The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has released questions and answers about voluntary relinquishment of juvenile dependent and non-dependent children. Voluntary relinquishment is when the birth/legal parents voluntarily turn over care, custody, and control of their child to the county or agency.
The Resource Family Approval process can be used for voluntarily relinquishments. This means that if the family accepting a child through voluntary relinquishment is Resource Family Approval approved, including assessment for Parent-Child Suitability, that family is eligible for foster care benefits.
For children who are already in the dependency process, the Court will decide whether to accept the voluntary relinquishment.
CDSS identifies forms for the relinquishing parent, including when the parent is located outside of California, for the Statement of Understanding for the parent, with different forms for when the child is already dependent, or when the child is non-dependent. (ACIN I-43-24, September 17, 2024.)