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AB-2469 Nonminor dependents.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 02/19/2020 09:00 PM
AB2469:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2469

Introduced by Assembly Member Reyes

February 19, 2020

An act to add Section 11403.09 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to foster care.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2469, as introduced, Reyes. Nonminor dependents.
Existing law provides aid and services to children placed in out-of-home care through various social service programs, including California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program (Kin-Gap), and the Adoption Assistance Program. Under existing law, a person continues to be eligible for those programs as a nonminor dependent until 21 years of age if, among other requirements, the person is under the jurisdiction or transitional jurisdiction of the juvenile court and, when the person attained 18 years of age, they were under an order of foster care placement by the juvenile court.
This bill would require each county to collaborate with the Department of Housing and Community Development, among other entities, to form a multidisciplinary team to serve nonminor dependents, and would require each county to submit an annual report to the State Department of Social Services that includes documentation of those collaborative efforts and specified status information for each nonminor dependent under its jurisdiction, including the educational and housing status. The bill would require the department to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the status of nonminor dependents and recommendations to improve foster care services for nonminor dependents, as specified, to post that report on its internet website, and to annually present the information from the annual report at appropriate child welfare conferences, forums, and other events. The bill would also require the department, in consultation with the California Youth Connection, among others, to establish a working group to, by January 1, 2022, develop curricula for child welfare professionals and providers who work with nonminor dependents and ensure that all of the existing system tools and requirements for the provision of foster care to nonminor dependents are functioning with fidelity and in the best interest of each nonminor dependent. By imposing new duties on counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 It is the intent of the Legislature to do all the following:
(a) Prevent homelessness for nonminor dependents in extended foster care.
(b) Provide review of the status of nonminor dependents in extended foster care and identification and closure of the gaps that exist within the extended foster care to youth homelessness pipeline.
(c) Provide review of the educational, housing, and wellness outcomes for nonminor dependents in extended foster care to ensure that their unique needs are being met.
(d) Ensure collaboration between the State Department of Social Services and the Department of Housing and Community Development.

SEC. 2.

 Section 11403.09 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

11403.09.
 (a) Each county shall collaborate with the Department of Housing and Community Development, county housing authorities, county partner agencies, educational entities, and children-focused entities to form a multidisciplinary team to serve nonminor dependents.
(b) Each county shall submit an annual report to the department, according to a process developed by the State Department of Social Services, with all of the following information:
(1) The following information regarding each nonminor dependent under its jurisdiction:
(A) Educational status.
(B) Housing status.
(C) Lifelong connections status.
(D) Sibling connections status.
(E) Long-term transition plans.
(F) Nonminor dependents who are homeless or are facing housing insecurity.
(2) Documentation showing the collaboration efforts described in subdivision (a).
(c) (1) (A) The department shall submit an annual report to the Legislature on the status of nonminor dependents, including all data described in subdivision (b) that is reported by counties, and recommendations to improve foster care services for nonminor dependents, consistent with the reported data.
(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) The department shall annually present the information from the annual report described in paragraph (1) at appropriate child welfare conferences, forums, and other events, as determined by the department, that may include, but is not limited to, presentations to representatives of the Legislature, the County Welfare Directors Association of California, Chief Probation Officers of California, Indian tribes, California Youth Connection, child welfare agencies, child welfare organizations, children’s advocacy groups, consumer and service provider organizations, and other interested parties.
(3) The department shall post the annual report described in paragraph (1) on its internet website.
(d) The department shall, in consultation with the California Youth Connection, current and former foster youth, and other stakeholders, as appropriate, establish a working group to do both of the following by January 1, 2022:
(1) Ensure that all of the existing system tools and requirements for the provision of foster care to nonminor dependents, including, but not limited to, shared living agreements and 90-day transition plans, are functioning with fidelity and in the best interest of each nonminor dependent.
(2) Develop curricula for child welfare professionals and providers who work with nonminor dependents.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department and counties consider the data described in subdivision (b) when adopting or making recommended changes to improving foster care services for nonminor dependents.
(f) This section does not preclude the department from issuing data, findings, or reports other than the annual report described in subdivision (c).

SEC. 3.

 To the extent that this act has an overall effect of increasing the costs already borne by a local agency for programs or levels of service mandated by the 2011 Realignment Legislation within the meaning of Section 36 of Article XIII of the California Constitution, it shall apply to local agencies only to the extent that the state provides annual funding for the cost increase. Any new program or higher level of service provided by a local agency pursuant to this act above the level for which funding has been provided shall not require a subvention of funds by the state or otherwise be subject to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.