Budget bill implementation meets Child Welfare payments: AB 4 requires certain rates paid in the Foster Care Program decreased effective October 1, 2009. The state-approved foster care rates for out-of-home placements and Foster Care are provided in the letter. On the positive side, it also provides the new clothing supplemental payment information and that the infant supplement remains unchanged. [Download]

A review of recent statutory changes that affect adoptions. Topics include allowing a child’s presumed father to waive his right to notice of any adoption and/or to deny his paternity, before or after a child is born; clarifying that adoption agencies accepting a relinquishment from a child’s birth parent(s) are required to inform themthat during any time after the relinquishment is signed and before it is filed with CDSS, he or she may request the relinquishment be withdrawn; allows a child’s birth parent(s) to sign a waiver of the right to revoke consent to adoption. [Download]

This letter transmits an Equivalency Letter that may be used to assist counties in explaining California’s relative non-relative extended family (NREFM) home approval process to other Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) members. This letter was developed to help explain the legality of the relative and NREFM home approval process used in California and its equivalency to a licensing status, to avoid delays in foster care and adoptive placements made pursuant to the ICPC. [Download]

Notice of the review schedule. [Download]

SB 84 provided for supplementmental rates based on the extraordinary care and supervision needs of a dual agency (Regional Center and foster care) child. It also required various data reporting, not all of which can be collected via the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System. Voila! This letter transmits the new report to get this additional data: the “Supplement to the Rate Requests for Dual Agency AFDC/FC and AAP Children Quarterly Statistical Report (FC-AAP 84).” [Download]