AB 878 Summary

• Eliminates group home and out-of-state group home as AFDC-FC placement options effective January 1, 2018, and replaces them with licensed short-term residential treatment centers (both in-state and out-of-state).

• Restricts short-term residential treatment center placements to 120 days maximum unless a director or probation chief determines progress on the case plan and additional time is substantiated, and prohibits children under age 12 from such placement unless family-based settings cannot maintain them.

• Requires child and family teams to convene at least every 60 days to review placement necessity, whether placement is meeting the child's needs, and the anticipated return date to family care.

• Mandates the State Department of Social Services establish a working group by December 31, 2016 to develop and implement the statewide Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Plus assessment tool to evaluate children's trauma exposure, behavioral and emotional needs, and foster parent functioning.

• Requires the department to issue guidance by December 31, 2016 on using child and family teams to review assessments and make placement, service, and support decisions for children in foster care.