Title
a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign a no cost Agreement with the California Department of Social Services, retroactive to July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, to establish responsibilities for the provision and receipt of legal consultation and legal representation for administrative appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval Program; and
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign up to three (3) amendments to this Agreement that do not significantly change the terms of this Agreement.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
'a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign a no cost Agreement with the California Department of Social Services, retroactive to July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, to establish responsibilities for the provision and receipt of legal consultation and legal representation for administrative appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval Program; and
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign up to three (3) amendments to this Agreement that do not significantly change the terms of this Agreement.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Resource Family Approval (RFA) was authorized through Senate Bill 1013 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2012) and requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), 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 prior processes for licensing foster family homes, approving relative and nonrelative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving adoptive homes.
RFA prepares families to meet the needs of vulnerable children in the foster care system and allows seamless transition to permanency. RFA implementation for all counties b...
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