Child welfare services.

Existing federal law, the original Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 (CAPTA) , provided assistance to states to develop child abuse and neglect identification and prevention programs. Existing federal law, the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 and the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, among other provisions, provide funding for child abuse and neglect prevention and other child and family services programs, and require the amendment of applicable state plans. Under existing law, except under specified circumstances, whenever a child is removed from a parent's or guardian's custody, the juvenile court is required to order the social worker to provide designated child welfare services, including family reunification services, to the child and the child's mother and statutorily presumed father or guardians. Existing law does not require provision of family reunification services, in cases in which the court has made one or more specified findings regarding the qualifications of the parent or guardian. This bill would include as a situation when family reunification would not be required when a parent has been required by the court to be registered on a sex offender registry under a specified federal law. Existing law requires a county welfare department to request a consumer disclosure, pursuant to federal law, on behalf of a youth in a foster care placement in the county, when the youth reaches his or her 16th birthday, in order to ascertain whether the youth has been the victim of identity theft, as specified. Existing law suspends implementation of these provisions until July 1, 2013. This bill would revise and expand these consumer disclosure and identity theft provisions, by including nonminor dependents and requiring assistance to be given by the county welfare department, county probation department, or the State Department of Social Services, as specified, on an annual basis while a child or nonminor dependent is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The bill would require information relating to the yearly consumer credit report to be included in the youth's or nonminor dependent's case plan, as specified. By increasing county duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to select and award a grant to a private nonprofit or public entity for the purpose of establishing a statewide multipurpose child welfare training program. Existing law requires the training program, among other duties, to annually assess the program's performance and forward it to the department for an evaluation and report to the Legislative Analyst. This bill would revise the assessment procedures for the child welfare training program, including specifically requiring the assessment of the training program in each county, and by eliminating the requirement to report to the Legislative Analyst. This bill also would revise the required contents of the assessment. This bill would revise the requirements for the number and location of monthly caseworker visits for foster children. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services and county welfare and probation departments to collect and provide data reporting requirements necessary to comply with specified federal law. Existing law defines various terms for purposes of the administration by the State Department of Social Services of federal Promoting Safe and Stable Families funds, including certain family support services, and family reunification services. Counties that choose to utilize these federal funds are required to establish a local planning body and develop county plans as required by the department. This bill would expand the definitions of these services to include specified mentoring activities, support groups, and other services and activities to facilitate access and visitation of children with their parents and siblings. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Sections 361.5 and 16501.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1712 and SB 1064 that would become operative only if either or both of these bills are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2013, and this bill is chaptered last. 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.