, The Judicial Council remains committed to working with the Governor, the Legislature, and local courts and communities to ensure that every abused or neglected child finds a safe, stable, and permanent home with a loving family as quickly as possible; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly declares November 2021 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month, and encourages the courts and their communities to join in activities to promote permanency; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
