Foster care: rights.

Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings and governs the provision of child welfare services, which is defined to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of specified purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and restoring to their families children who have been removed. Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state that all minors and nonminors in foster care have specified rights, including, among others, the right to receive medical, dental, vision, and mental health services, the right to be informed of these rights in an age and developmentally appropriate manner, and the right to receive a copy of these rights, at specified intervals. This bill would additionally provide that a child who speaks a primary language other than English has the right to receive a copy of their rights in their primary language. The bill also would require, when a child is entitled to receive a copy of the court report, case plan, and transition to independent living plan, those items to be provided in the child's primary language. Existing law requires a county social worker to create a case plan for foster youth within a specified timeframe after the child is introduced into the foster care system. Existing law requires the case plan to be developed considering the recommendations of the child and family team, as defined, and according to certain criteria, including that the child be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in the development of the case plan. Existing law requires that a child who is 12 years of age or older be given the opportunity to review the case plan, sign the case plan, and receive a copy of the case plan. This bill would require, for a child described above who receives a copy of the case plan, the case plan be translated and provided to the child in their primary language for a child who speaks a primary language other than English. By imposing additional duties on county social workers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.