BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular SB 174 (Wolk) - Crisis nurseries: study ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: April 7, 2015 |Policy Vote: HUMAN S. 5 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: April 20, 2015 |Consultant: Jolie Onodera | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: SB 174 would require the Department of Social Services (DSS) to implement a two-year pilot project in the counties of Sacramento and Yolo for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of crisis nurseries in lowering the incidence of child abuse in those counties. This bill would require the DSS to conduct a study based on the pilot and report the results to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2017. Fiscal Impact: Significant costs of about $2.7 million (General Fund) over two years to implement the pilot project for the three crisis nurseries in the counties of Sacramento and Yolo, which would consist of half of the costs to operate the crisis nurseries in the pilot counties. Matching private funds would be required to cover the remaining 50 percent of costs of the pilot project. One-time costs to the DSS potentially in excess of $200,000 SB 174 (Wolk) Page 1 of ? (General Fund) to administer the pilot, as well as conduct and submit the results of the mandated study. Background: Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the DSS of crisis nurseries. Crisis nurseries are private or public nonprofit corporations that provide short-term, 24-hour nonmedical residential care and supervision for children under six years of age who are voluntarily placed for temporary care by a parent or legal guardian due to a family crisis or stressful situation for no more than 30 days. (Health and Safety Code § 1516(a).) Existing law authorizes crisis nurseries to provide crisis day services for children under the age of six years at the same site as the crisis residential overnight program. A child may not receive crisis day services at a crisis nursery for more than 14 hours in a day and for no more than 30 calendar days in a six-month period unless the DSS issues an exception. Currently, there are five crisis nurseries licensed in California, one each in Concord, Davis, and Nevada City, and two in Sacramento. Since 2009, more than 9,000 children have been served by these nurseries. Average lengths of stay have ranged from eight hours to just over 24 hours, with 44 children staying for the maximum allowable days. No exemptions have been requested for children to stay beyond the 30-day limit. Proposed Law: This bill would require the DSS to implement a two-year pilot project in the counties of Sacramento and Yolo for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of crisis nurseries in lowering the incidence of child abuse in those counties. This bill conditions implementation of the pilot on voluntary participation by all crisis nurseries in those counties and private funding for one-half of the cost of the project. The pilot project shall consist of both of the following: Requires DSS to conduct a study of the relationship between crisis respite care and incidents of reported child abuse in pilot project counties. Requires DSS to report the results of the study to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2017, as specified. SB 174 (Wolk) Page 2 of ? This bill specifies it shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, unless a later enacted statute is enacted before that date, deletes or extends that date. Related Legislation: AB 578 (Dickinson) 2014 was virtually identical to this measure. This bill was held on the Suspense File of this Committee. AB 2228 (Cooley) Chapter 735/2014 revises the regulatory licensing requirements for crisis nurseries including the duration of services provided, licensed capacity, education and training requirements, staff-to-child ratios, and other requirements. Staff Comments: Based on historical expenditures for crisis nurseries in the counties of Yolo and Sacramento, annual costs to operate the three crisis nurseries is about $2.7 million ($660,000 for Yolo Crisis Nursery and $2 million for Sacramento Crisis Nurseries). A two-year pilot project would cost about $5.4 million, with 50 percent coming from private funds, and the remaining $2.7 million from the state (General Fund). It is estimated that the revised licensing standards recently enacted under AB 2228 would not have a significant impact on operational costs. The DSS would incur one-time costs potentially in excess of $200,000 (General Fund) to administer the pilot project, as well as conduct, prepare and submit the results of the mandated study. -- END --