Title
Title
Juvenile Law | Fiscal Year 2022-23 Funding Allocation for California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee recommends approving the allocation of $20 million in Court Appointed Special Advocate program grant funding, included in the Budget Act of 2022, to the California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association for fiscal year 2022-23.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council, effective September 20, 2022:
1. Allocate $20 million in General Fund appropriations for the California Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association for fiscal year 2022-23 and specified by the Budget Act of 2022 (AB 178) to:
a. Provide funding to the local CASA programs to expand capacity, recruitment, and training and to stabilize local budgets and staffing; and
b. Be used statewide for volunteer recruitment initiatives, shared resources and infrastructure, development of training curriculum, collection of data on program implementation and outcomes to support the required report to the Legislature, and other uses to expand CASA services in the state; and
2. Direct the California CASA Association to:
a. Allocate $16 million to local CASA programs using an equitable funding methodology based on local CASA program needs; and
b. Collect, compile, and submit data to the Judicial Council, as determined in collaboration with Judicial Council program staff, on program implementation and outcomes to support the required report to the Legislature, and other uses to expand CASA services in the state.