BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
AB 578 (Dickinson) - Crisis nurseries: pilot project and study.
Amended: June 26, 2014 Policy Vote: Human Services 4-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 4, 2014
Consultant: Jolie Onodera
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 578 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 conditions
implementation of the pilot on voluntary participation by all
crisis nurseries (3) in those counties and private funding for
one-half of the cost of the project.
Fiscal Impact:
Significant costs in the range of $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. Private funds of $2.7 million
would be required to cover the remaining 50 percent cost of
the pilot project.
One-time costs to DSS of about $150,000 (General Fund) to
prepare and submit 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 exempts crisis nurseries from licensure as a child
day care facility, and provides that a crisis nursery may
provide child day care services for children under the age of
AB 578 (Dickinson)
Page 1
six years at the same site as the crisis nursery. A child may
not receive child day care services at a crisis nursery for more
than 30 calendar days in a six-month period unless the DSS
issues an exception. A child who is receiving child day care
services shall be counted in the licensed capacity.
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, 2016, as specified.
This bill repeals the section on January 1, 2017, unless a later
enacted statute deletes or extends that date.
Related Legislation: AB 2228 (Cooley) 2014 revises 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. This bill is pending hearing in this Committee.
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
AB 578 (Dickinson)
Page 2
remaining $2.7 million from the state (General Fund).
The DSS would incur one-time costs of about $150,000 (General
Fund) to prepare and complete the mandated study.