PART 4. SERVICES FOR THE CARE OF CHILDREN [16000. - 16589.]

Heading of Part 4 amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 429.

§§ 16000–16589 · 267 sections

CHAPTER 1. Foster Care Placement §§ 16000–16014 · 29 sections
- § 16000 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to preserve and strengthen a child’s family ties whenever possible, removing the child from the custody of his or her…
- § 16000.1 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The state has a duty to care for and protect the children that the state places into foster…
- § 16000.5 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351)…
- § 16000.6 The State Department of Social Services shall negotiate in good faith with the Indian tribe, organization, or consortium in the state that requests development…
- § 16001 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall provide technical assistance to encourage and facilitate the county placement agency’s evaluation of…
- § 16001.1 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to support the urgent and exceptional needs of children and nonminor dependents in foster care under the supervision of…
- § 16001.5 The State Department of Social Services shall annually distribute information declaring the importance of promoting self-esteem with respect to foster children…
- § 16001.7 (a) The department shall promote the participation of current and former foster youth in the development of state foster care and child welfare policy. Subject…
- § 16001.8 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall convene a working group regarding the rights of all minors and nonminors in foster care, as specified in…
- § 16001.9 (a) All children placed in foster care, either voluntarily or after being adjudged a ward or dependent of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, 601, or…
- § 16002 (a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain the continuity of the family unit and ensure the preservation and strengthening of the child’s family…
- § 16002.5 It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain the continuity of the family unit and to support and preserve families headed by minor parents and nonminor…
- § 16003.5 (a) Any state funding allocated to counties for the purpose of recruiting, retaining, and supporting foster parents, relative caregivers, and resource families…
- § 16004.5 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is an urgent need to develop placement resources to permit minor parents and their children to remain…
- § 16005 Siblings shall be assigned to the same social worker when there is a prospective adoptive family that intends to adopt the children as a sibling group, unless…
- § 16006 Children and nonminor dependents in out-of-home care shall be placed according to their gender identity, regardless of the gender or sex listed in their court…
- § 16010 (a) (1) When a child is placed in foster care, the case plan for each child recommended pursuant to Section 358.1 shall include a summary of the health and…
- § 16010.2 (a) The department, in consultation with pediatricians, other health care experts, including public health nurses, and experts in and recipients of child…
- § 16010.4 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Foster parents are one of the most important sources of information about the children in their…
- § 16010.5 (a) When initially placing a child into foster care or kinship care, and within 48 hours of any subsequent placement of that child, the placing agency shall…
- § 16010.6 (a) As soon as a placing agency makes a decision with respect to a placement or a change in placement of a dependent child, but not later than the close of the…
- § 16010.7 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to prevent children or youth in foster care placement from experiencing unnecessary or abrupt foster care placement…
- § 16010.8 It is the intent of the Legislature that no child or youth in foster care reside in group care for longer than one year. The State Department of Social…
- § 16010.9 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to restrict the use of out-of-state residential facilities, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910 of the Family…
- § 16010.10 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the admission of dependents, nonminor dependents, and wards of the juvenile courts in psychiatric…
- § 16010.11 (a) (1) Each county child welfare agency shall adopt a policy for supporting foster children who are transitioning between placement settings and who are…
- § 16011 (a) Subject to the conditions prescribed by this section, Los Angeles County may pursue the development and evaluation of a pilot Internet-based health and…
- § 16013 (a) It is the policy of this state that all persons engaged in providing care and services to foster children, including, but not limited to, foster parents,…
- § 16014 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to maximize federal funding for foster youth services provided by local educational agencies. (b) The State Department…
CHAPTER 2. County Adoption Agencies §§ 16100–16106 · 4 sections
- § 16100 (a) Any county may perform the home-finding and placement functions, to investigate, examine, and make reports upon petitions for adoption filed in the…
- § 16101 (a) Prior to the 2011–12 fiscal year, the cost of administering the adoption programs undertaken by a county under license issued pursuant to Section 16100 of…
- § 16105 If any grants-in-aid are made by the federal government for the cost of administering an adoption program, or for the cost of care of children relinquished for…
- § 16106 The state shall reimburse each county for the cost of care of any child placed under the custody of a county department pursuant to Section 8805 or 8918 of the…
CHAPTER 2.1. Aid for Adoption of Children §§ 16115–16125 · 19 sections
- § 16115 Aid under this chapter shall be known as the Adoption Assistance Program.
- § 16115.5 It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to benefit children residing in foster homes by providing the stability and security of permanent…
- § 16118 (a) The department shall establish and administer the program to be carried out by the department or the county pursuant to this chapter. The department shall…
- § 16119 (a) At the time application for adoption of a child who is potentially eligible for Adoption Assistance Program benefits is made, and at the time immediately…
- § 16120 A child is eligible for Adoption Assistance Program benefits if all of the conditions specified in subdivisions (a) to (l), inclusive, are met or if the…
- § 16120.05 The adoption assistance agreement shall, at a minimum, specify the amount and duration of assistance, and that the amount is subject to any applicable…
- § 16120.1 Upon the authorization of the department or, where appropriate, the county responsible for determining the child’s or nonminor dependent’s Adoption Assistance…
- § 16121 (a) (1) For initial adoption assistance agreements executed on or prior to December 31, 2007, the adoptive family shall be paid an amount of aid based on the…
- § 16121.05 (a) The department or county adoption agency may recover any overpayments of financial assistance under the Adoption Assistance Program, and shall develop…
- § 16121.1 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11105, the residence of the adoptive parents at the time of or subsequent to adoptive placement shall not terminate…
- § 16121.2 The Director of Social Services and the Director of Health Services may enter into interstate agreements pursuant to Chapter 2.6 (commencing with Section…
- § 16121.3 (a) (1) Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments may be made on behalf of an otherwise eligible child for wraparound services in lieu of an out-of-home… see note
- § 16121.4 (a) (1) Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments may be made on behalf of an otherwise eligible child in a facility licensed as a short-term residential… see note
- § 16121.41 The department shall develop curriculum for optional use by counties to inform and educate adoptive families, prior to adoption finalization. The department…
- § 16121.5 (a) Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments may be made on behalf of an otherwise eligible child for placement in out-of-state residential treatment… see note
- § 16122 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to support permanency for children and nonminor dependents who need permanent homes through…
- § 16123 The provisions of Section 16120, permitting the payment of adoption assistance until a child attains 18 or 21 years of age if the child has mental or physical…
- § 16124 (a) (1) Upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature for the purposes set forth in this section, the State Department of Social Services shall establish…
- § 16125 A foster child whose adoption has become final, who is receiving or is eligible to receive Adoption Assistance Program assistance, including Medi-Cal, and…
CHAPTER 2.2. State Adoption Services §§ 16130–16133 · 5 sections
- § 16130 In any county which does not have a county adoption agency established pursuant to Section 16100, the department may establish services incident to the…
- § 16131 It is the intent of the Legislature to conform state statutes to federal legislation, including the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act…
- § 16131.5 (a) The state shall reinvest adoption and guardianship incentive payments received through the implementation of the federal Fostering Connections to Success…
- § 16132 It is the intent of the Legislature to conform state statutes to recently enacted federal legislation, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing…
- § 16133 On and after July 1, 2011, when a person has been an employee of the State Department of Social Services within the 12-month period prior to his or her…
CHAPTER 2.3. Adoption of Alcohol- and Drug-Exposed and HIV Positive Children §§ 16135–16135.30 · 9 sections
- § 16135 The purpose of this chapter is to establish a program for special training and services to facilitate the adoption of children who are HIV positive, or born to…
- § 16135.1 (a) “Eligible child” means any child who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2), and paragraph (3). (1) Any child who has a condition or symptoms…
- § 16135.10 (a) In order to promote successful adoptions of substance and alcohol exposed court dependent children, participating counties shall maintain a program of…
- § 16135.13 (a) A participating county shall provide special training to recruited adoptive parents to care for eligible children. The training curriculum shall include,…
- § 16135.14 (a) The county shall determine whether a child is eligible for services pursuant to this section. (b) A participating county shall select a specialized…
- § 16135.16 The requirements of this section may be met by the implementation of the TIES for Adoption program as defined in Subdivision (b) of Section 16135.1.
- § 16135.17 Participating counties shall prepare an adoption services case plan pursuant to regulations adopted by the department and arrange for nonmedical support…
- § 16135.25 The department shall do all of the following: (a) Develop necessary procedures and standardized programs for a specialized adoptive home training project. (b)…
- § 16135.30 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subdivisions (b) and (c) shall control the placement of a child pursuant to this chapter. (b) A county may…
CHAPTER 2.5. Foster Child Ombudsman Program §§ 16160–16167 · 8 sections
- § 16160 The Legislature finds and declares that the people of California have benefited from the establishment of a long-term care ombudsperson pursuant to Section…
- § 16161 (a) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall be established as an autonomous entity within the department for the purpose of providing children…
- § 16162 (a) The Director of Social Services, in consultation with, and after receiving a list of possible nominees from, a committee of at least five interested…
- § 16163 The department shall hire the necessary personnel to perform the functions of the office. Priority shall be given to former foster youth in hiring decisions.
- § 16164 (a) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall do all of the following: (1) (A) Disseminate information and provide training and technical…
- § 16165 As part of the office’s efforts to resolve complaints related to foster care, the ombudsperson may do all of the following: (a) Establish policies and…
- § 16166 In order to encourage candor during the ombudsperson’s investigation of complaints made by or on behalf of foster youth and to facilitate the ombudsperson’s…
- § 16167 (a) A toll-free number shall be established for the office. (b) Social workers and probation officers shall provide foster children with the toll-free…
CHAPTER 2.6. Interstate Adoption Assistance Agreements §§ 16170–16177 · 8 sections
- § 16170 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Finding adoptive families for children, for whom state assistance is desirable pursuant to Chapter…
- § 16171 The purposes of this chapter are to: (a) Authorize the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services to enter into interstate…
- § 16172 As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (a) “Adoption assistance state” means the state that…
- § 16173 The State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services are authorized to develop, participate in the development of, negotiate, or…
- § 16174 A compact entered into pursuant to the authority conferred by this chapter shall contain all of the following: (a) A provision making it available for joinder…
- § 16175 A compact entered into pursuant to the authority conferred by this chapter may contain provisions in addition to those required pursuant to Section 16174, as…
- § 16176 (a) (1) Any child who is a resident of California and who is the subject of a state-only adoption assistance agreement with another state, shall be eligible to…
- § 16177 Consistent with federal law, the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services, in connection with the administration of this…
CHAPTER 3. Child Welfare Training §§ 16200–16215 · 7 sections
1. ARTICLE 1. General Provisions § 16200 · 1 section
  - § 16200 Unless the context requires otherwise, the definitions set forth in this section shall govern the construction of this chapter. (a) “ Program” means the Child…
2. ARTICLE 2. Child Welfare Training Program §§ 16205–16208 · 4 sections
  - § 16205 The department shall select and award a grant to a private nonprofit or public entity for the purpose of establishing a statewide multipurpose child welfare…
  - § 16206 (a) The purpose of the program is to develop and implement statewide coordinated training programs designed specifically to meet the needs of county child…
  - § 16207 Nothing in this chapter is intended to replace training requirements established by the department in regulations contained in Sections 30-196 and 30-272 of…
  - § 16208 (a) (1) The department, in consultation with the Child Welfare Training Advisory Board, shall contract with the University of California or the California…
3. ARTICLE 3. Child Welfare Training Advisory Board § 16210 · 1 section
  - § 16210 (a) The department shall establish a Child Welfare Training Advisory Board to oversee training programs as specified by this chapter. (b) The advisory board…
4. ARTICLE 4. Funding § 16215 · 1 section
  - § 16215 The appropriation in support of the Child Welfare Training Program shall be provided annually through the Budget Act.
CHAPTER 5. State Child Welfare Services §§ 16500–16523.59 · 114 sections
- § 16500 The state, through the department and county welfare departments, shall establish and support a public system of statewide child welfare services to be…
- § 16500.1 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to use the strengths of families and communities to serve the needs of children who are alleged to be abused or…
- § 16500.5 (a) (1) The Legislature hereby declares its intent to encourage the continuity of the family unit by all of the following: (A) Consistently providing family…
- § 16500.51 (a) In addition to participation in the program provided for under Section 16500.5, Solano and Alameda Counties may, on a two-year project basis, and subject…
- § 16500.55 Any county that participates in the program pursuant to this section on or after the effective date of the act which amends this section in the 1991 calendar…
- § 16500.65 (a) In addition to the three programs authorized under Section 16500.5, Contra Costa County may implement a family preservation and reunification program. The…
- § 16500.8 (a) The department shall, in consultation with counties, seek additional federal revenues to finance the family preservation activities described in Section…
- § 16500.9 The department shall establish one full-time position, within the office of the director, to assist counties and the department in complying with the federal…
- § 16501 (a) (1) As used in this chapter, “child welfare services” means public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of any or all of the…
- § 16501.01 (a) A county may arrange for respite care for a child or nonminor dependent supervised by the county, which may be provided by any of the following: (1) Prior…
- § 16501.02 (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) “Alternative care” means care and supervision of more than 24 consecutive hours,…
- § 16501.1 (a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the foundation and central unifying tool in child welfare services is the case plan. (2) The Legislature…
- § 16501.15 As used in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 16501.1, a home or setting that is “safe” means that the home or setting is free from abuse or neglect, as…
- § 16501.16 In addition to the assurances required to be included in a case plan pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (g) of Section 16501.1, a case plan shall include…
- § 16501.2 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Safety, stability, and the permanence of families in the child welfare system are of paramount…
- § 16501.25 (a) For the purposes of this section, “teen parent” means a child who has been adjudged to be a dependent child or ward of the court on the grounds that he or…
- § 16501.26 (a) For the purposes of this section, “nonminor dependent parent” means a nonminor dependent as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, residing in a…
- § 16501.27 (a) For purposes of Section 16501.26, a person who wishes to become an identified responsible adult to a nonminor dependent parent shall comply with all of the…
- § 16501.28 Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2…
- § 16501.3 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall establish and maintain a program of public health nursing in the child welfare services program that meets…
- § 16501.35 (a) County child welfare agencies and probation departments shall implement policies and procedures that require social workers and probation officers to do…
- § 16501.4 In order to ensure the oversight of psychotropic medications that are prescribed for children pursuant to Section 369.5 or 739.5, all of the following shall…
- § 16501.45 (a) To ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements, including those of Public Law 113-183, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families…
- § 16501.5 (a) In order to protect children and effectively administer and evaluate California’s Child Welfare Services and Foster Care programs, the department shall…
- § 16501.6 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature for the State Department of Social Services to enhance the statewide child welfare information system to include…
- § 16501.7 (a) On or before December 1, 2005, the State Department of Social Services shall develop, and provide to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget…
- § 16501.8 Social workers shall make reasonable efforts to collect and update necessary data regarding a child’s incarcerated parent or parents. The Legislature…
- § 16501.9 (a) (1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the Child Welfare Services – California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES), also known as…
- § 16501.95 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall determine which entities meet the definition of a “child welfare contributing agency,” as defined in Section…
- § 16502 The child welfare services authorized by this chapter shall be established in any county or combination of counties when a plan which includes financing of…
- § 16502.5 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county board of supervisors may receive and review any records in the custody of the juvenile court or any…
- § 16503 (a) Subsequent to completion of the hearing conducted pursuant to Section 366.26, the agency responsible for placement and care of a minor, or, on or after…
- § 16503.5 (a) A placing agency shall provide a caregiver placement agreement to the child’s or nonminor dependent’s caregiver at the time of the child’s placement with…
- § 16504 (a) Any child reported to the county child welfare services department to be endangered by abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall be eligible for initial intake…
- § 16504.5 (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, a child welfare agency may secure from an appropriate…
- § 16504.6 The State Department of Social Services shall evaluate a request from an Indian tribe to exempt a crime that is exemptible under Section 1522 of the Health and…
- § 16504.7 (a) Upon request by a county child welfare agency, the department shall provide a list identifying each person who has received a criminal records exemption…
- § 16506 Family maintenance services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff in order to maintain the child in his or her own home. These…
- § 16506.5 (a) Effective July 1, 2025, county child welfare agencies shall convene child and family team meetings, as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of…
- § 16507 (a) Family reunification services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff in order to reunite the child separated from his or her…
- § 16507.2 Prior to entering into a voluntary placement agreement with a parent or guardian, the social worker shall make every attempt to keep the family together by…
- § 16507.3 (a) Beginning on October 1, 1982, child welfare services for children placed voluntarily after January 1, 1982, shall be limited to a period not to exceed 180…
- § 16507.4 (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, voluntary family reunification services shall be provided without fee to families who qualify, or…
- § 16507.5 (a) (1) When a minor is separated, or is in the process of being separated, from the minor’s family under the provisions of a voluntary placement agreement,…
- § 16507.6 If a minor has been voluntarily placed with the county welfare department subsequent to January 1, 1982, for out-of-home placement by his or her parents or…
- § 16507.7 Each agency or entity, except for a community college, which offers a parenting course as part of a family maintenance or family reunification effort for a…
- § 16508 Permanent placement services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff for children who cannot safely live with their parents and…
- § 16508.1 (a) For every child who is in foster care, or who enters foster care, on or after January 1, 1999, and has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22…
- § 16508.2 It is the intent of the Legislature to establish additional alternatives to foster care placements. Therapeutic day services is an alternative which has been…
- § 16509 Cultural and religious child-rearing practices and beliefs which differ from general community standards shall not in themselves create a need for child…
- § 16509.1 No child who in good faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or…
- § 16509.2 The physical or mental incapacity, or both, in itself, of a parent or a child, shall not result in a presumption of need for child welfare services.
- § 16511 This chapter shall not be construed to give the department or county welfare departments any law enforcement powers. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed…
- § 16512 (a) The department shall report every third year, commencing in 1989, to the Legislature on the operation and progress of the child welfare services program.…
- § 16513 Anyone participating in good faith in the making of a report pursuant to this chapter shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might…
- § 16513.2 Funding of this chapter is subject to the provisions of Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 10100).
- § 16513.5 Any party to a dependency proceeding may bring a motion before the juvenile court to have a social worker removed from the case. The juvenile court judge in…
- § 16514 (a) A child or nonminor who has been voluntarily placed, adjudged a dependent child of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, or as to whom a petition has…
- § 16515 (a) A county child welfare agency may establish a three-year pilot program in which the county partners with a domestic violence consultant from a domestic…
- § 16516 (a) No social worker or probation officer acting as an officer of the court for purposes of this chapter shall, directly or indirectly, lobby for, act as a…
- § 16516.5 (a) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, all foster children who are placed in group homes by county welfare departments or county probation…
- § 16516.6 (a) When a county social worker or probation officer makes a regular visit with a child in any licensed, certified, or approved foster home, the regular visit…
- § 16517 (a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to accomplish both of the following: (A) To prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families…
- § 16517.5 (a) A social worker or probation officer acting as an officer of the court shall not make an out-of-home placement of a dependent or ward of the court pursuant…
- § 16518 The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with county placement agencies, foster care providers, and other interested community parties, shall…
- § 16518.5 When placing foster children, the placing agency shall not decline to place a child with a resource family because of a resource family parent’s actual or…
- § 16519 The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) Safety, permanency, and well-being are crucial for the more than 82,000 California children in foster…
1. ARTICLE 2. Resource Family Approval Program §§ 16519.3–16519.7 · 22 sections
  - § 16519.3 (a) Notwithstanding any other law and no later than January 1, 2027, the department shall adopt a simplified approval process for relative caregivers…
  - § 16519.4 (a) Upon implementation of a simplified approval process adopted pursuant to Section 16519.3, and no later than 18 months after implementation, the department…
  - § 16519.5 (a) The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with county child welfare agencies, foster parent associations, and other interested community…
  - § 16519.501 A resource family approval shall be forfeited by operation of law when one of the following occurs: (a) The resource family surrenders the approval to the…
  - § 16519.502 (a) A portion of the annual resource family training shall support the case plans, goals, and needs of children in the resource family home, if there are any…
  - § 16519.51 (a) A person shall not incur civil liability as a result of a county notifying the department of its determination to rescind the approval of a resource family…
  - § 16519.52 (a) A resource family may install and use delayed egress devices of the time delay type in the home of the resource family. (b) As used in this section,…
  - § 16519.53 (a) A resource family shall be authorized to administer emergency medical assistance and injections for severe diabetic hypoglycemia and anaphylactic shock to…
  - § 16519.54 Notwithstanding any other law, a resource family shall not be subject to civil penalties imposed pursuant to the Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3…
  - § 16519.55 (a) Subject to subdivision (d), to encourage the recruitment of resource families, to protect their personal privacy, and to preserve the security of…
  - § 16519.555 (a) The written report evaluating a resource family applicant’s capacity to foster, adopt, and provide legal guardianship of a child based on all of the…
  - § 16519.56 (a) (1) A county shall place a resource family on inactive status upon notification by the resource family in accordance with this section and the written…
  - § 16519.57 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a resource family who has had a child either placed with them pursuant to order of the juvenile court or voluntarily placed…
  - § 16519.58 (a) A resource family approved by a licensed foster family agency pursuant to Section 1517 or 1517.5 of the Health and Safety Code may transfer their approval…
  - § 16519.59 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, contracts or grants awarded for purposes of this article shall be exempt from the personal services contracting requirements…
  - § 16519.6 (a) A hearing conducted pursuant to Section 16519.5 shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of this section and the written directives or…
  - § 16519.61 A county or the department may deny a resource family application or rescind the approval of a resource family, and the department may exclude an individual…
  - § 16519.62 (a) The out-of-court statements of a child under 12 years of age who is the subject or victim of an allegation at issue constitutes admissible evidence at an…
  - § 16519.63 (a) An administrative law judge conducting a hearing pursuant to this article may permit the testimony of a child witness or a similarly vulnerable witness,…
  - § 16519.64 (a) In any administrative proceeding conducted pursuant to this article in which a child or other minor is the victim in an allegation of inappropriate sexual…
  - § 16519.65 (a) For matters set before the State Hearings Division, the county or respondent may file a request with the department for a rehearing within 30 days after…
  - § 16519.7 The training requirements of subparagraph (I) of paragraph (13) of subdivision (g) of Section 16519.5 shall include training on the importance of the…
2. ARTICLE 3. Miscellaneous Provisions §§ 16520–16521.8 · 7 sections
  - § 16520 The Legislature recognizes that wards and dependent children share many characteristics, often have similar family histories, and often require similar…
  - § 16521 The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with representatives of local probation departments, foster care providers, and other interested…
  - § 16521.3 (a) The Department of General Services and all other affected state agencies shall cooperate with the State Department of Social Services and the California…
  - § 16521.5 (a) A foster care provider, in consultation with the county case manager, shall be responsible for ensuring that adolescents, including nonminor dependents, as…
  - § 16521.6 To ensure that coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed services are provided to children and youth in foster care who have experienced severe trauma, all of…
  - § 16521.7 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to establish a methodology for reconciling the state’s and each county’s costs and savings…
  - § 16521.8 (a) (1) A child welfare public health nursing early intervention program shall be conducted in the County of Los Angeles, as provided in this section, and with…
3. ARTICLE 4. Transitional Housing Placement Program §§ 16522–16522.6 · 5 sections
  - § 16522 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall license transitional housing placement providers that provide supervised transitional housing services to…
  - § 16522.1 (a) In order to be licensed as a transitional housing placement provider pursuant to Section 1559.110 of the Health and Safety Code and be eligible for payment…
  - § 16522.2 (a) Eligible persons may receive transitional housing only with the permission of both the independent living program of the county in which the program is…
  - § 16522.5 Prior to county certification of any program to be provided by a transitional housing placement provider, the department shall approve a plan submitted by the…
  - § 16522.6 The department shall make information available to the Legislature upon request regarding services rendered pursuant to this article.
4. ARTICLE 6. Bringing Families Home Program §§ 16523–16523.2 · 3 sections
  - § 16523 For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply: (a) “Child welfare services” means either of the following: (1) The same meaning as…
  - § 16523.1 (a) To the extent funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act, the department shall award program funds to counties and tribal governments for the purpose…
  - § 16523.2 (a) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title…
5. ARTICLE 7. Continuum of Care Reform Oversight §§ 16523.5–16523.59 · 10 sections
  - § 16523.5 (a) The State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Health Care Services, the California State Association of Counties representing the…
  - § 16523.51 Update on the Transition of Providers to the CCR Program Models. With a focus on changes over time, the updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include…
  - § 16523.52 Update on Capacity to Provide Mental Health Services. With a focus on changes over time, the updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include status updates…
  - § 16523.53 Tracking Child Outcomes over Time. (a) With a focus on changes over time, and to the extent data are available, the updates described in Section 16523.5 shall…
  - § 16523.54 Update on CCR-Related Costs and Savings. Once available, the updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include status updates on CCR-related costs and…
  - § 16523.55 Child and Family Teams (CFT) and Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Implementation. (a) The updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include a…
  - § 16523.56 Resource Families. (a) The updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include a status update on the implementation of the resource family approval process.…
  - § 16523.57 Supporting the Transitions of Child Welfare Youth from Group Homes and Reduced Use of Congregate Care. Pursuant to the extensions granted in subdivision (e) of…
  - § 16523.58 System Changes. Pursuant to existing reporting requirements on the replacement statewide child welfare information system, Child Welfare Services – California…
  - § 16523.59 Update on County Recruitment and Retention Efforts. As data are available, the updates described in Section 16523.5 shall include status updates on the…
CHAPTER 5.1. Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund §§ 16524–16524.5 · 2 sections
- § 16524 (a) The Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. The fund shall consist of donated grants, gifts, or…
- § 16524.5 (a) The State Department of Social Services may fund the various activities authorized pursuant to Section 16524 by means of grants rather than contracts. The…
CHAPTER 5.2. Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program §§ 16524.6–16524.11 · 6 sections
- § 16524.6 The Legislature finds and declares that in order to reduce the vulnerability of all children in California communities to incidents of commercial sexual…
- § 16524.7 (a) (1) There is hereby established the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program. This program shall be administered by the State Department of Social…
- § 16524.8 (a) (1) Each county electing to receive funds from the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program pursuant to this chapter shall develop an interagency…
- § 16524.9 (a) The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association, shall ensure that the statewide child welfare…
- § 16524.10 The State Department of Social Services, no later than April 1, 2017, shall provide the following information to the Legislature regarding the implementation…
- § 16524.11 This chapter shall become operative on January 1, 2015.
CHAPTER 5.3. Services for Children Who Are Exposed to Alcohol or Drugs or Who Are HIV Positive §§ 16525–16525.30 · 18 sections
1. ARTICLE 1. General §§ 16525–16525.5 · 6 sections
  - § 16525 The definitions in this article shall control the interpretation of this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise.
  - § 16525.1 “Department” means the State Department of Social Services.
  - § 16525.2 “Eligible child” means any child who meets the requirements of subdivision (a) or (b), and subdivision (c). (a) Any child who has a medically diagnosed…
  - § 16525.3 “HIV” means human immunodeficiency virus.
  - § 16525.4 “HIV positive” means a condition of being medically diagnosed as infected with HIV.
  - § 16525.5 “Specialized in-home health care” means, but is not limited to, those services identified by the child’s primary physician as appropriately administered by a…
2. ARTICLE 2. Options for Recovery Program §§ 16525.10–16525.30 · 12 sections
  - § 16525.10 (a) In order to promote the development of placements that will allow children to move into more homelike environments, counties may establish an “Options for…
  - § 16525.11 Each participating county shall recruit foster families that shall be licensed as foster family homes and trained to care for children who are alcohol- or…
  - § 16525.13 (a) A participating county shall provide special training to recruited foster parents to care for eligible children and shall certify that the training has…
  - § 16525.14 When a child is identified by a physician, medical team, county social worker, or placement source as a child who may be eligible for services under this…
  - § 16525.15 (a) A participating county shall select a specialized foster family home for the child within the county in which the child’s eligibility is established. (b)…
  - § 16525.17 (a) Participating counties shall prepare a child welfare services case plan pursuant to regulations adopted by the department and arrange nonmedical support…
  - § 16525.20 (a) The Legislature encourages participating counties to design and implement a range of respite options for specially trained foster parents and relative…
  - § 16525.25 The counties participating pursuant to this section shall do both of the following: (a) Maintain existing programs and standards for a specialized foster home…
  - § 16525.26 A participating county may contract for the provision of services under this chapter on a sole source basis.
  - § 16525.27 (a) Each participating county shall submit written progress reports as required by the department. (b) The progress report required by subdivision (a) shall…
  - § 16525.29 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent children who are alcohol- or drug-exposed or HIV positive who have adoption as a case plan goal from…
  - § 16525.30 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, Sections 1250, 1251, 1254, 1270, 1501, 1502, 1505, 1507, 1521, 1530.6, and…
CHAPTER 5.4. Family Urgent Response System for Caregivers and Children or Youth §§ 16526–16530 · 5 sections
- § 16526 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply: (a) “Caregiver” means a person responsible for meeting the daily care needs of a current or…
- § 16527 (a) The department shall establish a statewide hotline as the primary entry point for the Family Urgent Response System, which shall be available 24 hours a…
- § 16528 (a) The department, in collaboration with the State Department of Health Care Services, and in consultation with the County Behavioral Health Directors…
- § 16529 (a) County child welfare, probation, and behavioral health agencies, in each county or region of counties as specified in subdivision (f), shall establish a…
- § 16530 This chapter shall be inoperative in any fiscal year for which funding is not appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the purpose of complying with the…
CHAPTER 5.5. Child Welfare Leadership and Performance Accountability §§ 16540–16545 · 9 sections
- § 16540 The California Child Welfare Council is hereby established, which shall serve as an advisory body responsible for improving the collaboration and processes of…
- § 16541 The council shall be comprised of the following members: (a) The Secretary of California Health and Human Services, who shall serve as cochair. (b) The Chief…
- § 16541.5 The council shall meet no less frequently than each quarter of the state fiscal year and at the call of the cochairs, at a time and location convenient to the…
- § 16542 The cochairs may appoint committees composed of council members, experts in specialized fields, foster youth, program stakeholders, state and county child…
- § 16543 Consistent with state and federal law, the council shall have access to aggregate data and information concerning the child welfare and foster care systems…
- § 16543.5 It is the intent of the Legislature to inspect other state child welfare and foster care systems over the course of the 2007–08 Legislative Session, for the…
- § 16544 The secretary shall ensure that all of the federal Child and Family Services Review outcome measures and all of the California Child and Family Service Review…
- § 16544.5 The California Child Welfare Council shall establish a Mandated Reporting Advisory Committee (MRAC). The MRAC shall include, but not be limited to,…
- § 16545 By April 1, 2008, the Judicial Council shall adopt, through rules of court, performance measures designed to complement and promote those measures specified in…
CHAPTER 5.6. Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support Program §§ 16546–16549 · 7 sections
- § 16546 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Identifying and engaging family members are critical components of providing effective child…
- § 16546.5 (a) Subject to an appropriation of state funds, there is hereby established the Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support Program. This program…
- § 16547 (a) (1) The department shall establish procedures for program data collection and reporting. (2) The department shall consult with Indian tribes that enter…
- § 16547.5 Funds allocated under this chapter may be used to supplement, but shall not supplant, funds for existing family finding and engagement programs. Participating…
- § 16548 (a) Subject to an appropriation of state funds, the department shall establish, or contract for the establishment of, the Center for Excellence in Family…
- § 16548.5 Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret,…
- § 16549 Contracts entered into or amended pursuant to this chapter are exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of…
CHAPTER 6. Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program §§ 16550–16556 · 7 sections
- § 16550 For the purposes of this chapter: (a) “Department” means the State Department of Social Services. (b) “Foster youth” means a child or nonminor dependent who is…
- § 16551 (a) The department, jointly with the State Department of Health Care Services, and with input from county child welfare departments, probation departments,…
- § 16552 (a) The department, jointly with the State Department of Health Care Services, shall develop and administer a request for proposals process, and shall develop…
- § 16553 (a) (1) The Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program shall be designed, in partnership with county child welfare departments, county probation departments,…
- § 16554 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate moneys to the department in the annual Budget Act or other statute for the purpose of administering a…
- § 16555 (a) No later than April 1, 2027, the department, jointly with the State Department of Health Care Services, shall submit an interim report to the Assembly…
- § 16556 Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department and the State Department…
CHAPTER 6.5. Foster Care Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Programs §§ 16560–16567 · 5 sections
- § 16560 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) was enacted to improve California’s child welfare system…
- § 16562 The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) (1) A coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed system of care is essential to meet the needs of children…
- § 16563 (a) If there is a child eligible for Tier 2 of the Care and Supervision component of the Tiered Rate Structure, as described in subdivision (h) of Section…
- § 16565 (a) The Legislature finds and declares the following: (1) Social determinants of health, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive childhood experiences,…
- § 16567 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to assess the impacts of the Tiered Rate Structure on children, nonminor dependents, families, placing agencies, and…
CHAPTER 7. Family First Prevention Services §§ 16585–16589 · 5 sections
- § 16585 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to exercise the option afforded to states under Section 474(a)(6) and Section 471(e) of the federal Social Security…
- § 16586 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply: (a) (1) “Candidate for foster care” means a child described in Section 475(13) of the…
- § 16587 (a) A county may elect to provide the prevention services under this chapter by providing a written plan to the State Department of Social Services, in…
- § 16588 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall seek all necessary federal approvals to obtain Title IV-E federal financial participation for the prevention…
- § 16589 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall have oversight of the Family First Prevention Services program established under this chapter. The department…