Child Welfare Services

Bringing Families Home program funding for Fiscal Year 2025-26

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The Bringing Families Home (BFH) program has been allocated $81 million through June 30, 2028.  BFH provides housing-related financial assistance and supportive services to families who are receiving child welfare services, including tribal child welfare services, and are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The dollar-for-dollar match requirement for Home Safe grantees has been removed.

Counties operating a BFH program will be required to implement a local complaint resolution process.  If program participants are not satisfied with the result of the local complaint resolution process, they will have the right to a California Department of Social Services (CDSS) administrative hearing.  Counties will be required to provide certain types of housing-related assistance pending the outcome of the hearing.  Assistance paid while the hearing is pending may be subject to overpayment.

Counties will be required to issue individualized, written housing plans outlining the housing related assistance to be provided to Home Safe recipients.

CDSS is expected to issue instructions about complaint resolution and housing plans in March, 2027.  Counties will be required to implement complaint resolution and housing plans within six months after CDSS issues its guidance.  (ACWDL, November 3, 2025.)

Voluntary relinquishment of juvenile dependent and non-dependent children

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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.)

CalSAWS system changes to support changes in foster care referrals for child support

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The California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Child Support Services have discussed several possible changes to the CalSAWS computer system to help implement changes regarding foster care referrals for child support.

However, despite the fact that no CalSAWS system changes have been made, the only foster care related child support cases that can be referred to the local child support agency are when a parent’s annual income is more than $100,000, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level, whichever is greater, and referral will not be a barrier to reunification.  All foster care related child support collection efforts should stop unless this exception is met.  (ACIN I-07-24, February 16, 2024.)

Foster Care child support arrears

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The California Department of Child Support Services instructs local child support agencies (LCSAs) to review all cases with foster care arrearages.  If the annual income of the parent ordered to pay support is less than $100,000, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level, whichever is greater, the LCSAs must deem the arrears uncollectable and remove them.

If the annual income of the parent ordered to pay support is less than $100,000, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level, and any of the dependent children are still receiving foster care services, the LCSA must ask the welfare department whether continued enforcement would be a barrier to reunification.

If there are no dependent children still receiving foster care services and the annual income of the parent ordered to pay support is less than $100,000, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level, the case will not be reviewed for relief from foster care arrears.

Collections made prior to the collectability determination and removal of arrears will not be refunded.  (CSSP Letter 23-02, October 23, 2023.)

Referrals of families with a child in foster care to child support agencies

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Effective January 1, 2023, counties cannot refer parents whose children have been removed from the home and who are receiving Child Welfare Services to child support agencies.  The only exception to this rule is if a parent’s annual income is more than $100,000, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level, whichever is greater, and referral will not be a barrier to reunification.

In addition, effective January 1, 2023, accrual and collection of foster care related child support payments that do not meet the exception stops.

Counties are encouraged to reassess cases where the family meets the exception if they get information that the parent’s situation no longer meets the exception.

Counties must still do the CW 51 child support referral form for foster care cases and note on the form that the referral will not be sent to the local child support agency unless the parents meet the income exception.  (ACL 23-29, March 20, 2023.)

Forms and notices for CalWORKs Family Reunification grants

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has released new forms and notices for the CalWORKs Family Reunification benefit.  The CalWORKs Family Reunification benefit provides up to six months of cash aid and child care as part of a child welfare services reunification plan.

CDSS states that families will be eligible for a Family Reunification cash grant when automation is complete.  (ACL 24-48, July 2, 2024.)