California

Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC

7,184 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 15862 — (a) The provisions of this chapter shall be implemented only if all of the following conditions are met: (1) Federal financial participation is available for this purpose.
• § 15863 — The state shall be held harmless for any federal disallowance resulting from this chapter and any other expenses or liabilities, including, but not limited to, the cost of processing or granting appea
• § 15864 — This chapter shall become operative on July 1, 2014.
• § 15870 — For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Applicant” means an individual who applies for major risk medical coverage through the program.
• § 15872 — The California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program is hereby established within, and shall be administered by, the department.
• § 15872.5 — This chapter shall become operative on July 1, 2014.
• § 15873 — The department shall have the authority: (a) To establish eligibility criteria, notwithstanding Section 15884, and determine the eligibility of applicants.
• § 15876 — Plan rates for major risk medical benefits approved for the program shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, but shall be adequate to pay anticipated costs of claims or services
• § 15877 — (a) The department shall direct the participating health plans to inform all program subscribers of the December 31, 2024, transition of coverage as follows: (1) (A) On August 1, 2024, the participati
• § 15878 — The department may place a lien on compensation or benefits recovered or recoverable by a subscriber from any party or parties responsible for the compensation or benefits for which benefits have been
• § 15879 — Except as provided in Article 3.
• § 15880 — Benefits under this article or Article 4 (commencing with Section 15881) shall be subject to required subscriber copayments and deductibles as the department may authorize.
• § 15881 — The department shall provide coverage through participating health plans and may contract for the processing of applications, the enrollment of subscribers, and activities necessary to administer the
• § 15882 — The department may provide or purchase stop-loss coverage under which the program and participating health plans share the risk for health plan expenses which exceed plan rates.
• § 15883 — The department shall withdraw its approval of any participating health benefits plan for noncompliance with program standards, nonpayment of claims, or other good cause shown.
• § 15884 — (a) Each resident of the state meeting the eligibility criteria of this section and who is unable to secure adequate private health coverage is eligible to apply for major risk medical coverage throug
• § 15884.5 — (a) It shall constitute unfair competition for purposes of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code for an insurer, an insurance agent or
• § 15885 — The department may permit the exclusion of coverage or benefits for charges or expenses incurred by a subscriber during the first six months of enrollment in the program for any condition for which, d
• § 15885.5 — If more than one participating health plan is offered, the department shall make available to applicants eligible to enroll in the program sufficient information to make an informed choice among the v
• § 15886 — After the applicant notifies the department in writing of his or her choice of participating health plan, the department shall assist the applicant in enrolling as a subscriber and securing major risk
• § 15886.5 — A subscriber may request a change in coverage based upon a change in the family status of any dependent, by filing an application within 30 days after the occurrence of the change in family status, or
• § 15887 — Health coverage secured through the program shall permit a covered dependent of a subscriber to elect to continue the same coverage upon the death of the subscriber, or upon the subscriber becoming el
• § 15887.5 — A transfer of enrollment from one participating health plan to another may be made by a subscriber at times and under conditions as may be prescribed by the department.
• § 15888 — If a subscriber is dissatisfied with any action or failure to act which has occurred in connection with a participating plan’s coverage, the subscriber shall have the right to appeal to the department
• § 15888.5 — Subscribers and their dependents who become eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B, excluding those on Medicare solely because of end-stage renal disease, shall not be enrolled, or continue to be enr
• § 15890 — Upon enrollment as a subscriber in the program, the subscriber shall be responsible for payment of the subscriber contribution.
• § 15890.5 — Each health plan contracting with the department pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 15881) shall submit annually to the department rates which it estimates are sufficient to cover the cost
• § 15891 — (a) The department shall establish program contribution amounts for each category of risk for each participating health plan.
• § 15891.5 — A participating health plan may charge subscriber contributions under this article that do not exceed the difference between its plan rate for the category of risk and the program contribution amount
• § 15893 — (a) There is hereby continued in existence in the State Treasury a special fund known as the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund that is, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, continuous
• § 15894 — (a) Except as provided in Section 15894.
• § 15894.5 — (a) From money appropriated by the Legislature to the fund, the department may expend sufficient funds to carry out the purposes of this chapter and of Section 10127.
• § 15895 — Any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year may be carried forward to the next succeeding fiscal year.
• § 15900 — The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) Approximately 21 percent of nonelderly Californians lack health insurance coverage.
• § 15901 — (a) There is hereby established the Health Care Coverage Initiative to expand health care coverage to low-income uninsured individuals in California.
• § 15902 — (a) Persons eligible to be served by the Health Care Coverage Initiative are low-income uninsured individuals who are not currently eligible for the Medi-Cal program, Healthy Families Program, or Acce
• § 15903 — The Health Care Coverage Initiative shall be designed and implemented to achieve all of the following outcomes: (a) Expand the number of Californians who have health care coverage.
• § 15904 — (a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall issue a request for applications for funding the Health Care Coverage Initiative.
• § 15905 — Applications submitted to the department shall include, but not be limited to, each of the following: (a) A description of the proposed Health Care Coverage program, including, but not limited to, all
• § 15906 — (a) The department shall seek partnership with an independent, nonprofit group or foundation, an academic institution, or a governmental entity providing grants for health-related activities, to evalu
• § 15907 — (a) The department shall monitor the programs funded under the initiative for compliance with applicable federal requirements and the requirements under this part, and pursuant to the Special Terms an
• § 15908 — (a) This part shall become inoperative on the date that the director executes a declaration, which shall be retained by the director and provided to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the
• § 15909 — The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Pursuant to Section 14180, the Legislature directed the department to apply for a successor federal waiver or demonstration project, in par
• § 15909.1 — For purposes of this part, the following definitions shall apply: (a) “Demonstration project” means a federal waiver or demonstration project described in Section 14180 approved by the federal Centers
• § 15910 — (a) Subject to federal approval of a demonstration project effective on or after November 1, 2010, the department shall, by no later than July 1, 2011, authorize local LIHPs to provide scheduled healt
• § 15910.1 — (a) For LIHPs serving HCCI-eligible individuals , subject to federal funding limits or requirements that differ from the requirements for individuals described in subdivision (a) of Section 15910, the
• § 15910.2 — (a) The eligible entity shall meet both of the following requirements and any additional requirements imposed by the Special Terms and Conditions of the demonstration project in order for the departme
• § 15910.3 — (a) In consultation with participating entities, the department shall determine actuarially sound per enrollee capitation rates for LIHPs that are adequate and sufficient to ensure access to services
• § 15910.4 — As a condition of participation in the voluntary program provided under this part, a LIHP shall comply with Section 14169.
• § 15910.5 — (a) An application to operate a Low Income Health Program (LIHP) by a nondesignated public hospital, pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 15909.
• § 15911 — (a) Funding for each LIHP shall be based on all of the following: (1) The amount of funding that the participating entity voluntarily provides for the nonfederal share of LIHP expenditures.
• § 15911.1 — Upon the order of the Director of Finance, the Controller shall draw warrants against General Fund cash to provide cashflow loans as follows: (a) The Director of Finance may approve cashflow loans of
• § 15912 — (a) Subject to the Special Terms and Conditions of the demonstration project, the department shall ensure that the LIHPs established under this part are evaluated to determine to what extent the proje
• § 15912.1 — (a) The department, in collaboration with the State Department of Public Health, shall develop policies and guidance on the transition of persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS from federal Ryan White HIV/AI
• § 15913 — Notwithstanding Chapter 3.
• § 15914 — The application process used by the department to authorize entities to operate LIHPs and any agreements entered into by, or modified by, the department for purposes of this part shall not be subject
• § 15915 — In the event of a conflict between a provision of this part and a term or condition of the successor federal waiver or demonstration project pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 15910, the terms and
• § 15916 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Department of Health Care Services and all other departments take all appropriate steps to fully maximize and claim all available expenditures fo
• § 15925 — (a) This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Health Care Reform Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention Planning Act.
• § 15926 — (a) The following definitions apply for purposes of this part: (1) “Accessible” means in compliance with Section 11135 of the Government Code, Section 1557 of the PPACA, and regulations or guidance ad
• § 16 — “Oath” includes affirmation.
• § 16000 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to preserve and strengthen a child’s family ties whenever possible, removing the child from the custody of his or her parents only when necessary for his or her
• § 16000.1 — (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The state has a duty to care for and protect the children that the state places into foster care, and as a matter of public policy, the
• § 16000.5 — The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351) provides Indian tribes with the option, effe
• § 16000.6 — The State Department of Social Services shall negotiate in good faith with the Indian tribe, organization, or consortium in the state that requests development of an agreement with the state to admini
• § 16001 — (a) The State Department of Social Services shall provide technical assistance to encourage and facilitate the county placement agency’s evaluation of placement needs and the development of needed pla
• § 16001.1 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to support the urgent and exceptional needs of children and nonminor dependents in foster care under the supervision of a county child welfare agency or probati
• § 16001.5 — The State Department of Social Services shall annually distribute information declaring the importance of promoting self-esteem with respect to foster children to all of the following: (a) Each county
• § 16001.7 — (a) The department shall promote the participation of current and former foster youth in the development of state foster care and child welfare policy.
• § 16001.8 — (a) The State Department of Social Services shall convene a working group regarding the rights of all minors and nonminors in foster care, as specified in Section 16001.
• § 16001.9 — (a) All children placed in foster care, either voluntarily or after being adjudged a ward or dependent of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, 601, or 602, shall have the rights specified in th
• § 16002 — (a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain the continuity of the family unit and ensure the preservation and strengthening of the child’s family ties by ensuring that when siblings have b
• § 16002.5 — It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain the continuity of the family unit and to support and preserve families headed by minor parents and nonminor dependent parents who are themselves under t
• § 16003.5 — (a) Any state funding allocated to counties for the purpose of recruiting, retaining, and supporting foster parents, relative caregivers, and resource families shall be used to increase the capacity a
• § 16004.5 — (a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is an urgent need to develop placement resources to permit minor parents and their children to remain together in out-of-home care when the minor pare
• § 16005 — Siblings shall be assigned to the same social worker when there is a prospective adoptive family that intends to adopt the children as a sibling group, unless the responsible local agency finds that a
• § 16006 — Children and nonminor dependents in out-of-home care shall be placed according to their gender identity, regardless of the gender or sex listed in their court or child welfare records.
• § 16010 — (a) (1) When a child is placed in foster care, the case plan for each child recommended pursuant to Section 358.
• § 16010.10 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the admission of dependents, nonminor dependents, and wards of the juvenile courts in psychiatric residential treatment facilities, as defined by
• § 16010.11 — (a) (1) Each county child welfare agency shall adopt a policy for supporting foster children who are transitioning between placement settings and who are transitioning from foster care to reunificatio
• § 16010.2 — (a) The department, in consultation with pediatricians, other health care experts, including public health nurses, and experts in and recipients of child welfare services, including parents, shall dev
• § 16010.4 — The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Foster parents are one of the most important sources of information about the children in their care.
• § 16010.5 — (a) When initially placing a child into foster care or kinship care, and within 48 hours of any subsequent placement of that child, the placing agency shall provide to the child’s caretaker both of th
• § 16010.6 — (a) As soon as a placing agency makes a decision with respect to a placement or a change in placement of a dependent child, but not later than the close of the following business day, the placing agen
• § 16010.7 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to prevent children or youth in foster care placement from experiencing unnecessary or abrupt foster care placement changes that negatively impact their well-be
• § 16010.8 — It is the intent of the Legislature that no child or youth in foster care reside in group care for longer than one year.
• § 16010.9 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to restrict the use of out-of-state residential facilities, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910 of the Family Code, by county placing agencies to inst
• § 16011 — (a) Subject to the conditions prescribed by this section, Los Angeles County may pursue the development and evaluation of a pilot Internet-based health and education passport system.
• § 16013 — (a) It is the policy of this state that all persons engaged in providing care and services to foster children, including, but not limited to, foster parents, adoptive parents, relative caregivers, and
• § 16014 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to maximize federal funding for foster youth services provided by local educational agencies.
• § 16100 — (a) Any county may perform the home-finding and placement functions, to investigate, examine, and make reports upon petitions for adoption filed in the superior court, to act as a placement agency in
• § 16101 — (a) Prior to the 2011–12 fiscal year, the cost of administering the adoption programs undertaken by a county under license issued pursuant to Section 16100 of this code shall be borne by the state in
• § 16105 — If any grants-in-aid are made by the federal government for the cost of administering an adoption program, or for the cost of care of children relinquished for adoption, the amount of the federal gran
• § 16106 — The state shall reimburse each county for the cost of care of any child placed under the custody of a county department pursuant to Section 8805 or 8918 of the Family Code.
• § 16115 — Aid under this chapter shall be known as the Adoption Assistance Program.
• § 16115.5 — It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to benefit children residing in foster homes by providing the stability and security of permanent homes, and in so doing, achieve a reducti
• § 16118 — (a) The department shall establish and administer the program to be carried out by the department or the county pursuant to this chapter.
• § 16119 — (a) At the time application for adoption of a child who is potentially eligible for Adoption Assistance Program benefits is made, and at the time immediately prior to the finalization of the adoption
• § 16120 — A child is eligible for Adoption Assistance Program benefits if all of the conditions specified in subdivisions (a) to (l), inclusive, are met or if the conditions specified in subdivision (m) are met
• § 16120.05 — The adoption assistance agreement shall, at a minimum, specify the amount and duration of assistance, and that the amount is subject to any applicable increases pursuant to the cost-of-living adjustme
• § 16120.1 — Upon the authorization of the department or, where appropriate, the county responsible for determining the child’s or nonminor dependent’s Adoption Assistance Program eligibility status and for provid
• § 16121 — (a) (1) For initial adoption assistance agreements executed on or prior to December 31, 2007, the adoptive family shall be paid an amount of aid based on the child’s needs otherwise covered in AFDC-FC
• § 16121.05 — (a) The department or county adoption agency may recover any overpayments of financial assistance under the Adoption Assistance Program, and shall develop regulations that establish the means to recou
• § 16121.1 — Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11105, the residence of the adoptive parents at the time of or subsequent to adoptive placement shall not terminate the eligibility of a child who is otherwis
• § 16121.2 — The Director of Social Services and the Director of Health Services may enter into interstate agreements pursuant to Chapter 2.
• § 16121.5 — (a) Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments may be made on behalf of an otherwise eligible child for placement in an out-of-state residential treatment facility if one or more of the adoptive paren
• § 16122 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to support permanency for children and nonminor dependents who need permanent homes through adoption or guardianship.
• § 16123 — The provisions of Section 16120, permitting the payment of adoption assistance until a child attains 18 or 21 years of age if the child has mental or physical handicaps, or effective January 1, 2012,
• § 16124 — (a) (1) Upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature for the purposes set forth in this section, the State Department of Social Services shall establish a project in four counties and one state
• § 16125 — A foster child whose adoption has become final, who is receiving or is eligible to receive Adoption Assistance Program assistance, including Medi-Cal, and whose foster care court supervision has been
• § 16130 — In any county which does not have a county adoption agency established pursuant to Section 16100, the department may establish services incident to the relinquishment of children for adoption.
• § 16131 — It is the intent of the Legislature to conform state statutes to federal legislation, including the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Public Law 113-183) and the Adoption and
• § 16131.5 — (a) The state shall reinvest adoption and guardianship incentive payments received through the implementation of the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Publ
• § 16132 — It is the intent of the Legislature to conform state statutes to recently enacted federal legislation, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351) an
• § 16133 — On and after July 1, 2011, when a person has been an employee of the State Department of Social Services within the 12-month period prior to his or her employment by a county, the board of supervisors
• § 16135 — The purpose of this chapter is to establish a program for special training and services to facilitate the adoption of children who are HIV positive, or born to a substance-abusing mother.
• § 16135.1 — (a) “Eligible child” means any child who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2), and paragraph (3).
• § 16135.10 — (a) In order to promote successful adoptions of substance and alcohol exposed court dependent children, participating counties shall maintain a program of specialized training and supportive services
• § 16135.13 — (a) A participating county shall provide special training to recruited adoptive parents to care for eligible children.
• § 16135.14 — (a) The county shall determine whether a child is eligible for services pursuant to this section.
• § 16135.16 — The requirements of this section may be met by the implementation of the TIES for Adoption program as defined in Subdivision (b) of Section 16135.
• § 16135.17 — Participating counties shall prepare an adoption services case plan pursuant to regulations adopted by the department and arrange for nonmedical support services.
• § 16135.25 — The department shall do all of the following: (a) Develop necessary procedures and standardized programs for a specialized adoptive home training project.
• § 16135.30 — (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subdivisions (b) and (c) shall control the placement of a child pursuant to this chapter.
• § 16160 — The Legislature finds and declares that the people of California have benefited from the establishment of a long-term care ombudsperson pursuant to Section 9710 of the Welfare and Institutions Code an
• § 16161 — (a) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall be established as an autonomous entity within the department for the purpose of providing children who are placed in foster care, either volu
• § 16162 — (a) The Director of Social Services, in consultation with, and after receiving a list of possible nominees from, a committee of at least five interested individuals that are described in this subdivis
• § 16163 — The department shall hire the necessary personnel to perform the functions of the office.
• § 16164 — (a) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall do all of the following: (1) (A) Disseminate information and provide training and technical assistance to foster youth, social workers, proba
• § 16165 — As part of the office’s efforts to resolve complaints related to foster care, the ombudsperson may do all of the following: (a) Establish policies and procedures for receiving and processing complaint
• § 16166 — In order to encourage candor during the ombudsperson’s investigation of complaints made by or on behalf of foster youth and to facilitate the ombudsperson’s ability to resolve complaints, all of the f
• § 16167 — (a) A toll-free number shall be established for the office.
• § 16170 — The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Finding adoptive families for children, for whom state assistance is desirable pursuant to Chapter 2.
• § 16171 — The purposes of this chapter are to: (a) Authorize the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services to enter into interstate agreements with agencies of other states
• § 16172 — As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (a) “Adoption assistance state” means the state that is signatory to an adoption assistance ag
• § 16173 — The State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services are authorized to develop, participate in the development of, negotiate, or enter into one or more interstate compac
• § 16174 — A compact entered into pursuant to the authority conferred by this chapter shall contain all of the following: (a) A provision making it available for joinder by all states.
• § 16175 — A compact entered into pursuant to the authority conferred by this chapter may contain provisions in addition to those required pursuant to Section 16174, as follows: (a) Provisions establishing proce
• § 16176 — (a) (1) Any child who is a resident of California and who is the subject of a state-only adoption assistance agreement with another state, shall be eligible to receive Medi-Cal benefits whether or not
• § 16177 — Consistent with federal law, the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services, in connection with the administration of this chapter and any compact pursuant thereto
• § 16200 — Unless the context requires otherwise, the definitions set forth in this section shall govern the construction of this chapter.
• § 16205 — The department shall select and award a grant to a private nonprofit or public entity for the purpose of establishing a statewide multipurpose child welfare training program.
• § 16206 — (a) The purpose of the program is to develop and implement statewide coordinated training programs designed specifically to meet the needs of county child protective services social workers assigned e
• § 16207 — Nothing in this chapter is intended to replace training requirements established by the department in regulations contained in Sections 30-196 and 30-272 of the department’s manual of policies and pro
• § 16208 — (a) (1) The department, in consultation with the Child Welfare Training Advisory Board, shall contract with the University of California or the California State University system to develop a statewid
• § 16210 — (a) The department shall establish a Child Welfare Training Advisory Board to oversee training programs as specified by this chapter.
• § 16215 — The appropriation in support of the Child Welfare Training Program shall be provided annually through the Budget Act.
• § 16500 — The state, through the department and county welfare departments, shall establish and support a public system of statewide child welfare services to be developed as rapidly as possible and to be avail
• § 16500.1 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to use the strengths of families and communities to serve the needs of children who are alleged to be abused or neglected, as described in Section 300, to reduc
• § 16500.5 — (a) (1) The Legislature hereby declares its intent to encourage the continuity of the family unit by all of the following: (A) Consistently providing family preservation services that have a track rec
• § 16500.51 — (a) In addition to participation in the program provided for under Section 16500.
• § 16500.55 — Any county that participates in the program pursuant to this section on or after the effective date of the act which amends this section in the 1991 calendar year shall provide services to children wh
• § 16500.65 — (a) In addition to the three programs authorized under Section 16500.
• § 16500.8 — (a) The department shall, in consultation with counties, seek additional federal revenues to finance the family preservation activities described in Section 16500.
• § 16500.9 — The department shall establish one full-time position, within the office of the director, to assist counties and the department in complying with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.
• § 16501 — (a) (1) As used in this chapter, “child welfare services” means public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of any or all of the following purposes: (A) Protecting and promoting
• § 16501.01 — (a) A county may arrange for respite care for a child or nonminor dependent supervised by the county, which may be provided by any of the following: (1) Prior to January 1, 2021, a licensed foster fam
• § 16501.02 — (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) “Alternative care” means care and supervision of more than 24 consecutive hours, but no more than 72 consecutive hours unle
• § 16501.1 — (a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the foundation and central unifying tool in child welfare services is the case plan.
• § 16501.15 — As used in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 16501.
• § 16501.16 — In addition to the assurances required to be included in a case plan pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (g) of Section 16501.
• § 16501.2 — (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Safety, stability, and the permanence of families in the child welfare system are of paramount importance.
• § 16501.25 — (a) For the purposes of this section, “teen parent” means a child who has been adjudged to be a dependent child or ward of the court on the grounds that he or she is a person described under Section 3
• § 16501.26 — (a) For the purposes of this section, “nonminor dependent parent” means a nonminor dependent as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, residing in a supervised independent living placement as
• § 16501.27 — (a) For purposes of Section 16501.
• § 16501.28 — Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.
• § 16501.3 — (a) The State Department of Social Services shall establish and maintain a program of public health nursing in the child welfare services program that meets the federal requirements for the provision
• § 16501.35 — (a) County child welfare agencies and probation departments shall implement policies and procedures that require social workers and probation officers to do all of the following: (1) Identify children
• § 16501.4 — In order to ensure the oversight of psychotropic medications that are prescribed for children pursuant to Section 369.
• § 16501.45 — (a) To ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements, including those of Public Law 113-183, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, the State Department of Social Servi
• § 16501.5 — (a) In order to protect children and effectively administer and evaluate California’s Child Welfare Services and Foster Care programs, the department shall implement a single statewide Child Welfare S
• § 16501.6 — (a) It is the intent of the Legislature for the State Department of Social Services to enhance the statewide child welfare information system to include information concerning the level of care requir
• § 16501.7 — (a) On or before December 1, 2005, the State Department of Social Services shall develop, and provide to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, a Child Welfare Services/Case Manage
• § 16501.8 — Social workers shall make reasonable efforts to collect and update necessary data regarding a child’s incarcerated parent or parents.
• § 16501.9 — (a) (1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the Child Welfare Services – California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES), also known as the Child Welfare Services-New System (CWS
• § 16501.95 — (a) The State Department of Social Services shall determine which entities meet the definition of a “child welfare contributing agency,” as defined in Section 1355.
• § 16502 — The child welfare services authorized by this chapter shall be established in any county or combination of counties when a plan which includes financing of such services has been certified by the depa
• § 16502.5 — (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county board of supervisors may receive and review any records in the custody of the juvenile court or any other involved county agencies relating to
• § 16503 — (a) Subsequent to completion of the hearing conducted pursuant to Section 366.
• § 16503.5 — (a) A placing agency shall provide a caregiver placement agreement to the child’s or nonminor dependent’s caregiver at the time of the child’s placement with that caregiver.
• § 16504 — (a) Any child reported to the county child welfare services department to be endangered by abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall be eligible for initial intake and evaluation of risk services.
• § 16504.5 — (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, a child welfare agency may secure from an appropriate governmental criminal justice agency the st
• § 16504.6 — The State Department of Social Services shall evaluate a request from an Indian tribe to exempt a crime that is exemptible under Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code, if needed, to allow placeme
• § 16504.7 — (a) Upon request by a county child welfare agency, the department shall provide a list identifying each person who has received a criminal records exemption pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 1522
• § 16506 — Family maintenance services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff in order to maintain the child in his or her own home.
• § 16506.5 — (a) Effective July 1, 2025, county child welfare agencies shall convene child and family team meetings, as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 16501, for children and youth receivin
• § 16507 — (a) Family reunification services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff in order to reunite the child separated from his or her parent because of abuse, neglect, or expl
• § 16507.2 — Prior to entering into a voluntary placement agreement with a parent or guardian, the social worker shall make every attempt to keep the family together by offering appropriate child welfare services
• § 16507.3 — (a) Beginning on October 1, 1982, child welfare services for children placed voluntarily after January 1, 1982, shall be limited to a period not to exceed 180 days.
• § 16507.4 — (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, voluntary family reunification services shall be provided without fee to families who qualify, or would qualify if application had been made t
• § 16507.5 — (a) (1) When a minor is separated, or is in the process of being separated, from the minor’s family under the provisions of a voluntary placement agreement, the county welfare department or a licensed
• § 16507.6 — If a minor has been voluntarily placed with the county welfare department subsequent to January 1, 1982, for out-of-home placement by his or her parents or guardians pursuant to this chapter and the m
• § 16507.7 — Each agency or entity, except for a community college, which offers a parenting course as part of a family maintenance or family reunification effort for a parent or parents of a child who has been ad
• § 16508 — Permanent placement services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff for children who cannot safely live with their parents and are not likely to return to their own homes
• § 16508.1 — (a) For every child who is in foster care, or who enters foster care, on or after January 1, 1999, and has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months, the social worker shall submit to th
• § 16508.2 — It is the intent of the Legislature to establish additional alternatives to foster care placements.
• § 16509 — Cultural and religious child-rearing practices and beliefs which differ from general community standards shall not in themselves create a need for child welfare services unless the practices present a
• § 16509.1 — No child who in good faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited
• § 16509.2 — The physical or mental incapacity, or both, in itself, of a parent or a child, shall not result in a presumption of need for child welfare services.