In-home respite services.

Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to allocate funds to private nonprofit regional centers for the provision of community services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Existing law permits regional centers to purchase in-home respite services for regional center clients. Existing law defines in-home respite services as intermittent or regularly scheduled temporary nonmedical care and supervision provided in the client's own home, for a regional center client who resides with a family member. Existing law, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, requires foster care providers to be paid a per-child per-month rate, established by the State Department of Social Services, for the care and supervision of the child placed with the provider. Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings. Existing law provides for the implementation of the resource family approval process and defines a resource family as an individual or family who has successfully met both the home environment assessment standards and permanency assessment criteria, as specified, necessary for providing care for a child placed by a public or private child placement agency by court order, or voluntarily placed by a parent or legal guardian. Existing law prohibits children who receive both AFDC-FC benefits and regional center services and who reside with a relative, nonrelative extended family member, or specified community care facility that is not vendored by the regional center as a residential facility from being prohibited from receiving in-home respite services. This bill would add children who receive both AFDC-FC benefits and regional center services and who reside with a resource family to the above-described prohibition. The bill would also add Indian children who receive both AFDC-FC benefits and regional center services and who reside with an extended family member, as defined, or a tribally approved home, as defined, to the above-described prohibition. The bill would require regional centers to assess a small family home for service need, as specified, prior to approving in-home respite services for children in that placement type. To the extent that the bill increases the duties of the county in administering the AFDC-FC program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make other technical changes. This bill would clarify that, for purposes of the provisions relating to children who receive both AFDC-FC benefits and regional center services, the terms "child" and "children" include a nonminor dependent, as defined. The bill would find and declare that this provision is declaratory of existing law. 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.