BILL ANALYSIS AB 2129 Page 1 Date of Hearing: March 23, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES Jim Beall, Jr., Chair AB 2129 (Bass) - As Introduced: February 18, 2010 SUBJECT : Foster care: residentially based services SUMMARY : Extends to January 1, 2014 the deadline for the Department of Social Services (DSS) to develop a plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services, and provides that voluntary agreements between counties and private nonprofit agencies to test alternative program design and funding models for transforming individual group home programs into residentially based services programs may not exceed five years from January 1, 2010. EXISTING LAW 1)Requires the state, through DSS and county welfare departments, to establish and support a system of statewide child welfare, which includes services related to foster care placement of dependent children. 2)Requires children removed from their parents for abuse or neglect to be placed in one of various placements, including a licensed group home, under the oversight of DSS. 3)Provides for the funding of foster care placements through a combination of federal, state, and county funds. 4)Provides for the licensing and regulation of community care facilities, including group homes, by DSS. 5)Establishes rates of care for children placed in licensed or approved family homes and group homes. 6)Requires DSS to convene a workgroup of designated public and private stakeholders that will develop a plan for transforming the current system of group care for foster children or youth, and for children with serious emotional disorders into a system of residentially based services, as defined. 7)Requires DSS, by January 1, 2011, to provide a copy of the AB 2129 Page 2 plan developed by the workgroup to the Legislature 8)Requires DSS to encourage counties and private nonprofit agencies to develop voluntary agreements to test alternative program design and funding models to achieve the bill's objectives. 9)Authorizes voluntary agreements between counties and nonprofit agencies to transfer all or part of an existing group home program into a residentially based services program, if specified conditions are met, prohibits the agreements from exceeding five years from January 1, 2008, and authorizes DSS to waive otherwise applicable regulatory provisions and approve alternative funding models, in order to facilitate implementation of these agreements. 10)Specifies the required characteristics of these alternative funding models. 11)Requires DSS to report during the legislative budget hearing on the status of any county agreements entered into pursuant to these provisions, and on the development of statewide residentially based services programs. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown COMMENTS : Background : AB 1453 (Soto), Chapter 466, Statutes of 2007, added the provisions directing DSS to convene a workgroup to develop a plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services and, in the interim, permit some counties to enter into voluntary agreements with private nonprofit agencies to transform individual group home programs. In enacting AB 1453, the Legislature found that "[t]here is general dissatisfaction with how foster care group homes are currently used in California's child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. This concern is shared by the state, county placing agencies, the courts, group home providers, children's advocates, and, most importantly, by foster youth and their families." In the Spring of 2005, the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, sponsor of both AB 1453 and this bill, convened a workgroup of youth, child and family advocates, public and AB 2129 Page 3 private agencies, and service providers to meet monthly to develop a consensus for improving the quality and effectiveness of group home services and clarifying the role of these services within the foster care system. From this process, the Alliance released the Framework for a New System for Residentially-Based Services in California in March 2006, with the intent of inspiring a transformation of the current system of group home care for children and youth. The Framework redefines group home care as residential based services which are "designed to improve their focus and effectiveness and incorporate them as consistent and reliable sources within the comprehensive array of family-centered, strength-based services that are being made available for children and families in California's emerging new systems of care." The Framework comprised the centerpiece of AB 1453. Need for this bill : The author of this bill says that "AB 1453 [was] intended to begin reform of how group homes deliver services to children and youth in foster care." AB 1453 represents "a unique partnership between the Legislature, the State, and philanthropy to move this project forward in difficult fiscal times. Philanthropy (especially the Casey Foundation - Casey Family Programs) has contributed significant resources to support state operations and technical assistance." The author notes that there was quite a significant delay in DSS developing the proper mechanism for receipt of those resources, resulting in the delay in getting the pilot off ground and the need for additional time to accomplish the goals of the project. This bill extends DSS's deadline for developing the plan and the time limit for the voluntary agreements between counties and nonprofit agencies. In support of this bill, the County Welfare Directors Association of California says that "[p]rogress is being made on this issue and it is reasonable to provide the department with extra time to ensure a comprehensive plan is submitted." Similarly, the California Alliance of Child and Family Services notes that "[u]pdating these two timeframes would allow the [residentially based services] reform effort to continue to move forward and to facilitate the implementation of the [residentially based services] demonstration project." REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support AB 2129 Page 4 California Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) The California Alliance of Child and Family Services Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by : Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089