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CARE-050-INFOOptional

Information for Petitioners—About the CARE Act

California · Judicial Council of California · Effective July 1, 2026

This sheet explains the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act and guides the user on how to fill out the Petition to Begin CARE Act Proceedings form (CARE-100). It provides general information about the Act and the required steps for filing.

The court describes it as: Explains the CARE Act process, provides information about petitioner and respondent eligibility, notes required documentation and gives instruction on how to properly fill out the petition, form CARE-100.

Open the official PDFfrom Judicial Council of California

Where this fits in a case

Start a case

Stage: Start a case

This form is used by someone who is considering filing a petition to ask a court to start proceedings under the CARE Act for an adult who has a serious mental disorder.

Usually filed by the person starting the case.

Common questions

What is the CARE Act?
The CARE Act allows a person to ask a court to start proceedings to get help for an adult with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder or another psychotic disorder. The person who asks the court is called the petitioner.
Is there a cost to file this petition?
The text notes that there is no cost to file a CARE Act petition.
What does the form guide you through?
This information sheet walks the user through the petition form, CARE-100, item by item, explaining what information is needed for each section.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 9, 2026. The current version took effect July 1, 2026.

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