TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Yasumoto, Director of Health and Human Services Agency
REPORT BY: Jennifer Ivancie, Staff Services Analyst I
SUBJECT: Agreement No. 8681 with the California Department of Social Services
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 8681 with the California Department of Social Services for the term July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027 for the purpose of establishing the responsibilities of the State and the County in the provision and receipt of certain services, including legal consultation and legal representation in administrative action appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval program. (No Fiscal Impact; Mandatory).
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BACKGROUND
The Resource Family Approval (RFA) program was created to provide a unified, family-friendly and child-centered resource family approval process to replace multiple processes for licensing foster homes, approving relatives and non-relative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving adoptive families. The RFA program also establishes a single set of standards for resource family approvals which allow for the safety, permanence and well-being needs of the children who have been victims of child abuse and neglect, reduces the use of congregate care placement settings and decreases the length of time for each child to obtain permanency.
To assume the responsibility for foster home licensing, counties must conform to the rules, regulations and standards for foster home licensing as outlined in Health and Safety Code Chapter 3, the California Community Care Facilities Act. Further, the County must execute a formal agreement with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) through the Community Care Licensing (CCL) division.
An RFA appeal requires significant time and resources from County Counsel staff and CDSS Legal Division is well positioned to represent counties by providing legal consultation for administrative actions on appeal to an RFA Notice of Action. The County is the client and is the final decision maker on decisions affecting the legal rights of the County.
CDSS and the County had previously entered into Napa County Agreement No. 8549 in 2021 to establish these services; that agreement terminated June 30, 2024, thus creating the need for this new agreement at this time.
Requested action:
Approve and authorize Agreement No. 8681 with the California Department of Social Services for the term July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027 for the purpose of establishing the responsibilities of the CDSS and the County in the provision and receipt of certain services, including legal consultation and legal representation in administrative action appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval (RFA) program.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Mandatory |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If this agreement is not approved, CDSS will be unable to provide mandated legal services regarding RFA to the County. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.