California Senate Bill SB602 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 602INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Committee on Human Services (Senators Yee (Chair), Berryhill, Emmerson, Evans, Liu, and Wright) FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to amend Sections 18960, 18961, and 18962 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to child abuse prevention. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 602, as introduced, Committee on Human Services. Child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment projects. Existing law allows the Office of Child Abuse Prevention to fund, through allocations provided to local counties, child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention programs. Existing law provides the criteria under which a county selects agency projects and services to be funded under these provisions, including that priority shall be given to private, nonprofit agencies and that training and technical assistance shall be provided by private, nonprofit agencies, as specified. Existing law requires a county that has established a multidisciplinary council to utilize that council to provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities. This bill would provide that a county welfare department may directly perform services funded under these provisions and priority shall be given instead to direct prevention and early intervention programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention. This bill would remove required training and technical assistance by private, nonprofit agencies as a selection criteria. This bill would require counties to utilize specified processes to include stakeholder input and provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 18960 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18960. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that child abuse and neglect prevention and  early  intervention programs be encouraged by the funding of  public and other  agencies addressing needs of children at high risk of abuse or neglect and their families. (b) All funds expended by a county for activities under this section shall be expended by the county in a manner that will maximize eligibility for federal financial participation. (c) Priority shall be given to  prevention programs through nonprofit agencies, including, where appropriate,   direct prevention and early intervention  programs that identify and provide services to isolated families, particularly those with children five years of age or younger, high quality home visiting programs based on research-based models of best practice, and services to child victims of crime. SEC. 2. Section 18961 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18961. (a)  Projects and   In addition to funding non  profit agencies, a county welfare department may also directly perform child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention services funded under this article. Direct  services  provided to children and families  funded pursuant to this article shall be selected using the following criteria: (1) Priority shall be given to  private, nonprofit agencies with programs that serve the needs of children at risk of abuse or neglect and   services and programs  that have demonstrated effectiveness in  abuse and neglect  prevention  or   and early  intervention  , particularly services to isolated families, families with children five years of age or younger, high quality home visiting programs based on research-based models of best practice, and services to child victims of crime . (2)  Agencies   Nonprofit   agencies  shall be eligible for funding provided that evidence is submitted that the proposed services are not duplicated in the community, are based on needs of children at risk, and are supported by a local public agency, including, but not limited to, one of the following: (A) The county welfare department. (B) A public law enforcement agency. (C) The county probation department. (D) The county board of supervisors. (E) The county public health department. (F) The county mental health department. (G) The school district. (3) Services provided shall be culturally and linguistically appropriate to the populations served. (4)  Services   Direct services provided to children and f   amilies  may include, but need not be limited to, day care, respite services, transportation, mental health services, services provided through home visiting programs, parent education and support programs, domestic violence services, disability services, early developmental screening and assessment,  and  counseling  services   services, and multidisciplinary team services  . (5)  Applicant   Nonprofit applicant  agencies shall demonstrate the existence of a 10 percent cash or in-kind match that will support the goals of child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention. (6) Funding shall be used to supplement, but not supplant, child welfare services authorized pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 16500) of Part 4.  (7) Training and technical assistance shall be provided by private, nonprofit agencies to those agencies funded to provide services under this article. Training and technical assistance shall encompass all of the following:   (A) Multidisciplinary approaches to child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment.   (B) Facilitation of local services networks.   (C) Establishment and support of child abuse councils.   (D) Dissemination of information addressing issues of child abuse among multicultural and special needs populations.   (8)   (7)  Priority for services shall be given to children who are at high risk, including children who are being served by the county welfare departments for being abused and neglected and other children who are referred for services by legal, medical, or social services agencies.  (9)   (8)  Service to minority populations shall be reflected in the funding of projects  and services  .  (10)   (9)  Projects and services shall clearly be related to the needs of children, especially those 14 years of age and under. (b)  In a county that has established a multidisciplinary council, the council shall be utilized   Counties shall utilize the county self-assessment and system improvement plan processes established under Section 10601.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to include stakeholder input and  to provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities. (c) Each county shall monitor the projects and services it funds. (d) Beginning in the 2011-12 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, funding and expenditures for programs and activities under this section shall be in accordance with the requirements provided in Sections 30025 and 30026.5 of the Government Code. SEC. 3. Section 18962 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18962. (a) If a board of supervisors chooses not to  contract or subcontract   utilize these funds  for the provision of  direct prevention and early intervention  services  provided to children and families  , the funds allocated for that county shall revert to the State Children's Trust Fund established under Section 18969 and shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of law relating to the fund. (b) The county child welfare agency shall provide to the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, no later than October 1 of each year, an annual expenditure report to include funds expended, populations served, and other information deemed necessary based on a process to be developed by the department, in consultation with counties.