Hundreds of foster youth, advocates and others are gathering at 11:00 on May 1st on the North Steps of the State Capitol to kick-off National Foster Care Month, an annual event that focuses the public's attention on the needs of abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes. Elected officials and honorees will be on hand for this popular Capitol event that draws lawmakers from across the state. Following today's event, Governor Schwarzenegger will meet with and congratulate the honorees.

"Children of all ages need compassionate nurturing and reliable care as they develop and mature into adults," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who last year helped make possible additional investments in foster care programs. "As we kick-off 'Foster Care Month,' we recognize and applaud foster families for instilling emotional nourishment and hope into children who are without many resources."

The state's foster care system has received increased attention in recent years, beginning with a new outcomes and accountability system that improves the state's ability to monitor progress in improving the lives of foster youth. In addition, the Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care has exerted legislative leadership under Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Bill Maze (R-Visalia), which again this year is carrying a package of more than 20 bills focusing on foster care. Most recently the Chief Justice has appointed a Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care, which is half-way through its work in developing recommendations on court-focused improvements that will help foster youth and their families.

"In California, we are working together to do right by our foster youth," said Majority Leader Bass, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care. "We have made some major strides over the last couple of years but there is still more work to do -- and today we are here to call on every one to continue to support Foster Care Reform. It is our responsibility to ensure that every child in this state has the opportunity to succeed including California's foster youth."

Officials cited statistics that are being released by the National Foster Care Month Coalition that speak to the urgency of continued reforms to foster care. If nothing changes by the year 2020:

-- Nearly 14 million confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect will be reported
-- 22,500 children will die of abuse or neglect, most before their fifth birthday
-- More than 9 million children will experience the foster care system
-- More than 300,000 children will age out of the foster care system, in poor health and ill-prepared for success in higher education, technical college or the workforce
-- 99,000 former foster youth, who aged out of the system, can expect to experience homelessness -http://www.prnewswire.com