CA AB1878

Increases mandatory foster parent training from 12 to 30 hours before placement, adding requirements for trauma-informed care and confidentiality/privacy education.

Requires school liaisons to notify staff and teachers within 5 school days when a foster child enrolls in a new school, and mandates county welfare agencies to recruit and maintain lists of adults willing to serve as educational rights holders.

Expands pupil records access for child welfare agencies upon request and requires local educational agencies to adopt policies governing use of foster care student data by January 1, 2016.

Authorizes juvenile courts to appoint Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) as educational rights holders and requires counties to enter into memoranda of understanding with schools and courts by January 1, 2016 to share foster care information and data.

Requires the Child Welfare Council to develop model data-sharing agreements and resource guides by August 1, 2015 to facilitate information sharing among child welfare, education, and court systems while protecting confidentiality.