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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05251993 - 1.32 1 -32 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: Phil Batchelor, County •Administrator f . ^ - ,s Costa May 20, 1993 County y ° DATE: cGuyt� SUBJECT: LEGISLATION: AB 776 (Hannigan) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: ADOPT a position in SUPPORT of AB 776 by Assemblyman Tom Hannigan, which, as introduced, would build upon the existing State family preservation legislation and improve the family preservation program which the County is already operating. BACKGROUND: Existing law provides for a program permitting participating counties to claim, on an annual basis, a prescribed portion of the State' s share of that County' s AFDC-FC ( foster care) funds in advance if the county shows that it will conduct a program of family reunification and .family maintenance services for eligible families who meet specific criteria, in an effort to reduce the need for foster care placement or reduce the length of time a child must remain in foster care. This program is known as the Family Preservation Program. Under the existing Family Preservation Program, there is a penalty provision which requires, if the projected expenditures for the foster care program and the funds advanced for the Family Preservation Program exceed the projected expenditures for the foster care program by more than 5%, that the county pay 100% of the over-expenditure. AB 776 repeals this penalty language, meaning that if there were an over-expenditure of more than 5%, the State and the county would share in the costs on the same basis they share in the basic foster care program expenditures . CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: 4-RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): P'i ���?G�I` ✓`+ ACTION OF BOARD ON May 2;5, 1993 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I 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. ATTESTED MAY 2 5 1993 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: See Page 3 . . SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY -2- Under the existing Family Preservation Program, the Legislature declares its intent to encourage the continuity of the family unit by providing services to avoid or limit the need for a foster home placement. AB 776 repeals this intent language and instead indicates the Legislature ' s intent to encourage the continuity of the family unit by providing family preservation services, which are then defined as intensive services for families whose children, without these services, would be subject to any of the following: * Be at imminent risk of out-of-home placement. * Remain in existing out-of-home placement for longer periods of time. * Be placed in a more restrictive out-of-home placement. Under the existing Family Preservation Program, the amount of foster care money which may be advanced is based on the amount of projected expenditures for that fiscal year. AB 776 changes this limitation to provide that itis based on the projected expenditures for the first year of the pilot project and remains the same for each year of the pilot project. Under the existing Family Preservation Program, the pilot project in a county is deemed to be successful if it meets certain defined standards . AB 776 adds to these standards the following: * The program enables families to resolve their own problems, effectively utilize service systems, and advocate for their children in educational and social agencies . * The program enhances family functioning by building on family strengths . Under the existing Family Preservation Program, commencing with the 1993-94 fiscal year, a county with a family preservation program which has been in operation for three years may request that a permanent transfer of funds be made from the foster care advance that has been made to the child welfare services allocation for that county. AB 776 reduces the length of time that the family preservation program must have been in operation before the county can request this transfer to two years, rather than three years and makes additional technical amendments to this language regarding the populations which were served during the pilot project. Under the existing Family Preservation Program, only families where the child has been made a ward or dependent child of the court or which are judged to have a child who will soon be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant to specified provisions of the law may be served. Families where a child has been voluntarily placed in out-of-home placement are not eligible to family preservation services . AB 776 would make families which have voluntarily placed a child eligible for family preservation services. Under the existing Family Preservation Program, the provisions for the permanent transfer of funds from the foster care allocation to a county' s child welfare allocation sunset July 1, 1996 . AB 776 repeals the July 1, 1996 inoperative date and the January 1, 1997 repeal date for these provisions, thereby leaving the provisions for the permanent transfer of funds for the family preservation program in effect permanently. -3- AH 776 also requires the State Department of Social Services to seek additional federal funds for the family preservation program from specified sources and specifies that these funds are to supplement and not supplant any funds now being spent on the family preservation program. The Expanded Youth Services Board and the Social Services Director have recommended that the Board of Supervisors support AB 776 and this office concurs with that recommendation. cc: County Administrator Social Services Director County Probation Officer Acting Mental Health Director Sara Hoffman, Senior Deputy County Administrator Les Spahnn, Heim, Noack & Spahnn s' r• SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DATE: April 6, 1993 MEMO TO: Claude Van Marter Assistant County Administrator FROM: Perfecfo Villarreal Director, Social Service Department SUBJECT: Request Board of Supervisors Support for AB 776, a Family Preservation Services Bill Introduced by Assembly Member Hannigan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the March, 1993, meeting of the Expanded Youth Services Board, the group took action to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that the Board support legislation introduced by Assembly Member Tom Hannigan. This legislation is AB 776, a family preservation services bill. AB 776 is sponsored by the County Welfare Directors Association and also supported by the California State Association of Counties. AB 776 would build upon realignment clean-up legislation (AB 2365, Bronzan) enacted last year by the following: ♦ Provide for the elimination of the penalty provision in current family preservation law. ♦ Allow for permanent transfer of a county's family preservation program funding to its Child Welfare Services Program upon a demonstration of success after two years, rather than the three years required by current law. ♦ Make the first year pilot allocation the allocation for the life of the pilot phase. ♦ Allow counties to serve voluntarily placed children. ♦ Add family functioning as an evaluation success criteria. ♦ Require the State Department of Social Services to seek additional federal funds to finance family preservation services and would state the intent of the State Legislature that those additional funds shall supplement, not supplant, existing General Fund support for family preservation services. The primary purpose of AB 776 is to eliminate the current disincentive for counties to come up on family preservation and to prevent the problem of the funding allocation decreasing as the family preservation pilot becomes successful. On behalf of the Expanded Youth Services Board and as County Welfare Director, I recommend that the Board of Supervisors support AB 776. PV:sjb Gen 9c (New 3/86) CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-1993-94 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL No. 776 Introduced by Assembly Member Hannigan i February 24, 1993 4 An act to amend Sections 16500.5, -16500.7, and 16501.1 of;. E:. and to add. Section, 16500.8 to, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to children, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 776, as introduced, Hannigan. Family preservation services. Existing law provides for a statewide system of child welfare services, including family reunification and family maintenance Services,. administered by counties. i r, # Existing law provides for a program permitting participating counties to claim, on an annual basis, a prescribed portion of the state's share of that county's Aid to. Families..with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC). program.General Fund expenditures in advance if the county shows that it will conduct a program of family reunification !, and family maintenance services for eligible families who meetspecified criteria. This 'bill would revise conditions of participation in the r' program. The bill would also revise the class of eligible recipients to include.those families with children who,instead of having been declared a dependent child of the court, have been placed by the court with the child's parent or guardian under the supervision of a probation officer. This bill would define family preservation services.. Existing law makes an appropriation by requiring, commencing ,with the 1993-94 fiscal year, and until July 1, 99 90 I AB 776 — 2- 1996, - 2--1996, the department to transfer once, on a permanent basis, funds from the category of General Fund moneys appropriated for out-of-home placement to the category of funding for local child .welfare . programs, according .to specified criteria,.to be used by counties.for the provision-of family preservation services, and establishing procedures for reallocation of money for these services in subsequent years. ' This bill would revise the requirements of eligibility for requesting the transfer,would expand the class of children for whom the. services may.be provided to include wards of the court, and would delete the repeal of those. provisions, thereby ,increasing ..the period and scope of the .use:, of , aPrated.funds; and resultin pro-nptionPro . The bill:,would 'require the State Department 'of Social Services to seek. additional federal funds to finance family preservation services, and would state the intent of the Legislature that those additional funds shall supplement, not supplant, existing General Fund support: for family preservation services, This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately jO as an urgency statute: Vote: . %. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee:. yes. State-mandated localp �'ro am: no. The people of the State of.California do enaci� as foLtows: 1 ..SECTION L Section 165005 of the Welfare and 2 Institutions Code is amended to read: 3; 16500.5. (a} (1) The Legislature hereby declares its 4 intent.to encourage the continuity of the,family unit by: 5 (A) (i) Providing #�► �s.to f or j 6 lintit etttle€Ahe , plaeeme of eMd tm=eugh et i .7 _,6Mdren whe e&e at 8 ent e€ wed be eligible iff .� A T..'T'1f�/i'��!'r r 9 if t were plate eet= e€ Oteit ow heffies 10. fly preservation services. 11 (ii} F'or purposes of this subdiv s on "family .12 preservation. services" means intensive services for 13 families whose ehildren, without these.services, would be 14 subject to any of the following: 99 120 f —3 — AB 776 t basis, 1 (I) Be at imminent risk of out-of-home placement. zoneys 2 (H) Remain in 'existing out-of-home placement for ;ory of 3. longer periods of time. ing . to 4 (III) Be placed .in a more restrictive out-of-home sion of 5. placement res for 6 (B) . Providing supportive services for those. children years. :� '�:�►�' T .within the meaning.of Sections 360, 361 , and 364 when ity for 8 they are returned to the family unit or when.a minor will ren for 9 probably soon be within .the jurisdiction of the juvenile of the . 10 court pursuant to Section 301. visions, 11 .. . :(C) Providing ..counseling and support . designed to Ise. of 12 eradicate the situation-that necessitated intervention.: _ 3. : .(2) The.Legis lature,finds-that maintaining abused and Social 14 . neglectedchildren in foster care grows increasingly family 15 . costly each:year, and that adequate funding for familyy :)f the 16 services which might enable these children to remain in it., not 17 their homes is not as readily available as funding for foster family 18 care placement. 19 (3) The Legislature further finds that other state iiately '" 20 bodies have : addressed this problem through various 21 systems of .flexible reimbursement in child welfare. yes. 22 programs that. . provide . .for. more intensive and 23 appropriate.services.to prevent foster care placement or ¢ 24 significantly.:reduce the length of stay in foster care. ws: 25 (4) Accordingly, it is the intent of the Legislature in 26 enacting this section to establish. a system of flexible and 27 reimbursement in.order to. evaluate its potential as an . .28. efficient, economical, : and effective alternative to res its 29 . out-of-home placement of children. tit by: 30. (b) (1) (A) (i) Any county, subject,to the approval 84d eF 31 of the State Department of Social Services, may claim, on 32 . an annual basis, a portion of the state's share, and to the T-e a i; ': 33 extent permitted, the federal share, . of that , county's le:feT- 34 AFDC-FC, expenditures pursuant to subdivision: (d) of �eeg 35 Section 11450 for children subject to Sections 300, 301, 36 360, 361, and 364, in advance, . provided the county family 37 conducts a program of family reunification. and family 's for 38 .. maintenance . .services for families receiving these 1.4d be - 39 services pursuant to Sections 300, 301, 360, 364, and, as 40permitted by the department, children subject to 99 120 99 140 AB 776 --4— k Sections 601, 602, 726, and 727 of this code, and Section. 2 7572.5 of the Government Code. 3 (i%) The department or a participating county may 4 terminate I a county's participation in the program upon: 5 30 days' notice if the project is deemed unsuccessfulby 6 either party. F 7 (iii) For each fiscal year 'of the project, a participating ' 8 county may claim in advance an amount not to exceed an 9 actual dollar amount which shall not exeeed.25 percent of 10 the projected state's share, and to the ex1tent permitted, 11 the federal share,.of AFDC-FC fundsto be expended by 12 that county.pursuant to subdivision:(d), of Section 11450 .13., -for children subject to Sections 300,301, 360,`361;and-364., 14 calculated for .the first year`of the project. 15 (iv) The specific amount of funds to be advanced each 16 year shall be determined by projecting thestate share of 17 AFDC-FC General Fund expenditures,.and to the.extent 18 permitted, the federal'share. of AFDC-FC expenditures 19 for abused or neglected children supervised and placed 20 -by the county welfare department pursuant to Sections ' 21 3002 301, 360, 361, and 364, for each of the program .years 22 based upon state, and to I the extent permitted, federal 23 expenditures .for AFDC-FC for .the previous.five'years. 24 (B) 4 the eetr �s 25 a fie. #fie emtent 'per . eke fee 26 sh e 4 e`v+ —es; .a� to die ' 6tiiit 27 . f #fie .t_e he ee # t 28 fnere peiee the � s ' 29 feral e � antoe ete, 30 perpitted, #fie f eder-al a e€ AFDGAP4 6mpeadituOes 31 for gmt fiseelyear, the 06HIRtY shaR ftind diet perms 6f 32 the e-verage a of pew ee� .�9E1 pee 33 If the sum` of a :participating county's total AFDC FC - 34 General Fund expenditures and, to the extent permitted, 35 the federal share of AFDC-FC expenditures for their 36 children, added . to the amount expended from the 37 advance to the county, is less than the i:otal projected 38 AFDC-FC General Fund expenditures and, to the extent 39 permitted, the federal share of AFDC-FC; expenditures 40 for their children for that fiscal year, the county shall 99 160 - 5 — AB 776 :«' 1 receive 25 percent of the amount of the savings. Section 2 (2) A par4eipaiittg eowishare of empeftEIRtwes m 3 e*eessl of to preleeted tem may be redeeed open ty may 4 approyal of the a er arti,;. emd the eftt of n upon 5 Fiftmee based of eeftst eraOeifl of afty tiftaftHeipa.#ed ysful by IAp ejee edg t; 7e*pe : p g 8 Services wluc ;i atin h be. .p rovided under this -{�}- geed an g program may include,bumay t are.not limited to, counseling, .cent of10 mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment mitted, 11 services, parenting, respite, day treatment, ded by 12 ;transportation, and homemaking. Each county that'. 11450 13,; :.:chooses to .provide mental health treatment and a,a, 4, 14, substance abuse..treatment shall. identify and develop. 15 these services in consultation with county mental health ,ld each. 16:' 'treatment and substance abuse treatment agencies. hare of 17 Additional services may include those enumerated in extent 18 Sections 16546 and :16547.. The services to be provided ditures 19 pursuant to this .section. may be determined by each placed . 20 . participating county. Each county may contract with l4 , ections: ; ' 21 individuals and organizations for services to be provided n years 22 .pursuant- to this section.. Each county . shall utilize federal 23 :`available private nonprofit resources in the county.prior years. 24. to developing : new., county-operated resources when 1 25 these private nonprofit resources are of at least equal ' resources and shall 26 quahty.:and costs. as county-operated 27 utilize.available.county resources of.at least equal quality 40;.,Oy, 28 and cost"prior o new private nonprofit resources. 29 {4* Fartcipating.. counties authorized by' this 31 subdivision shall provide specific programs of direct 32 services:based on individual family needs as .reflected in 33 the service plans to families of the following: DC=FC . - 34 (A) Children who are dependent children not taken Witted, 35 from physical custody, of their parents. or guardians r their � 36 : pursuant to Section 364. ., m the 37 (B) Children who are dependent children removed 3jected -38 from the physical, custody of their parents or guardian extent 39 pursuant to Section 361: ditures . 40 (C) Children who lt.is determined will probably soon y shall 99 170 99 160 AB 776 — 6 — I 6 - 1 be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant 2 to Section 301. 3 (D) Upon approval of the department, children who 4 have been adjudged wards of the court pursuant to 5 Sections 601 and 602. .6 (E) Upon approval of: the department, families of 7 .children subject to Sections 726 and 727. 8 (F)..Upon approval of the department, children who 9 are deteirmined to require out-of-home placement to :pursuant to Section 7572.5 of the. Government Code. 12 (4} The' services .shall only be provided to families 13 whose _ children will be .placed in out-of-home care 14 without: the provision of services or -to be children.who 15 can be. returned to their families. with the provision of 16 services. 17 18 (5} The services selected by any participating county 19 shall be reasonable and meritorious and shall 20 demonstrate cost effectiveness and success at avoiding 21, out-of--home placement;or reducing the length of stay in 22 out-of-home placement. A county shall.not expend more 23 funds for services under this subdivision than that 24 amount which would= be expended for pl?cement in t, 25 out-of-home care. 26 { -} 27 (fi}. .,Tho, program in. each county shall. be deemed 28 successful if it meets th+e following standards: 29 .(A) . enables.farn:ilies to. resolve their Own problems, 30 effectively utilize service systems, and advocate for their , 31 children in educational and social agencies. 32 (B) Enhancing fly functioning by building on 33 family strengths. 34 - }- 35 (G) At least 75 percent of the children receiving 36 services remain in their own home for stc months after 37 termination of services: 39 (D). During the first year after services are 40 terminated: 99 190 -7— AB 776 1. 1 i least rsuant { ) At 60 percent of the children receiving . 2 services remain at home one year after services are a who 3 . terminated. Mt to 4 (ii) The average length of stay in out-of-home care of 5 children selected to receive services who have already ies of .,6 been removed from their home'. and placed in 7 out-of-home care is 50 percent less than the average who 8 length of stay in.out-of home care of children who'do not ;merit 9•. receive program services. de. 10 (C) :Two -years after the . termination of family 11 preservation services: milies 12; . (i) The average length of out-of-home stay of children. care 13 :,selected to receive services under this section who; at the i.who _ 14 : .time of selection, are in out-of-home care, is 50 percent ion of 15 less than the average length of stay in out-of-home care lfi ' for children in .out-of--home care who do not receive 17 services pursuant to this section. ounty 18 (ii) At least 60 percent of the children who were shall19returned home pursuant to this section remain at home. siding 20 ' ;tay21 (T) Funds used for services provided under this mare 22 . section :shall supplement, not supplant, childwelfare that 23 services funds available for services pursuant to Sections int in 24 16506 and 16507. 25 {9} 26 (8) Each county participating in the program erred 27 authorized by this section shall only continue to utilize 28 the advance fund-clauning mechanism specified in Vems; ' 29 paragraph . (1.) if. the .department finds the .county has • their 30 :.'demonstrated the successful outcome of the county 31 program, based on. the criteria for success specified in 1 on 32 .par g' agraph -{- }- (6) 33 +1* 34 .(9) The department shall submit a report to the ivirig 35 Legislature that includes data from each participating after 36 county`demonstrating to what extent each has met the 37 criteria specified in this section. An interim report shall 38 . be submitted by the department no later than six months s are 39 ;_after the conclusion of the three pilot projects with a final i 40 report to be submitted after pilot project completion. 99 190 99 210 AB 776 — 8 — I 8 - 1 Programs authorized after the original pilot projects shall 2 submit data to the. department upon the department's 3 request. Subsequent reports to the Legislature on the 4 programs administered pursuant to this section shall be 5 included with the child welfare system report to the 6 Legislature. . 7 (c) (1) A county welfare department social worker or '1t 8 .. probation officer may, pursuant to an appropriate court 9 order, return a. dependent minor or ward of the court 10 .'removed.from the home pursuant to Section. 361 to his or 11 her. home, with appropriate interagency family 12 . preservation:. ro p gram.services:.......... .. .13 .- (2) . The. county probation department:HIAY, with the 14 approval. of the: State. Department of Social Services; 15 through an interagency agreement. with. the county 16 welfare department,. refer cases to the county welfare 17 ' department for the direct provision of services under this 18 subdivision. 19 (d) State foster care funds shall remain within the 20 administrative authority of the county welfare ; 21 , department.and shall be used only for placement services 22 or. .placement prevention . services or county welfare 23. department administrative . cost relatE.,d to the 24 interagency family preservation program.25 . ., .(e) To.. the extent permitted by federal law, any, 4_A 26 federal funds provided; for services to families and 27 children may.beutilized for the purposes S.of this sections 28 (f) A. county : may establish family. :preservation 2 29: programs that serve one or more geographic areas of the 2 30 county, subject to the approval of the State Department 3 31 of Social Services: 3 .32 SEC. 2. Section 16500.7 of the Welfare and Institutions 3 33 Code is amended to read: 3 34 16500.7. a 1 Commencing with the 1.993-94 fiscal " 3 ( ) ( ) g '�y' :35 year, each :county or city and county v0[th a family 3, 36 . preservation program pursuant to Section 16500.5, in 3' 37 operation at least #wee. two consecutive y-ars prior to 3 38 the year in which the transfer is to occur, may request the 3(' 39 department to transfer, once, on a.permanent basis,funds 3' 40 from the category of General Fund moneys appropriated II. `��� 41 A. 2WI� 99 nn 1 -9— AB 776 1 for out-of-home placement provided pursuant to is shall 21 subdivision (d) of Section 11450 for children subject to ment's 3 Section 300, 301, 360, 3612.or 364 for that county or city an the hall be .4 and county, to the category of child welfare services as 5 specified in subdivision 0) of Section 16501 for the to the 6 purposes of providing family preservation services. The . rker or 7 county shall make the request as- part of the annual 8 application lication and documentation submitted to the court , court 9 department pursuant. to .Section 16500.5 .Commencing his or 10 with the plan for ;the. 1993-94 fiscal year. family 11 {2} Any county th,atserved children subject to Section 12 601. or 602, or Section 7572.5 .of:<the Government Code, 13 ;during the pilot phase.may.continue.to serve .the same th the 14 populations after she permanent transfer described in rvices ` . ,oty 15 flus section: Welfare 16 (3) Subject to ;the approval of the department, a er this 17 coumy may, at any time after the permanent transfer, I. 18 request. a supplemental permanent transfer to serve in the 19... additional populations of eligible children who were not Welfare 20. served during. the pilot phase. The maximum amount ielfar s 21 that may be. transferred.pursuant to this paragraph is relfare 22 subject to the. limits speciRed in clause (iii) of the 23 subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of 24 Section 16500.5. 25 4 For.an coon with an approved plan pursuant to any ( } Y . t3', PP ,- P s and 26 . Section 16500.5,the a two:yearperiod`required actioni 27 by paragr a Ph 1 ma , at the discretion . of the . { } . Y 28 `department,:.include any year in which a. county has nation reservation ro am ursuant to. of the .29 operated a family, p P gi' p *tment 30 Section 16500;5, which has been financed with county 31 funds. : cations 32 {b) The amount identified for transfer pursuant to this 33 section shall be an amount up to �8 pereentof the highest fiscal 34- annual amount spent pursuant to .Section 165005 and' fiscal agreed to by both the county or city and county and the 0,5, infarnily 36 . department as sufficient to.maintain family preservation rior to 37 services.at a level .which ensures the continuation of an est the 38. appropriate level of family preservation services. on a funds 39 permanent basis. This determination:.shall .be made on a. ►riated 40 .county-by-county basis, relying on the experience each 99 n 99 .2y Y AB 776 _ 10 - 1 10 --1 county has with conducting its program under 'Section 2 16500.5. 3 (c) Beginning with the fiscal year in which the 4. transfer takes place, each participating county or city and 5 county shallbe required to match these funds consistent 6 with the matching requirements in place for other �. 7 General Fund moneys appropriated and. allocated to 8 counties. for:child welfare,services provided pursuant to 9 Section 16501:: 10 (d) Upon approval. of the transfer, the department 11 and the Department-,of Finance shall incorporate the : 12 transferred funding into the base funding allocations in 13 later years. provided to the participating counties for 14 services provided under Section 16501. 15 .(e) For counties. receiving . transfers pursuant to 16 subdivision (a), the provisions of subdivision (b) of 17 . .Secti.on 16500.5,,including the ability to 'claim. additional 18 . advances on AFDC-FC funds in subparagraph (A) of that 19 section and the financial risk provisions in subparagraph f- 20 (B) of that section, shallno longer apply. 21 (f) {- - In enacting this section, the Legislature 22 establishes the commitment to provide the means ' by 23 which family preservation services may convert from 24 pilot projects as established in Chapter 105 cif the.Statutes 25 of 1988 .o ongoing permanent programs. However, in .... 26 order to assess the feasibility of the approach provided in 27 this section, the:Legislature liar provided or the repeal 28:. of this section. 2.9 see�iFw: 'heee e.. pe e.6 30 X99€, 4nd is repealed as of Jafiaar 1997, W&ss.a later. 31 w�ieh beeefes e e 32' -1-4997 deletes eff emteads the &Ae en -Ovhieh it 33 is rep • 45t 34 SEC. 3. Section 16500.8 is added to the: Welfare and 35. Institutions Code, to read: 36 16500.8. (a) The department shall, in. consultation 37 with the County Welfare Directors Association, seek 38 additional federal revenues to finance! the . .family 39preservation activities described in Section 16500.7: _ 40 Those revenue sources shall include, but need not be 99 zro. - 11 — AB 776 : 1 limited to; all of the following: g 2 (1) Title IV-A of the federal Social Security Act, the . 3 . contained in Part A. (commencing with Section 601.) of and 4. Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States tent 5 Code. ther 6. 1 .(2) Title IV-E ..of the federal Social Security Act to 7 contained in Part E (commencing with Section 670), of it to 8 Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States 9 Cole: lent 10 (3) Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, the 11 contained. in Subchapter 19 (commencing with. Section Ls 12 1396) of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United. States Code. n for .13 . .(b). .,It . is. the. intent of the Legislature that any 14, additional funds received pursuant to this section shall to 15 supplement, and not supplant, existing General Fund I of 16 support for family preservation services. anal 17 SEC. 4. Section 16501:1 of the Welfare and Institutions that 18 Code is amended to read: aph 19 16501.1. (a) The Legislature, finds and declares that ' .20 the foundation and.central unifying tool in child welfare r ire 21 services is the case plan. . by 22 (b) The Legislature further finds and declares that a . rom 23 case plan ensures that the child receives protection and sites 24 proper case management, and that services are provided •; in 25.. to the parents or other caretakers as appropriate. A case d in 20 . :plan shall be based upon the pririciples of:this section and :peal 27 shall document that a. preplacement assessment of the 28 service.needs of the child and family, and preplacement 29 ..preventive services, have been provided, and that 30 ...reasonable. efforts to prevent out-of-home placement a 31 have.been made. : . 32 . (c) When out-of-home placement is used to attain case f�.., .33 plan goals, the decision regarding choice of placement. and 34 shallbe based upon selection of the least restrictive or . 35. most familylike setting, selection of the environment best ,cion : 36 suited to meet the child's special needs and best interests, eek 37 or both. The.selection shall consider, in order of priority, - y 38 placement with relatives, tribal members, and foster 10 .7: 39: family, group care, and residential treatment pursuant to be 40 Section 275 of the Civil Code.` 270 99 290 � i+, AB 776 — 12 - 1 (d) A written case plan shall be completed within 30 Tt 2 days of the initial removal of the child or of the in-person 3 response required under subdivision (f) of Section 16501 4 if the child has not been removed from his or `her home, 5 or by the date of the dispositional hearing 6 pursuant to Section 4". 358, whichever occurs .first. The. 7 case plan shall be updated, as the service needs of the 8 child and.family dictate. At a minimum, the case plan 9 shall be. updated in conjunction with each status review. 10 hearing conducted :pursuant. to Section 366.2:1, and the 11 . hearing conducted :pursuant to.Section 366:25 or 366.26, 12 but no. less frequently than once every six months. 13 (e) . The ..child welfare services case plan : shall .. be I4compreher%sive enough to meet the juvenile court . 15 dependency proceedings requirements pursuant to 16 Article 6. (commencing with Section 300) of Chapter 2 of 17P art 1 of Division 2. 18 (f) The case.plan shall be developed as follows: 19 (1) The case.plan shall be based upon an assessment of 20 the circumstances which required child welfare services 21 intervention. .1. M. (2) The case plan shall identify specific goals; and the 23 appropriateness of the planned.services in meeting those 24: .goals. 25 (3) The ca.se:.plan shall identify the original allegations 26 of abuse or: neglect, as. defined in Article. 2.5, 27 commencin with:Section`11164 of Chapter 2 of Title ( g ) P 28 1 of Part 4.of the Penal Code,. or the conditions cited as { � 29 the basis for declaring the child a dependent of the court 30 . pursuant to .Section 300, or all of these, and the other 31 precipitating incidents which led to child welfare 32 services intervention. 33 (4) The case plan .shall include a description of the 34 schedule of the social worker contacts with thy-. child and 35 the family or other caretakers. The frequency of these ,. 36 contacts shall be in accordance with regulations adopted 37, by the State Department of Social.Services.. 38 (5) When out-of-home services are used, the 3.9 frequency of contact between the natural parents or legal 3 40 guardians and the child shall be specified in the case plan. q t 99 3W - 13 — AB 776 :1 30 1 The frequency of those contacts shall reflect overall case -son 2 goals, and consider other principles outlined in, this 1501 3 section. ane, . 4 (6) When out-of--home services are,used, the case plan cMg 5 shall ' include a recommendation regarding the The 6 appropriateness of unsupervised:visitation.between the the T 7 child and any . of the child's siblings. This elan 8 recommendation.shall..include a statement regarding the iew 9 child's and the siblings' willingness to, participate in the 10 unsupervised visitation. . If . the case plan includes.. a i.26, 11: recommendation for unsupervised sibling visitation, the 12 plan` shall also ' note : that information necessary to be 13 accomplish this visitation has been provided to the child ,urt 14 or to the child's siblings: to 15 (7) Parents, and. legal guardians .-shallhave an of 16 opportunity to review the case plan, sign it whenever .17 possible, and then shall receive a copy of the plan..In any 18 voluntary service or placement agreement, the parents t of 19 or legal guardians shall be required to review and sign the :ces s Y 20 case . plan. Whenever possible, parents and legal. 21 guardians shall participate in.the development.of the case the . 22 plan. ose .23 .(8) The case planshall be included in the court report f�~; 24 and shall be considered by the court at the initial hearing ons. l .: 25. and each review hearing. Modifications to the case plan 2.5,- 26 made. during the period between review,.hearings need itle . 27 not be approved by the court if the casework supervisor F as 28 for that case determines that the' modifi ations further ,urt 29 the goals of the plan. her-` 30 (g) if the court finds, after considering the. case plan, are 31 that unsupervised sib ,ling visitation is appropriate and has 32 been consented to, the court shall order that the child or the .33 the child's siblings be provided with information and �" ^ .34 necessary to accomplish this visitation. Nothing in this ese 35 section shall be. construed .to require or prohibit the ted 36 probation officer's facilitation, transportation, or 37 supervision of visits between the child. and his or her the. 38. siblings: :gal 39 SEC. 5. . This act is an urgency statute necessary for an.. 44 the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, a 300 z�n h` 1!i AB 776 --- 14-- i 1 or safety within the meaning of .Article IV of the 2 Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts 3 constituting the necessity are: 4 In order to facilitate the timely administration of the 5 provisions. of,this act with respect to the` 1993-94`fiscal 6 year, and'so provide needed services to families as soon 7 as ossible it is' necessary that this act take effect 4. p ry 8 immediately. 1 i . a i 99 320