Children in foster care: school proximity and travel costs.

(1) Under existing law, the governing board of a school district may provide transportation to and from schools under specified circumstances. In some circumstances, the governing board may require the parents and guardians of all or some of the pupils transported to pay a portion of the costs. This bill would require governing boards that provide transportation to take into account the transportation needs of foster youth, as specified. Under existing law, the state provides for specified funding for school districts, including funding for home-to-school transportation. This bill would include transportation of foster youth to their school of origin in the definition of home-to-school transportation for these funding purposes. Existing law specifies a process to be conducted by the local educational agency and the county placing agency to determine the placement of a foster child in school, including determining the school of origin, methods for transfer, if appropriate, procedures for students who miss school for specified reasons, and the payment of transportation costs. The local educational agency and the county placing agency are encouraged to collaborate in this process. This bill would make specified changes to the overall process and would specify that, as part of the collaborative efforts, a memorandum of understanding or equivalent mutual agreement be entered into to support a collaborative process for providing transportation for foster youth to their school of origin, as specified. Existing law requires that a local educational agency ensure that no lowering of grades occur under prescribed circumstances, including when a pupil in foster care is absent due to a decision made by a court or placing agency to change the placement of the pupil or to a verified court appearance or other court activity. This bill would add to these circumstances an absence of a child in foster care caused by a delay in securing appropriate transportation to the child's school of origin. By imposing new duties upon local educational agencies, the bill would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to preserve and strengthen a child's family ties whenever possible, removing the child from the custody of his or her parents only when necessary for his or her welfare or for the safety and protection of the public. Existing law includes various provisions relating to the provision of appropriate placement and other services for children in foster care. When placement is determined for a child who has been adjudged a dependent of the juvenile court, existing law requires a social study to be made by a social worker or child advocate appointed by the court. Existing law requires the child's case plan to include a health and education summary, which, among other components, is required to include assurances that the placement takes into account proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement. This bill would require the social study of a dependent child of the juvenile court to address whether the proposed placement takes school proximity into account and whether a transportation plan has been developed to ensure that the child remains enrolled in his or her school of origin, unless inappropriate, if the child's proposed placement is not in proximity to that school. The bill would require that the health and education summary also include assurances that the child welfare agency has taken specified steps to ensure that the child remains in the school in which he or she is enrolled at the time of placement. The bill would also state that county placing agencies are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the foster youth remain in his or her school of origin, unless inappropriate, and for providing transportation. By imposing additional duties upon child welfare agencies, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. This bill also would require the State Department of Social Services to take all necessary actions to maximize eligibility for available federal funding for reasonable travel costs for children in foster care, in accordance with a specified provision of federal law. Under existing law, foster care providers are paid a specified rate for care and supervision of foster youth. This bill would include reasonable travel costs for the child to remain in his or her school of origin in those costs. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.