(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Safety, stability, and the permanence of families in the child welfare system are of paramount importance.
(2) Ongoing assessments that build on the strength of the child and family unit, and that identify desired outcomes, are critical in the development of appropriate case plans for children.
(3) If it is necessary to place a child in out-of-home care, the use of a formal child and family assessment can enhance the appropriateness of placement and the identification and delivery of services necessary to meet the child’s needs and strengths, consistent with case plan goals.
(b) On or before December 31, 1998, the department shall issue to all county placing agencies and the courts, current best practice guidelines for the assessment of a child and the child’s family unit. The guidelines shall include recommended methods for gathering certain background information on the child and the child’s family unit, identifying appropriate services for the case plan, and methods of monitoring and reassessing the case plan to best meet case plan goals. For children placed in group homes or foster family agencies, the guidelines shall include methods for identifying appropriate placement options, and monitoring the services provided by the group home or foster family agency to best address the strengths and needs of the child and the child’s family unit.
(c) (1) The department shall conduct a pilot project to test the effectiveness of utilizing best practice standards for the assessment of children and families receiving child welfare and foster care services, for the purpose of identifying the strengths and needs of the family and the child, developing and monitoring appropriate case plans, and determining appropriate services.
(2) The pilot project shall meet all of the following conditions:
(A) On or before July 1, 1999, the department shall solicit participation in the pilot project by counties, and, to the extent possible, provide for broad geographical representation. On or before September 1, 1999, the department shall select pilot counties and begin operation of the pilot project.
(B) The pilot project shall use an assessment protocol or process developed by the department in collaboration with county agencies and other stakeholders.
(C) The pilot project shall be evaluated independently to judge the effectiveness of the assessment protocol or instrument, including whether the assessment provides adequate background data on the child and the child’s family unit, improves achievement of case plan goals, is judged useful to the counties and service providers, and can be applied with ease.
(D) For children placed in group homes or foster family agencies, the assessment protocol or process developed pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall identify the strengths and needs of the child to be met by the placement program and methods for monitoring the delivery of services by the placement agencies.
(E) The assessment shall be sensitive to the ethnic and linguistic background of the children and families being assessed, and shall include, but not be limited to, the child’s age, previous placement history, specific indicators, including living situation, social situation, medical situation, educational situation, vocational situation, emotional situation, behavioral situation, and legal, cultural, and religious history, and areas and activities of interest.
(d) In collaboration with county agencies and other stakeholders, and based on the results of the pilot project described in this section, the department shall develop a formal assessment process for children receiving foster care and child welfare services. On or before May 1, 2001, the department shall inform the Legislature on the status of the pilot project described in this section, and the proposed assessment protocol or process with recommendations for its implementation, including incorporation of the assessment process into the child welfare services case management system.
(e) Upon satisfactory completion of the pilot project described in this section, and development of a formal assessment instrument or process, the department, in collaboration with representatives of county placing agencies, training academies, and the California Social Work Education Center, shall integrate training and technical assistance on the family assessment guidelines into the curriculum of the regional training academies.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 311, Sec. 68. Effective August 19, 1998.)