AB 2767, as amended, Lopez. Foster care: caregivers: information.
Existing law states the findings and declarations of the Legislature that a caregiver of a foster child should have certain basic information in order to provide for the needs of children placed in his or her care, including the name, mailing address, telephone number, and facsimile number of the child’s social worker, the social worker’s supervisor, the child’s attorney, and the court-appointed special advocate, if applicable.
This bill would additionally provide that caregivers should also be provided with the email address of the child’s social worker, the social worker’s supervisor, the child’s attorney, and the court-appointed special advocate, if applicable.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 16010.4 of the Welfare and Institutions
2Code is amended to read:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
4(a) The State of California is guardian to roughly 60,000 children
5in foster care. As of 2014, California has a disproportionately high
6number of children in foster care. While the state is home to 12
7percent of the nation’s population, it guards over 15 percent of the
8nation’s children in its foster care system.
Thirty-three percent of
9foster children live with relatives.
10(b)
end delete
11begin insert(a)end insert Foster parents are one of the most important sources of
12information about the children in their care. Courts, lawyers, and
13social workers should have the benefit of caregivers’ perceptions.
14Both federal and state law recognize the importance of foster
15parents’ participation in juvenile court proceedings. Federal law
16requires that foster parents and other caregivers receive expanded
17opportunities for notice, the right to participate in dependency
18court review and permanency hearings, and the right to
19communicate concerns to the courts. State law similarly provides
20that caregivers may
submit their concerns to courts in writing.
21(c)
end delete
22begin insert(b)end insert It is in the children’s best interests that their caregivers are
23privy to important information about them. This information is
24necessary to obtain social and health services for children, enroll
25children in school and extracurricular activities, and update social
26workers and court personnel about important developments
27affecting foster children.
28(d)
end delete
29begin insert(c)end insert Most school districts and extracurricular organizations
30require proof of age before enrolling a child in their programs.
31Moreover, caregivers are required to obtain a medical appointment
32for their foster children within the first month of receiving the
33children into their homes. It would therefore be in both the
34children’s and the caregivers’ best interests to be provided with
35any available medical information, medications and instructions
36for use, and identifying information about the children upon
37receiving the children into their homes.
38(e)
end delete
P3 1begin insert(d)end insert Caregivers should have certain
basic information in order
2to provide for the needs of children placed in their care, including
3all of the following:
4(1) The name, mailing address, telephone number, facsimile
5
number, and email address of the child’s social worker and the
6social worker’s supervisor.
7(2) The name, mailing address, telephone number, facsimile
8number, and email address of the child’s attorney and
9court-appointed special advocate (CASA), if any.
10(3) The name, address, and department number of the juvenile
11court in which the child’s juvenile court case is pending.
12(4) The case number assigned to the child’s juvenile court case.
13(5) A copy of the child’s birth certificate, passport, or other
14identifying documentation of age as may be required for enrollment
15in school and extracurricular activities.
16(6) The child’s State Department of Social Services
17identification number.
18(7) The child’s Medi-Cal identification number or group health
19insurance plan number.
20(8) Medications or treatments in effect for the child at the time
21of placement, and instructions for their use.
22(9) A plan outlining the child’s needs and services, including
23information on family and sibling visitation.
24(f)
end delete25begin insert(e)end insert Caregivers should have knowledge of all of the following:
26(1) Their right to receive notice of all review and permanency
27hearings concerning the child during the placement.
28(2) Their right to attend those hearings or submit information
29they deem relevant to the court in writing.
30(3) The “Caregiver Information Form” (Judicial Council Form
31JV-290), which allows the caregiver to provide information directly
32to the court.
33(4) Information about and referrals to any existing services,
34including transportation, translation, training, forms, and other
35available services.
36(5) The caregiver’s obligation to cooperate with
any
37reunification, concurrent, or permanent planning for the child.
38(6) Any known siblings or half-siblings of the child, whether
39the child has, expects, or desires to have contact or visitation with
P4 1any or all siblings, and how and when caregivers facilitate the
2contact or visitation.
3(g)
end delete
4begin insert(f)end insert Courts should know, at the earliest possible date, the interest
5of the caretaker in providing legal permanency for the child.
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