Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05051987 - 1.35 I To BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Phil Batchelor Contra County Administrator Costa DATE: April 30, 1987 County SUBJECT: Legislation: Assembly Bill 1221 (Areias) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(_S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION• Adopt a position of support for AB 1221 by Assemblyman Areias which makes relatives of a child eligible for foster care where the relatives are also the guardian of the child and which deletes the requirement that the child be federally eligible if living with a relative. BACKGROUND: Supervisor Fanden brought to the Board' s attention AB 1221 and asked for an analysis of it. Under current law, a guardian is only eligible for a foster care payment on behalf of a child if , the guardian is not related to the child. AB 1221 would repeal this distinction and make all guardians eligible for foster care, regardless of whether they are related to the child. In addition, under current law, in order to be eligible for foster care, a child who is living with a relative must be federally eligible, meaning the child must have lived with the parent from whose custody the child was removed by the court within six months of the date the petition was filed and the child must have been receiving AFDC or would have been eligible to receive AFDC if the family had applied. AB 1221 deletes this requirement and allows a relative to receive a foster care payment even if the child does not meet the federal eligibility criteria. Under current law, a relative is effectively discouraged from obtaining guardianship of a child who is a relative, even though guardianship provides greater stability and sense of belonging to the child. Likewise, a relative is discouraged from taking in a child who may have come from a middle class family which would not have been eligible for AFDC. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: _ X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S : ACTION OF BOARD ON May 5, 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: County Administrator ATTESTED _ MAY 51987 Social Services Director Jackson/Barish & Associates PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Assemblyman Areias SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Elizabeth Arnold, CCLSF M382/7-83 BY ,DEPUTY Page 2 AB 1221 corrects both of these inequitable situations. It As believed that very few cases are involved and the cost increase to the County would be minimal. Foster care rates in Contra Costa County range between $294. 00 and $412.00 per month depending on the age of the child. The County pays only 50 of the non-federal share of the foster care payment. Therefore, the County cost for the children affected by AB 1221 would range from $7 . 35 per month for a federally eligible pre-school child to a maximum of $20. 60 per month for a non-federally eligible teenager. In view of the substantial advantage to having a child live with a relative as opposed to a non-relative foster home, it is recommended that the Board of Supervisors support AB 1221. To BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM Phil Batchelor County Administrator Contra DATE: April 30, 1987 Costa County SUBJECT: Legislation: Assembly Bill 1221 (Areias) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AM JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a position of support for AB 1221 by Assemblyman Areias which makes relatives of a child eligible for foster care where the relatives are also the guardian of the child and which deletes the requirement that the child be federally eligible if living with a relative. BACKGROUND: Supervisor Fanden brought to the Board's attention AB 1221 and asked for an analysis of it. Under current law, a guardian is only eligible for a foster care payment on behalf of a child if the guardian is not related to the child. AB 1221 would repeal this distinction and make all guardians eligible for foster care, regardless of whether they are related to the child. In addition, under current law, in order to be eligible for foster care, a child who is living with a relative must be federally eligible, meaning the child must have lived with the parent from whose custody the child was removed by the court within six months of the date the petition was filed and the child must have been receiving AFDC or would have been eligible to receive AFDC if the family had applied. AB 1221 deletes this requirement and allows a relative to receive a foster care payment even if the child does not meet the federal eligibility criteria. Under current law, a relative is effectively discouraged from obtaining guardianship of a child who is a relative, even though guardianship provides greater stability and sense of belonging to the child. Likewise, a relative is discouraged from taking in a child who may have come from a middle class family which would not have been eligible for AFDC. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT; - YES SIGNATURE: X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE M OTHER SIGNATURE(S)' ACTION OF BOARD ON May 5.-1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I .HERRSY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE Y- UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYIES' NOES*. AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF 71-M BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHC)WN. cc: County Administrator ATTESTED MAY 51%7 Social Services Director Jackson/Barish & Associates PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Assemblyman Are?as SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Elizabeth Arnold, CCLSFe4o BY M382/7-83 DEPUTY 'i Page 2 AB 1221 corrects both of these inequitable situations. It is believed that very few cases are involved and the cost increase to the County would be minimal. Foster care rates in Contra Costa County range between $294.00 and $412.00 per month depending on the age of the child. The County pays only 5% of the non-federal share of the foster care payment. Therefore, the County cost for the children affected by' AB 1221 would range from $7 . 35 per month for a federally eligible pre-school child to a maximum of $20.60 per month for a non-federally eligible teenager. In view of the substantial advantage to having a child live with a relative as opposed to a non-relative foster home, it is recommended that the Board of Supervisors support AB 1221.