Family preservation services: standards.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services (department) and county welfare departments to establish and support a public system of statewide child welfare services available in each county, as specified. Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to encourage the continuity of the family unit by providing family preservation services, which may include counseling, mental health treatment, and transportation, among other things. Existing law requires an authorized participating county to provide specific programs of direct services based on individual family needs, as specified. Existing law authorizes a county to establish family preservation programs that serve one or more geographic areas of the county, subject to the approval of the department. Existing law requires that the services selected by a participating county be reasonable and meritorious, as specified. Existing law prescribes standards for services provided by each county to be deemed successful. This bill, the Foster Care Justice through Meaningful Help for Parents Act, would also require that those services have a track record of helping families, have their outcomes tracked and reported, and be designed to eradicate the situation that necessitated intervention. The bill would require, as of January 1, 2026, and to be implemented by each county on the next grant cycle or service provider selection cycle after January 1, 2026, that each service provider, at the time the provider is selected by a participating county, provide services that are reasonable, meritorious, and that demonstrate cost-effectiveness and success at avoiding out-of-home placement, or reduce the length of stay in out-of-home placement. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2026, service providers to be reviewed for reasonableness, merit, and whether they demonstrated cost-effectiveness and success at avoiding out-of-home placement, or reduce the length of stay in out-of-home placement no less than every 3 years after selection. The bill would include, as of January 1, 2026, additional standards for services provided by each county to be deemed successful. The bill would make related findings and declarations. Under existing law, the program in each county is deemed successful if certain standards are met, including that at least 60% of the children receiving services remain at home one year, and 2 years, after services are terminated. This bill would add as a standard that, during the first year after services are terminated, no more than 25% of children whose parents or guardian received services are children who meet any of specified circumstances, including removal from the physical custody of their parents or guardians. The bill would also add, among other standards, 2 years after termination of the services, that no more than 10% of the children meet any of those circumstances. Existing law requires the Office of Child Abuse Prevention within the department to require counties to submit annual reports on program services and children and families served. This bill would require, commencing January 1, 2026, that the annual reports include certain information to demonstrate whether the services meet the standards for being deemed successful. The bill would require the department to post the annual report to its internet website within 30 business days of receipt of an annual report from a county.