BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 880
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 11, 2005

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                     AB 880 (Cohn) - As Amended:  April 20, 2005 

          Policy Committee:                              Human Services  
          Vote:        5-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to  
          establish a stakeholder group to draft best practice guidelines  
          for the use of advanced technology to assist counties in  
          identifying relatives and non-relative extended family members  
          on behalf of foster children. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable workload to DSS to draft the best practice  
          guidelines. 

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . This bill requires DSS, along with stakeholders, to  
          draft best practice guidelines for using advanced technology to  
          locate family members and extended family members to aid in the  
          placement of foster children. 

          According to the author, eight counties, including five in the  
          bay area and Orange, Sacramento, and Stanislaus counties use  
          internet searches and innovative approaches such as using real  
          estate title searches in order to locate family members of  
          children in foster care. Increasing the number of placement  
          options on behalf of these children improves outcomes for the  
          children and reduces foster care costs.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081