The Fostering Connections Resource Center gratefully acknowledges the National Conference of State Legislatures for sharing its tracking information about pending and enacted legislation. Please visit NCSL for additional information.
Enacted Adoption Legislation in California
Fostering Connections to Success Act
Bill: AB 12; Status: Enacted
Summary: Requires the department to amend its foster care state plan to extend care to specified individuals up to 21 years of age. Requires the court to ensure that the child's transitional case plan is reviewed periodically and includes a plan for the child to meet one or more criteria that would allow the child to remain a nonminor dependent, and to ensure that the child has been informed of his or her right to seek the termination of dependency jurisdiction. Extends the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) to include children under 21 years of age who turned 16 years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective.
Sponsored by Assembly Members Beall and Bass, with principal co-author, Senator Liu
Adoption Assistance
Bill: AB 154, Chapter 222; Status: Enacted
Summary: States the intent of the Legislature to conform state statutes with the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and to expend savings resulting from changes in eligibility for adoption assistance on services, including, but not limited to, postadoption assistance. Requires that the State Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency inform prospective adoptive families of their potential eligibility for a federal and state tax credit.
Sponsored by Assembly Member Evans
Adoption Services
Bill: AB 295, Chapter 427; Status: Enacted
Summary: Extends the availability of funds appropriated for adoption activities to specified counties to to provide preadoption and postadoption services to ensure the successful adoption of children and youth who have been in foster care 18 months or more, are at least nine years of age, and are placed in an unrelated foster home or in a group home.
Sponsored by Assembly Member Ammiano
State Adoption Services
Bill: AB 665, Chapter 250; Status: Enacted
Summary: Makes a change to provisions of existing law under which the State Department of Social Services may provide state adoption services and which requires the state to reinvest adoption incentive payments for placement of older children into the child welfare system in order to provide adoption services for older children.
Sponsored by Assembly Member Torrico
Child Welfare Services for Foster Care & Adoption
Bill: SB 597, Chapter 339; Status: Enacted
Summary: Makes amendments necessary to be consistent with the requirements set forth in the federal Fostering Connections Act. These include requiring the State Department of Social Services to exercise diligence to identify and provide notice to all adult grandparents and close relatives of the child; requiring the Department, in consultation with pediatricians, health care experts, and experts in and recipients of child welfare services to develop a plan for the ongoing oversight and coordination of health care services for a child in a foster care placement; and requiring the department or licensed adoption agency to provide information regarding the federal adoption tax credit for any individual who is adopting or considering adopting a child in foster care.
Sponsored by Senator Liu
Older Youth
Bill: AB 12; Status: Enacted
Summary: Requires the department to amend its foster care state plan to extend care to specified individuals up to 21 years of age. Requires the court to ensure that the child's transitional case plan is reviewed periodically and includes a plan for the child to meet one or more criteria that would allow the child to remain a nonminor dependent, and to ensure that the child has been informed of his or her right to seek the termination of dependency jurisdiction. Extends the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) to include children under 21 years of age who turned 16 years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective.
Sponsored by Assembly Members Beall and Bass, with principal co-author, Senator Liu
Pending Adoption Legislation in California
Income Tax Credit for Adoption Costs
Bill: AB 47; Status: Pending
Summary: Amends the Personal Income Tax Law to increase the credit limitation to a new maximum amount with respect to the adoption of a minor child who is over a specified age or who was living in a group home or residential treatment facility for a specified period prior to the time the adoption was completed. Creates additional incentives for prospective adoptive parents to adopt older foster youth by removing monetary barriers that might otherwise hinder the adoption of these older foster youth
Sponsored by Assembly Member Ma
