Existing law requires a child to be deemed to have entered foster care on the earlier of the date of a jurisdictional hearing or the date 60 days following when the child was initially removed from the physical custody of their parent or guardian.

This bill would require that, when the court orders the custody of a child to be retained by the parent or guardian at disposition, even if the child was initially detained, and then subsequently removes the child at disposition on a petition brought pursuant to a subsequent petition, as specified, the child is deemed to have entered foster care on the earlier of the date of the jurisdictional hearing held pursuant to the subsequent petition or the date that is 60 days after the date the child was initially removed from the physical custody of their parent or guardian on a subsequent petition. The bill would require that the disposition on a subsequent petition be considered the initial disposition for specified circumstances. The bill would require, for purposes of calculating the date of a continued permanency review hearing or a subsequent permanency review hearing, as specified, the child is deemed to have been originally removed from the physical custody of their parent or guardian on the date they were taken into custody by the social worker based on a subsequent petition, as specified. By allowing additional reunification services and increasing the duties on county social workers, this bill would create 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.