CA AB734

Establishes a pilot program in up to 5 counties (both rural and urban) to provide strengths-based, skills-based, trauma-informed coaching services to resource families caring for foster youth to increase placement stability and retention.

Coaches must be trained mentors, social workers, or mental health care providers who assist resource families in implementing skills from preapproval and annual training and inform them of available supportive services; social workers with current caseloads are ineligible to serve as coaches.

Department must consult with stakeholders including foster youth, resource families, and child welfare agencies by June 30, 2020, to develop program parameters including county selection criteria, coaching curriculum, coach qualifications, and evaluation methods.

Participating counties must conduct at least one evaluation of the program's impact on placement stability and resource family retention by December 31, 2022, and submit results to the department, which must report findings to the Legislature.

Pilot program implementation begins no later than January 1, 2021, requires legislative appropriation of sufficient funding, and sunsets on January 1, 2023.