Child welfare services: families experiencing homelessness.

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. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Social Services to conduct a demonstration project in up to 20 counties, to allow flexible use of federal and state foster care funds by utilizing a federal capped allocation model over a 5-year period, based on the terms and conditions of the federal Title IV-E waiver. Existing law provides for child welfare services, which are public social services directed toward, among other purposes, protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including those in foster care placement. This bill would require the department to encourage counties participating in the demonstration project to consider use of innovative, evidence-based strategies with the optional portion of their federal Title IV-E waiver capped allocation demonstration project to achieve supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent housing, as described, for families that include a child placed in foster care, who are receiving child welfare services, and who are experiencing homelessness. The bill would also provide that the continuous appropriation for the state's share of the AFDC-FC costs would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.