Judicial Council to Hear How Juvenile Courts Help Children and Families in Foster Care

VIDEOCONFERENCE—The Judicial Council at its October 24 business meeting will receive a report about efforts made by courts, the council, and partners in child welfare to improve permanency for children in the foster care system.

In addition to proclaiming November is Court Adoption and Permanency Month, the council will highlight the importance of permanency and its efforts to improve the court adoption process, which include:

• Providing education and technical assistance
   
• Support and oversight of the 11,000 active Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers providing services to 13,000 children and youth statewide
   
• Expansion of resources for court-appointed counsel for children in foster care and their parents

The council will also hear from two former foster youth who, informed by their own experiences in care, made the decision to provide permanency to a family member’s child. Council members will hear about their journey through the adoptive process and the importance of having a forever family.

For this 26-year anniversary of Court Adoption and Permanency Month, the council is highlighting the importance of kinship care and developing a “kin-first culture.” This is the term used to describe a system that prioritizes placing children with their extended family network. Research demonstrates that children in kinship care experience fewer behavioral health problems and less placement disruption and require fewer mental health services than youth in a nonrelative placement.

Other Items on Council Meeting Agenda:

Funding for CARE Act Legal Representation: The council will consider approving CARE Act funding for the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the State Bar of California so it can distribute it to qualified legal services projects and public defender offices to provide legal counsel for representation in CARE Act proceedings, as well as training and technical assistance to these legal providers.

Increased Funding for Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Program: The council will consider allocating additional funding to current Shriver projects to expand and sustain legal representation and court services for low-income litigants involved in housing and other civil cases.

New and Revised Criminal Jury Instructions: The council will consider for publication new and revised criminal jury instructions to keep the instructions current with statutory and case authority.

New and Revised Court Rules and Forms: The council will consider a number of proposed new and revised court rules and forms in the areas of civil, criminal, juvenile, family law, conservatorships, unlawful detainer, protective orders, appellate procedures, and access and fairness. The revisions will help ensure the rules and forms conform to recent changes in the law and increase the efficiency of the court process.

The complete council meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center. A link to a live webcast of the meeting will be on the California Courts website on the day of the meeting.