California » Legislation & Policies » Kinship/Guardianship Legislation

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 Kinship/Guardianship 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

Dependent Children & Relative Caregivers

Bill: AB 938, Chapter 261; Status: Enacted

Summary: Requires a social worker, when a child is removed from the home, to immediately begin conducting an investigation in order to identify and locate all grandparents, adult siblings, and other adult relative of the child, in order to provide those persons with specified information, including that the child has been removed from the custody of his or her parents or guardians and an explanation of various options to participate in placement of the child.

Sponsored by Assembly Judiciary Committee

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.

Pending Kinship/Guardianship Legislation in California

Sibling Placement in Foster Care

Bill: AB 743; Status: Pending

Summary: Amends existing law that requires a social worker who takes a minor into custody to place the minor together within any siblings or half-siblings who are detained or to include a statement as to why that placement would not be appropriate. Requires the worker to make reasonable efforts to place the minor and his or her siblings or half siblings together or to include a statement why the placement would be contrary to the safety or well being of any of the siblings.

Family Connections Grants

Bill: AB 1402; Status: Pending

Summary: Requires the Department of Social Services to support one or more California-based applications for a federal matching grant for the purpose of helping children who are in, or at risk of entering, foster care reconnect with family members.

Sibling Placement in Foster Care

Bill: AB 743; Status: Pending-Carryover

Summary: Amends existing law that requires a social worker who takes a minor into custody to place the minor together within any siblings or half-siblings who are detained or to include a statement as to why that placement would not be appropriate. Requires the worker to make reasonable efforts to place the minor and his or her siblings or half siblings together or to include a statement why the placement would be contrary to the safety or well being of any of the siblings.