Foster care: rights.

Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of community care facilities, including foster family homes and group homes, by the State Department of Social Services, and requires the department to ensure that licensed or certified foster care facilities and providers accord children and nonminor dependents in foster care their personal rights. Existing law establishes the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson to, among other things, investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made by or on behalf of children placed in foster care, related to their care, placement, or services. This bill would specify that these duties of the department and the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson include children who are placed in residential facilities and homes by the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 16164 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 317 to be operative only if this bill and AB 317 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.