AB 1856 Summary

• Requires training for group home facility administrators, licensed foster parents, and relative/nonrelative extended family member caregivers to include instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to LGBT youth in out-of-home care.

• Mandates that group home administrators complete 40 hours of classroom instruction including a new requirement on cultural competency and best practices for providing care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.

• Requires licensed foster parents to complete 12 hours of preplacement training and 8 hours of annual postplacement training, both now including instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity for LGBT youth in out-of-home care.

• Establishes a foster child right to have caregivers and child welfare personnel who have received instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to LGBT youth in out-of-home care.

• Requires community college districts with foster care education programs to provide orientation and training to relative or nonrelative extended family member caregivers that includes instruction on cultural competency and best practices for providing care to LGBT youth.