Judicial Council Proclaims November Court Adoption and Permanency Month
The Judicial Council proclaimed November “Court Adoption and Permanency Month” in California as it has every year since 1999. The month is dedicated to promoting the ongoing efforts and achievements of juvenile courts and their justice partners to improve the outcomes for families and children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Further, a similar resolution passed by the Legislature encourages the courts to work locally to expedite adoptions and permanent placements for youth living in foster care.
Courts across the country will organize Adoption Day events to finalize the adoptions of thousands of children living in foster care. Since its inception in 2000, by the Los Angeles Superior Court, close to 70,000 children have been adopted nationally on this day. This year, National Adoption Day falls on November 18.
Local court adoption events are taking place in the following California counties:
- El Dorado
- Los Angeles
- Riverside
- San Bernardino
- Santa Clara
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaquin
- Shasta
- Siskiyou
Foster Care Statistics
- Each year in California, nearly 500,000 reports are made of child abuse and neglect and approximately 21,000 children enter foster care for the first time.
- Currently, about 60,000 children in the state live apart from their families in foster care and 40% of these children have been in foster care for more than 2 years.
- About 8,300 children remain in “temporary” care after more than 5 years.
- 22% of youth in foster care are between the ages of 16-20.
- Of the 28,000 children who were able to leave foster care in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017, 49% were reunited with their families, 24% were adopted and 11% achieved permanence through legal guardianship, including nearly 1,400 in relative guardianships.
Since 1999, the Judicial Council has observed and continues to reaffirm November as “Court Adoption and Permanency Month.”