BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1878
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 21, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1878 (Stone) - As Amended: March 28, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:7 -
0
Human Services 5 -
1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill proposes a series of changes to improve the sharing
and protection of information and data related to the social,
educational and health outcomes of children in foster care.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)On-going costs to the Department of Social Services in the
range of $100,000 (GF) for policy development, training and
reporting requirements.
2)Unknown, but likely significant, on-going costs to county
welfare agencies for increased notification and monitoring
duties.
3)On-going costs to the Department of Education in the range of
$200,000 to $250,000 (GF) for additional staffing in Foster
Youth Services to assist with multi-agency collaborations and
provide technical assistance to local education agencies and
county offices of education.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . In 2013, Assembly Human Services Committee held a
series of informational hearings to explore the efforts state
and local child welfare, educational, and probation agencies
have taken, in coordination with child welfare advocates and
the public, to facilitate the connection of data for children
in foster care to improve their social, economic, health and
AB 1878
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educational outcomes. The committee also sought specific
recommendations on the statutory, administrative, and cultural
changes needed to improve the sharing of information and data
regarding children in foster care to better serve this
population.
According to the author, this bill implements the consensus
recommendations resulting from the informational hearings.
2)Information Sharing . In May 2009 the California Blue Ribbon
Commission on Children in Foster Care released its Final
Report and Action Plan titled "Fostering a New Future for
California's Children." In this report, the commission made
the following finding relating to the sharing of foster care
information:
"One of the greatest challenges to reforming the juvenile
dependency and foster care systems is the difficulty of
exchanging data and information among courts and their
partner agencies. The difficulty results from a variety of
factors, including confidentiality laws, and in many
instances the way in which they are interpreted and
implemented; automated case management systems that are
unable to communicate with each other; and a lack of
communication and collaboration among agencies and between
agencies and the courts."
The report went on to recommend that the Judicial Council,
trial court and DSS work cooperatively with all departments,
agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure optimal sharing of
information to promote the well-being of foster youth.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081