Social services.

(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Developmental Services and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, administration of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, which requires the department to allocate funds to private nonprofit regional centers for the provision of community services and support for persons with developmental disabilities and their families and sets forth the duties of regional centers in that regard. Existing law requires contracts between the department and regional centers to specify certain coordinator-to-consumer ratios, and requires regional centers to have, or contract for, expertise in certain areas. Existing law exempts the regional centers from these provisions for the period from February 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, inclusive. This bill would extend these exemptions until June 30, 2011. Existing law requires regional centers, in order to implement changes in the level of funding for regional center purchase of services, from February 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, inclusive, to reduce certain payments for services delivered on or after February 1, 2009, by 3%, except as specified. This bill would extend the requirement of a 3% reduction in payments until June 30, 2011. (2) Existing law establishes the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which counties provide payments to foster care providers on behalf of qualified children in foster care. The program is funded by a combination of federal, state, and county funds, with moneys from the General Fund being continuously appropriated to pay for the state's share of AFDC-FC costs. Under existing law, federal financial participation is available for certain children who have been adjudged dependent children or wards of the court, or who have been detained under a court order. This bill would expand eligibility for federal financial participation to include dependent children and wards of the juvenile court, and foster children, who reside in an eligible foster care placement, if federal requirements relating to the state foster care plan and foster care maintenance payments have been met, as specified. (3) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on January 8, 2010. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 8, 2010, pursuant to the California Constitution.