Youth homelessness prevention centers.

Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensing and regulation of runaway and homeless youth shelters by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law requires these shelters to offer short-term, 24-hour, nonmedical care and supervision and personal services to homeless youth and runaway youth, as those terms are defined, who voluntarily enter the shelter. Existing law defines "short-term" to mean no more than 21 consecutive days. This bill would rename these facilities "youth homelessness prevention centers," and would expand the categories of youth for which the center is required to provide services to also include youth at risk of homelessness and youth exhibiting status offender behavior, as those terms are defined by the bill. The bill would expand the definition of "short-term" to mean no more than 90 consecutive days, and would make technical, conforming changes to related provisions.