Child abuse or neglect: foster children.

Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, establishes procedures for the reporting and investigation suspected child abuse or neglect. The act requires certain professionals, including specified health practitioners and social workers, known as "mandated reporters," to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect to a local law enforcement agency or a county welfare or probation department, as specified. Existing law states the Legislature's intent that those receiving agencies in each county develop and implement cooperative arrangements in order to coordinate existing duties in connection with the investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect cases, and requires the local law enforcement agency to report investigations of suspected child abuse or neglect to the county welfare or probation department within 36 hours after starting its investigation. Existing law requires the receiving agencies to, within 24 hours of receiving a report of abuse alleged to have occurred in facilities licensed to care for children by the State Department of Social Services, notify the licensing office with jurisdiction over that facility. Existing law makes reports of child abuse or neglect confidential and only authorizes the disclosure of the reports to certain individuals or entities. Existing law generally provides for the placement of children in foster care, and provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Social Services of certain community care facilities that provide care for foster children, including short-term residential therapeutic programs and transitional housing placement providers. This bill would, when a receiving entity receives a reported allegation of child abuse or neglect that involves a child in foster care in which the alleged abuse or neglect occurred in a community care facility, require the receiving entity to coordinate investigation efforts with the licensing agency, as specified, and notify the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson within 24 hours of receiving the report, and would require an investigation conducted by the receiving entity or the licensing agency to be completed no later than 30 days after the initial report was received by the entity. The bill would also add the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson, as specified, to the list of individuals and entities to which reports may be disclosed. By imposing new duties on local officials, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.