This measure would declare March 23, 2023, as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

This measure would declare March 23, 2023, as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

This measure would declare March 23, 2023, as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

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 Advocate 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 78,154 of Californias children are living in foster care because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. In 2021, 11,172 CASA volunteers supported 12,680 foster children in California by contributing a total of 440,948 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 childs 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 Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares that March 23, 2023, is recognized as CASA Appreciation Day in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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 Advocate 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 78,154 of Californias children are living in foster care because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. In 2021, 11,172 CASA volunteers supported 12,680 foster children in California by contributing a total of 440,948 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 childs 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 Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares that March 23, 2023, is recognized as CASA Appreciation Day in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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 Advocate 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 78,154 of Californias children are living in foster care because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. In 2021, 11,172 CASA volunteers supported 12,680 foster children in California by contributing a total of 440,948 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 childs 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 Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares that March 23, 2023, is recognized as CASA Appreciation Day in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

Date of Hearing: March 30, 2023

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON

, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:

Author:() – As Ver:March 8, 2023

SENATE VOTE: 39-0

SUBJECT:

SUMMARY: Declares March 23, 2023, as CASA Appreciation Day in California. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings:

1. CASA Appreciation Day recognizes the important role played by Court Appointed Special Advocate for children (CASA) volunteers.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. CASA 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.
5. In 2021, 11,172 CASA volunteers supported 12,680 foster children in California by contributing a total of 440,948 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

FISCAL EFFECT: None

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by:

 THIRD READING 

Bill No: SCR 35

Author: Newman (D)

Introduced: 3/8/23

Vote: 21

SUBJECT: CASA Appreciation Day

SOURCE: California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association

DIGEST:

This resolution declares March 23, 2023, as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. CASA Appreciation Day recognizes the important role played by Court Appointed Special Advocate 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

This resolution declares that March 23, 2023, is recognized as CASA Appreciation Day in California.

Related/Prior Legislation

The following are the most recent measures declaring CASA Appreciation Day:

• SCR 106 (Newman, Resolution Chapter 78, Statutes of 2022).
• SCR 43 (Newman, Resolution Chapter 90, Statutes of 2021).

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 3/15/23)

California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (source)

OPPOSITION: (Verified 3/15/23)

None received

Prepared by: Karen Chow / SFA / (916) 651-1520

3/15/23 15:06:58

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