Crisis nurseries: study.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to license and regulate crisis nurseries. Existing law defines crisis nurseries as nonprofit corporations that care for and supervise children under 6 years of age who are voluntarily placed at the crisis nursery by a parent or guardian due to a family crisis or stressful situation for no more than 30 days. This bill, until January 1, 2023, would require the department to implement a 2-year pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of crisis nurseries in the Counties of Contra Costa, Nevada, Sacramento, and Yolo on the outcomes for children and families, including the incidence of child abuse and neglect in those counties. The bill would require the department to report the results of its study to the Legislature on or before June 15, 2022. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to, upon appropriation, provide funding for crisis nurseries to enable crisis nurseries to continue to provide services and participate in the pilot project.