Title
Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for the purpose of operating the Resource Family Approval Program for the period March 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for the purpose of operating the Resource Family Approval Program for the period March 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Resource Family Approval (RFA) was authorized through Senate Bill 1013 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2012) and requires the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the county welfare agencies, foster parent associations, and other interested community parties, to implement a unified, family friendly and child-centered resource family approval process. RFA replaces and streamlines the existing multiple processes for licensed foster family homes, approving relative and nonrelative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving adoptive homes.
RFA upgrades and unifies approval standards for all caregivers. It incorporates a combined home environment and comprehensive psychosocial assessment of all families and relatives. And it will require pre-approval and post-approval training for all families. RFA will prepare families to better meet the needs of vulnerable children in the foster care system and allows seamless transition to permanency.
RFA implementation will be required for all counties on January 1, 2017. Monterey County was selected as an early implementation county and began implementation on March 1, 2016. The Department is recommending approval of the CDSS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
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