Juveniles: mentoring programs.

Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings. Existing law requires the status of every dependent child in foster care to be reviewed periodically, and requires the county welfare department social worker to prepare a supplemental report with supplemental information regarding the child for purposes of the status review hearing. Existing law also requires a probation officer to prepare a social study for purposes of the status review hearing of a ward who is placed in foster care or recommended for placement in foster care. This bill would require the social worker and probation officer to include in the supplemental report or social study, respectively, information on the likely emotional and social benefits from one-to-one mentoring services for the child or nonminmor dependant, and a recommendation for one-to-one mentoring, as specified. The bill would, if the supplemental report includes a referral for mentoring, require the court to ask the foster youth, at any status hearing, whether participation in a mentoring program has been offered to them and whether they are interested in participating in a mentoring program, and would specify that in this case the foster youth shall only be referred for mentoring if they agree to participate. The bill would, if the social study includes a referral for mentoring, require the court or probation officer to include a mentoring program in the foster youth's case plan if the foster youth agrees to participate in such a program. The bill would specify that participation in the mentoring program is on a purely voluntary basis and would prohibit a foster youth from being subject to discipline or other adverse action based on the foster youth's subsequent decision to discontinue participation in the mentoring program. The bill would authorize a court to refer or order the foster youth to participate in a one-to-one mentoring program through a nonprofit organization that meets specified criteria, including, among other things, having experience serving foster children and youth. The bill would require a social worker or probation officer to make their best efforts to identify and refer a foster youth for whom mentoring has been recommended and accepted or for whom mentoring has been ordered to a nonprofit organization. By imposing new duties on counties, the 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.