SB 206, as introduced, Emmerson. Foster care.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to develop recommendations for the Legislature, in consultation with the Chief Probation Officers’ Association and the County Welfare Directors Association, regarding, among other things procedures for placing siblings together when one or more siblings are in the juvenile dependency system and one or more siblings are in the juvenile delinquency systems, when those placements are appropriate.
This bill would make nonsubstantive, technical changes to those provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 16004 of the Welfare and Institutions
2Code is amended to read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is an
4urgent need to develop placement resources to permit sibling
5groups to remain together in out-of-home care when removed from
6the custody of their parents due to child abuse or neglect. Multiple
7barriers exist, including local ordinances and community care
8licensing standards, that limit or prevent the county placement
P2 1agency from fulfilling its obligation pursuant to subdivision (b) of
2Section 16002 to place siblings together.
3Therefore, the Legislature declares its intent to develop specific
4placement resources to accommodate sibling groups.
5(b) The State Department of Social Services shall, in
6consultation with the County
Welfare Directors Association, the
7Judicial Council, organizations representing foster youth, and other
8similar, interested organizations, make recommendations to
9increase the available sibling placement resources. The possible
10policy changes to be addressed shall include, but shall not be
11limited to, the following:
12(1) The creation of a special licensing category for sibling care,
13including sibling group foster homes.
14(2) Development of children’s villages with separate cottages
15to provide a home for each sibling group.
16(3) Funding for targeted recruitment of foster parents for large
17sibling groups.
18(4) Establishment of a higher foster care payment rate for
19caretakers who accept sibling groups.
20(5) Funding for one-time capital improvement costs to remodel
21homes to accommodate placement of siblings and provide for other
22begin delete up-frontend deletebegin insert upfrontend insert costs,begin delete such asend deletebegin insert including, but not limited to,end insert vans,
23car seats, and other items.
24(6) Establishment of guidelines for placing siblings, who cannot
25be placed in the same home, within geographic proximity to each
26other and exploration of the possibility of permitting these siblings
27to have the option of enrolling in the same school district even
28when the siblings reside in different school districts.
29(c) The department shall develop recommendations for the
30Legislature, in consultation with the Chief Probation Officers
31Association and the County Welfare Directors Association,
32regarding procedures for doing both of the following:
33(1) Placing siblings together when one or more siblings are in
34the juvenile dependency system and one or more siblings are in
35the juvenile delinquency systems, whenbegin delete suchend deletebegin insert thoseend insert placements are
36appropriate.
37(2) Maintaining contact and sharing information between
38siblings who are placed separately in out-of-home care under the
39juvenile dependency and the juvenile delinquency systems.
P3 1(d) The department shall submit the recommendations described
2in subdivisions (b) and (c) to the Legislature by November 1, 2001.
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