Public social services: foster care benefits.

Existing law establishes various programs to provide foster care benefits, including, among others, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children—Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which counties provide payments to foster care providers on behalf of qualified children in foster care and to nonminor dependents. Existing law requires the county to review the child's or nonminor dependent's payment amount annually, including an examination of any circumstances of a foster child or nonminor dependent that are subject to change and could affect the child's or nonminor dependent's potential eligibility or payment amount. This bill would require that review to include a review of a child's or nonminor dependent's eligibility for foster care benefits, and would require that review to also be conducted each time the county receives specified information. The bill would require, if the county determines pursuant to that review that a child or nonminor dependent is no longer eligible for foster care benefits under the program from which they are currently receiving foster care benefits, but is eligible for foster care benefits under another program, the county to ensure that the child or nonminor dependent receives the foster care benefits to which they are entitled under the new program, and to provide a notice of action that includes specified information to the caregiver of the child or to the nonminor dependent. The bill would also require the county to provide a notice of action that includes specified information to the caregiver of the child or to the nonminor dependent if the county determines pursuant to that review that the child or nonminor dependent is no longer eligible for foster care benefits under any program. This bill would require a county to make an initial determination of the amount of foster care benefits to which a child is entitled within 30 days of the juvenile court's initial order to detain the child. By imposing new duties on counties, 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.