(a) The Legislature recognizes the importance of ensuring that prospective foster family homes meet specified health and safety requirements. Moreover, the Legislature acknowledges that there is a further need to evaluate a licensed foster parent’s ability, readiness, and willingness to meet the varying needs of children, including hard-to-place children, in order to ensure competent placement resources. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with county placement agencies, foster care providers, and other interested parties, develop and implement through regulations, a comprehensive home study process that integrates the decision outcome of the home study developed pursuant to Section 16518 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as a criteria for placement.
(b) This section shall become inoperative on the date the regulations adopted pursuant to this section are filed with the Secretary of State.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 653, Sec. 4. Effective October 10, 2001. Inoperative on date prescribed by its own provisions.)