Foster youth: placement.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to implement a statewide Child Welfare Services Case Management System to protect children and effectively administer and evaluate the state's child welfare services and foster care programs. Existing law requires the department to provide technical assistance to encourage and facilitate a county placement agency's evaluation of placement needs. Existing law requires a county placement agency specifically to examine placements that are out of county, determine the reason the placement was necessary, and identify the additional placement resources and programs that need to be developed and available to allow a child to remain within the county and as close as possible to his or her home. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to designate a separate, consistent data entry field in the Child Welfare Services Case Management System for a county welfare agency to record information regarding the reasons for the placement of a child when the child is placed with a foster family agency or group home. It would also require a county welfare agency to file this information with the system when this placement is made. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.