Children of incarcerated parents: support and services.

Existing law provides that a child whose parent has been incarcerated or institutionalized and cannot arrange for the care of the child is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court which may adjudge that person to be a dependent child of the court. Existing law requires, if the parent or guardian of a dependent child is incarcerated, institutionalized, or detained by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the court to order reasonable family reunification services, unless the court determines, by clear and convincing evidence, those services would be detrimental to the child. Existing law also requires social workers to make reasonable efforts to collect and update necessary data regarding a child's incarcerated parent or parents. This bill would authorize the County of Riverside to establish a program that would provide comprehensive social services to children who reside in the county and whose parents are currently or were formerly incarcerated at the local, state, or federal level. The bill would require the County of Riverside, if the state provides any financial support for the implementation of, and the county opts to establish, that program, to prepare and submit an interim report regarding the program to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on or before December 31, 2024, as specified, and a final report to that committee on December 31, 2028. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Riverside.