The Children of Incarcerated Parents and Caregivers Task Force.

Existing law establishes a system of statewide child welfare services, administered by the State Department of Social Services and county child welfare agencies, with the intent that all children are entitled to be safe and free from abuse and neglect. Existing law defines "child welfare services" for these purposes to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of various purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including disabled, homeless, dependent, or neglected children. Existing law requires social workers to make reasonable efforts to collect and update necessary data regarding a child's incarcerated parent or parents, and encourages the Department of Justice, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, county welfare departments, and county sheriffs to develop protocols for facilitating the exchange of information regarding the location and sentencing of the incarcerated parent or parents of a minor child who is in dependency care. This bill would establish the Task Force on the Children of Incarcerated Parents and Caregivers. The bill would require the task force to be convened as a committee of the California Child Welfare Council and would require the council to select people representing various groups as members of the task force. The bill would require the task force to submit a report to specified entities, including, among others, the California Child Welfare Council and the Legislature, no later than December 1, 2023, and would require the report to include specified components, including specific policy and fiscal recommendations. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025.