TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Yasumoto, Director Health & Human Services
REPORT BY: JoAnn Melgar, Staff Services Analyst II
SUBJECT: Renewal Agreement with the California Department of Social Services (Resource Family Approval)
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Health and Human Services requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign Renewal Agreement No. 8549 with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for the term July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024 for the purpose of continuing 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.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of this renewal Agreement continues the roles and responsibilities of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Legal Division for administrative action appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval program. This Agreement provides that the CDSS Legal Division shall act as the sole legal representative on behalf of the County in the provision of legal consultations and representation on appeals 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.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Where is it budgeted? |
N/A |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
N/A |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
N/A |
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Consequences if not approved: |
N/A |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Effective and Open Government |
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Additional Information |
CDSS conducts Family Evaluations, Home Safety Assessments, and Complaint Investigations for small counties that lack sufficient resources to provide these services. Napa County conducts these services internally and does not utilize CDSS resources for these items. |
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.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
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.
Approval of the renewal Agreement will continue the role and responsibilities of the CDSS Legal Division for administrative action appeals associated with the Resource Family Approval program. This Agreement is not mandatory. However, an RFA appeal can take up significant time and resources of County Counsel staff. This Agreement provides that the CDSS Legal Division shall act as the sole legal representative on behalf of the County in the provision of legal consultations on appeals 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.