BILL NUMBER: AB 1876 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 27, 2006
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Leslie
JANUARY 19, 2006
An act to add and repeal Chapter 12.97 (commencing with Section
18986.70) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services, and making an appropriation
therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1876, as amended, Leslie Foster Child Welfare Act of 2006.
Existing law provides for oversight by various state and local
entities of certain populations of children, including those who are
wards of the juvenile court, and those who are in foster care, or are
otherwise under the supervision of county welfare departments.
This bill, the "Foster Child Welfare Act of 2006," would require
the Placer County Department of Health and Human Services, with the
county's consent, to conduct a one-year pilot program to achieve
permanency solutions for at-risk foster clients in the county, by
working with faith-based institutions and other appropriate nonprofit
organizations. The bill would define "at-risk foster clients" for
purposes of the pilot program. The bill would require the county
to use reasonable and prudent judgment in selecting participating
faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations,
consistent with the bill ' s objectives and
existing nondiscrimination laws and policies. It would require
the county department to submit a report evaluating the pilot program
to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the State
Department of Social Services, and other county human services
departments.
This bill would appropriate $100,000 from the General Fund to the
county for purposes of conducting the pilot program. It would declare
that special legislation is necessary due to the unique
circumstances applicable to Placer County with respect to foster
care.
This bill would make its provisions inoperative on July 1, 2008,
and repealed as of January 1, 2009, unless these dates are extended
by a later enacted statute.
Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all
of the following:
(a) Children of African-American descent are more likely than
children from other ethnic groups to be referred to the child welfare
system.
(b) Children of African-American descent are proportionally more
likely than children from other ethnic groups to enter foster care.
(c) Across age categories, children of African-American descent
are the highest percentage of children in foster care.
(d) Children of African-American descent stay in the child welfare
system longer than children from other ethnic groups.
(e) Children of African-American descent in both relative and
nonrelative placements are the ethnic group least likely to reunify
over time.
(f) Children of African-American descent are more likely than
children from other ethnic groups to reenter the child welfare system
after reunification.
(g) Children of African-American descent are less likely than
children from other ethnic groups to be places with some or all of
their siblings.
(h) It is therefor the intent of the Legislature to enact the
"Foster Child Welfare Act of 2006," to demonstrate both of the
following:
(1) The effectiveness of this child welfare model in reducing the
prevalence of children of African-American descent in the state child
welfare system.
(2) The effectiveness of this child welfare model in reducing the
prevalence of other high risk clients within the state child welfare
system.
SECTION 1. SEC. 2. Chapter 12.97
(commencing with Section 18986.70) is added to Part 6 of Division 9
of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER 12.97. PLACER COUNTY FOSTER CARE PERMANENCY PILOT
PROGRAM
18986.70. (a) This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
"Foster Child Welfare Act of 2006."
(b) The Placer County Department of Health and Human Services
shall conduct a one-year pilot program pursuant to this chapter to
achieve permanency solutions for at-risk foster clients in the
county. The pilot program shall be conducted with the consent of the
county.
(c) The county department shall contact all faith-based
institutions and other appropriate nonprofit organizations within the
county and shall work with those entities to identify liaisons who
are willing to head permanency solution efforts at each organization.
Each liaison shall have both of the following duties:
(1) To establish within the faith-based institution or nonprofit
organization a support network for parents and relatives of at-risk
foster clients eligible for permanency, for the purpose of
reunification or relative adoption.
(2) To administer a recruitment program in the faith-based
institution or nonprofit organization to identify individuals who can
provide permanency solutions for at-risk foster clients, such
as nonrelative guardianship or adoption. as
nonrelative guardianship, lifelong connections, or adoption.
(d) For purposes of this chapter, "at-risk foster clients" include
all of the following:
(1) Foster clients with disabilities.
(2) Sibling groups of three or more foster clients.
(3) Foster clients over the age of 13 years.
(4) African-American foster clients.
(1) African-American foster clients.
(2) Foster clients with disabilities.
(3) Sibling groups of three or more foster clients.
(4) Foster clients over the age of 13 years.
(5) Other at-risk foster clients, as may be determined by the
county.
(e) To the extent permitted by law, resources available pursuant
to this chapter shall be prioritized to first serve foster care
clients of African-American descent.
(e)
(f) At the end of the pilot program, the county
department shall submit to the appropriate committees of the
Legislature, the State Department of Social Services, and other
county departments of human services, a report evaluating the pilot
program.
18986.71. The county shall exercise reasonable and prudent
judgment in selecting faith-based institutions and nonprofit
organizations to participate in the pilot program, consistent with
the objectives of this chapter and existing nondiscrimination laws
and policies.
18986.72. This chapter shall become inoperative on July 1, 2008,
and, as of January 1, 2009, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2009, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
SEC. 2. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of
Social Services for allocation to the Placer County Department of
Health and Human Services for the 2007-08 fiscal year, for the
purpose of implementing the pilot program provided for pursuant to
Chapter 12.97 (commencing with Section 18986.70) of Part 6 of
Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
SEC. 3. Due to the unique circumstances in Placer County with
respect to foster care, it is necessary that, and the Legislature
finds and declares that, a general statute cannot be made applicable
within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
Constitution.