Child welfare: foster care.

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. In order to be eligible for AFDC-FC, existing law requires a child or nonminor dependent to be placed in a specified placement, including a licensed group home or an out-of-state group home. Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of community care facilities, including group homes, by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law also requires the department to provide oversight of out-of-state group homes, as specified, pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This bill would, on and after January 1, 2018, eliminate the placement option of a group home or an out-of-state group home. The bill would authorize a short-term residential treatment center as an additional placement option and would specify the conditions for that placement option, including that the child has a documented need for short-term specialized and intensive supervision or treatment that cannot be maintained in a family setting, that the placement not exceed 120 days, except under certain circumstances, and that the child and family team, as defined, convene at least every 60 days to conduct a review of the placement, as specified. By imposing a higher level of service on county employees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require the State Department of Social Services, on or before December 31, 2016, to establish a working group consisting of county welfare departments and other stakeholders to develop and implement a single, statewide standardized child assessment tool, known as the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Plus assessment tool, that would assess specified factors, such as the impact of trauma on the child and the child's behavioral and emotional needs. The bill would also require the department, on or before December 31, 2016, to issue guidance to the county child welfare agencies on utilizing child and family teams to review the assessment tool and make decisions concerning placements, services, and supports for a child. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.