Code Section

11386.  

Aid shall be provided under this article on behalf of a child under 18 years of age, and to any eligible youth under 19 years of age, as provided in Section 11403, under all of the following conditions:

(a) The child satisfies both of the following requirements:

(1) He or she has been removed from his or her home pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement, or as a result of judicial determination, including being adjudged a dependent child of the court, pursuant to Section 300, or a ward of the court, pursuant to Section 601 or 602, to the effect that continuation in the home would be contrary to the welfare of the child.

(2) He or she has been eligible for federal foster care maintenance payments under Article 5 (commencing with Section 11400) while residing for at least six consecutive months in the approved home of the prospective relative guardian while under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court or a voluntary placement agreement.

(b) Being returned to the parental home or being adopted are not appropriate permanency options for the child.

(c) The child demonstrates a strong attachment to the relative guardian, and the relative guardian has a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child and, with respect to the child who has attained 12 years of age, the child has been consulted regarding the kinship guardianship arrangement.

(d) The child has had a kinship guardianship established pursuant to Section 360 or 366.26.

(e) The child has had his or her dependency jurisdiction terminated pursuant to Section 366.3, or his or her wardship terminated pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 728, concurrently or subsequently to the establishment of the kinship guardianship.

(f) If the conditions specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, are met and, subsequent to the termination of dependency jurisdiction, any parent or person having an interest files with the juvenile court a petition pursuant to Section 388 to change, modify, or set aside an order of the court, Kin-GAP payments shall continue unless and until the juvenile court orders the child removed from the home of the guardian, terminates the guardianship, or maintains dependency jurisdiction after the court concludes the hearing on the petition filed under Section 388.

(g) A child or nonminor former dependent or ward shall be eligible for Kin-GAP payments if he or she meets one of the following age criteria:

(1) He or she is under 18 years of age.

(2) He or she is under 21 years of age and has a physical or mental disability that warrants the continuation of assistance.

(3) Through December 31, 2011, he or she satisfies the conditions of Section 11403, and on and after January 1, 2012, he or she satisfies the conditions of Section 11403.01.

(4) He or she satisfies the conditions described in subdivision (h).

(h) Effective January 1, 2012, Kin-GAP payments shall continue for youths who have attained 18 years of age and are under 19 years of age, if they reached 16 years of age before the Kin-GAP negotiated agreement payments commenced, and as described in Section 10103.5. Effective January 1, 2013, Kin-GAP payments shall continue for youths who have attained 18 years of age and are under 20 years of age, if they reached 16 years of age before the Kin-GAP negotiated agreement payments commenced, and as described in Section 10103.5. Effective January 1, 2014, Kin-GAP payments shall continue for youths who have attained 18 years of age and are under 21 years of age, if they reached 16 years of age before the Kin-GAP negotiated agreement payments commenced. To be eligible for continued payments, the youth shall satisfy one or more of the conditions specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 11403.

(i) (1) Termination of the guardianship with a kinship guardian shall terminate eligibility for Kin-GAP, unless the conditions of Section 11403 apply. However, if a successor guardian is appointed pursuant to Section 366.3 who is also a kinship guardian, the successor guardian shall be entitled to receive Kin-GAP on behalf of the child pursuant to this article if the reason for the appointment of the successor guardian is the death or incapacity of the kinship guardian and the successor guardian is named in the kinship guardianship assistance agreement or amendment to the agreement. A new period of six months of placement with the successor guardian shall not be required if that successor guardian has been assessed pursuant to Section 361.3, subdivision (a) of Section 361.4, and paragraph (2), and the court terminates dependency jurisdiction, subject to federal approval of amendments to the state plan.

(2) (A) In addition to the state-level criminal records check described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 361.4, the county welfare department shall require each prospective successor guardian, and any other person over 18 years of age living in the home, to be fingerprinted, and shall secure from an appropriate law enforcement agency any criminal record of that person to determine whether the person has ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation.

(B) If the criminal records check indicates that the prospective successor guardian has been convicted of an offense described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code, the case shall not be eligible for Kin-GAP funding.

(C) If the proposed successor guardian has been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation or arrested for an offense specified in subdivision (e) of Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code, except for the civil penalty language, the criminal background check provisions specified in subdivisions (d) to (g), inclusive, of Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code shall apply, and an exemption shall be issued prior to issuance of any Kin-GAP funding. Exemptions from the criminal records clearance requirements set forth in this section may be granted by the county using the exemption criteria specified in subdivision (g) of Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code and any applicable written directives or regulations adopted by the department.

(3) A prospective successor guardian shall not be required to be approved as a resource family pursuant to Section 16519.5 for the sole purpose of receiving Kin-GAP funding on behalf of an eligible child in the care of the prospective successor guardian.