20250ACR_018997CHP INTRODUCED 2026-04-30 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2026-05-11 PASSED_SENATE 2026-06-11 ENROLLED 2026-06-15 CHAPTERED 2026-06-18 FILED 2026-06-18 2025 ACR CHP CHR 0 Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens (Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Johnson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alvarez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bauer-Kahan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bennett COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Calderon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Carrillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Castillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Chen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY DeMaio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Dixon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ellis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Flora COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jeff Gonzalez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hadwick COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hart COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hoover COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Johnson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lackey COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lee COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Macedo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rivas COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sanchez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Tangipa COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Valencia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wallis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wicks COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to Foster Youth Awareness Month.

Foster Youth Awareness Month Foster Youth Awareness Month. This measure would proclaim the month of May as Foster Youth Awareness Month in California. NO

WHEREAS, California’s children and youth are our hope for the future, and all children deserve a safe, loving, accepting, stable, and nurturing home; and

WHEREAS, Preserving families is the primary goal of the child welfare system; and

WHEREAS, A child’s success is best supported in a child welfare system that is family-focused, child-centered, and community-based; and

WHEREAS, Kinship families, foster families, foster family agencies, and short-term residential therapeutic programs play a critical role in supporting children in foster care and making family reunification possible; and

WHEREAS, Nearly times per day, a child is placed in foster care in California; and

WHEREAS, One-third of all the nation’s unaccompanied homeless youth are in California; and

WHEREAS, California has over 43,000 children in the foster care system, disproportionately from Black and Native families; and

WHEREAS, The proportions of Black and Native youth in foster care are around four times larger than the proportions of Black and Native youth in California overall; and

WHEREAS, One-half of all children in foster care have endured four or more adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, and abandonment, which can negatively impact their health and development; and

WHEREAS, Numerous national studies have documented that children involved with the child welfare system have increased rates of chronic health problems, developmental delays and disabilities, mental health needs, and substance abuse problems; and

WHEREAS, Research indicates that foster youth experience rates of homelessness ranging from percent to percent, inclusive, which is disproportionately higher than that of the general population; and

WHEREAS, In California, while percent of foster youth say they want to attend college, only percent of former foster youth obtain their bachelor’s degree by years of age, compared to percent of their peers; and

WHEREAS, For children and youth in the foster care system, we must continue finding them loving homes, provide them with the resources they need, and deliver safe and supportive permanent homes; and

WHEREAS, California further recognizes the strength, resilience, and leadership of foster youth and former foster youth, who contribute meaningfully to their communities, lead advocacy efforts, inform policy, and drive systems change through their lived expertise; and

WHEREAS, Foster youth continue to challenge and redefine traditional measures of success by pursuing education, careers, healing, community leadership, and personal growth on their own terms, despite systemic barriers and disparities reflected in outcomes data; 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 nonprofit organizations that work to meet the needs of current and former children and youth in the foster care system, including helping to provide vital connections to siblings and launching young people into successful adulthood; and

WHEREAS, California is engaged in a tiered rate structure intended to improve the experience and outcomes of children and youth in foster care by making more informed and appropriate initial placement decisions, emphasizing home-based family care placements of children, adequately supporting these placements with needed services, adequately supporting foster family agencies and short-term residential therapeutic programs for youth whose needs cannot be met safely in family settings, and increasing transparency and accountability for child outcomes; and

WHEREAS, California is further engaged in building a comprehensive behavioral health system for youth and families impacted by the child welfare system that is responsive to the trauma inherent to family separation;

now, therefore,

be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of May as Foster Youth Awareness Month 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.