(a) In order to better inform the public as to the range of social services available to aid children and their families, and to provide a concise summary of programs caseworkers may access to aid clients, the State Department of Social Services shall prepare a guide to all programs administered by county departments of social services for children and their families, and that are regulated by the State Department of Social Services. This guide shall include brief descriptions of programs and succinct summaries of their eligibility requirements for all programs available on a statewide basis or in at least two counties. The guide shall not exceed five letter-sized pages. It is not the intent of the Legislature that the guide be a comprehensive training manual for social workers. The guide shall, therefore, be written in language tailored for comprehension by the general public. The guide shall be updated on an annual basis.
(b) The State Department of Social Services shall provide one master copy of the guide, prepared pursuant to subdivision (a), to each county department of social services office that serves children and their families. The State Department of Social Services and county social services departments may make copies of the guide available to members of the public upon request on a fee-for-service basis, provided that the fee shall not exceed the cost of duplication and mailing.
(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1231, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1994.)